Coroplast Cage is too big for single sheet of coroplast

Alex1993 · Oct 10, 2014

Hello everyone,

I currently have my two new guinea pigs (brothers and under a year) in a pet shop cage, which is way too small. So after much research, I decided that making a C and C cage would be the best option. Space was never an issue and I want to give my boys as much room as possible, so I made the cage 3 grids wide by 8 grids long. I know it's massive (everyone has been telling me it's a waste of space), but I have the room and I want my boys to be happy and healthy. Anyways, I cannot seem to find any single sheet of coroplast that is big enough to accommodate my cage. Does anyone have advice on how I should proceed? Is taping two sheets an option? Should I just make the cage smaller? Finally, can someone explain to me the process of making the corners for the cage. I read the directions online, but was a little confused. Is scoring the same thing as cutting straight through? I'm very new to all this.

Thank you so much to anyone who can reply and help a new owner out.

Best,
Alex

daisy1cow · Oct 10, 2014

You can tape it together.
I don't use coroplast any more and bought a premade one so it was already scored for me. I now just use a sheet of vinyl I got from Lowes. Its a 6x8 sheet and they had larger as well but mine was 20$ I like the vinyl much better, just mop it up

DewOver · Oct 11, 2014

@daisy1cow, What kind of tape should be used to tape the coro?
Why couldn't you just mop the coro?
@Alex1993, No, scoring is not the same as cutting all the way through. Scoring is like making a straight scratch where you want the plastic to bend. You don't want the sides to be separate pieces from the bottom. You cut out the squares at the corners to get them out of the way so you can fold the sides up. Just look at a cardboard box that's laid flat.

Princess_Piggie · Oct 11, 2014

Basically when you score it you're cutting only half way through the sheet. If you don't cut deep enough, it'll resist the bend and won't assemble easily, and obviously if you cut too far, it becomes a separate piece. Which incidentally is what I did with one side of mine, but I used an excessive amount of clear packing tape to put them back together and it works fine, no leaking etc.

pigger123 · Oct 11, 2014

With such a large cage, I think the best and easiest option would be to simply put something waterproof (other than coroplast) underneath the whole cage and then you can zip-tie coroplast sides directly onto the grids if you want to. Having the sides just attached to the grids will be sufficient to contain the mess, unless you use a disposable bedding instead of fleece.

13scooter13 · Oct 11, 2014

@daisy1cow Is there a difference between vinyl and corroplast? :0

pigger123 · Oct 11, 2014

13scooter13 said:
@daisy1cow Is there a difference between vinyl and corroplast? :0

Coroplast is stiff, corrugated plastic, basically like corrugated cardboard but made out of plastic instead. Vinyl is flatter, thinner, and more flexible.

daisy1cow · Oct 11, 2014

Some people like coroplast because you can make 6 in sides to keep poo from being flung? My pigs dont fling poo. Once in a while i will have poos on the other side but its because they sit in corner and on might get through the grid. I find really no difference, its a personal choice or that coroplast is super expensive like it is in iowa. It was 80$ a 4x8 sheet. Viynl was a cheaper option and i have ni complants. Ive used shower curtain but a little flimsy and use for temp solution or foster cages. I like it.

daisy1cow · Oct 11, 2014

Ive used duct tape to tape together. Doesnt really matter since it will be covered by uhauls (Or whatever) and fleece

Alex1993 · Oct 11, 2014

@daisy1cow Is vinyl waterproof and does it last as long as coroplast? Also what are "uhauls"? I am currently using wooden shavings that I bought from the pet store as bedding, but with such a large cage it'll be very expensive so I am looking for alternative bedding options. Thank you so much for your help!

daisy1cow · Oct 11, 2014

If youre using pellets youll want coroplast as you can make it have sides to hold the wood pellets in. Vinyl is waterproof. Its like your bathroom floor. So instead of wood pellets i used to use towels and fleece. Wanting to try something different and hearing much talk about uhaul pads im using those now. Their ok. You buy them at uhaul and they are recycled demin pad like to protect things when you move. I use a double layer.
No problem asking. I like to help

Alex1993 · Oct 11, 2014

@daisy1cow Awesome. I think I'm gonna go with a Vinyl base and fleece for bedding. Just a few more questions lol

. Does vinyl come connected and I just roll it out? Also for fleece, is it okay if I just put newspapers under the fleece for absorption? To prevent the outside of the cage from getting very messy, I plan on having the vinyl go like 6-7 inches past the cube perimeter.

daisy1cow · Oct 11, 2014

Ive never had an issue with it. I just mop it up. It is connected and just roll it out. Im pretty sure it was a 6x8 sheet already packaged for sale and was around 25$. Back in the flooring section.

Heres the link (broken link removed)

Papers get pretty smelly. Walmart had towels for 2.97. I used maybe 5 folded in half then fleece on top. Start up it a bit expensive, but then all you do it wash so it pays off. I had several sets of towels over the time. But then went to uhaul pads which are around 7$ each and I use two per cage. I cut the vinyl down to size leaving many inches on each side to allow. My daughter has three 2x8 cages all side by side so she left her vinyl in one sheet so she could put all three cages on.
Do what works best for you.
Good luck

daisy1cow · Oct 11, 2014

So here are some pics to help. The tan is the vinyl I got at Lowes, cut down and marked so I knew where to stop with towels. LOL I left it long so if I ever decided to expand I had the room. Then last year, I re floored my kitchen and saved the remnants. That is the slate looking flooring and its hard to see on top of that flooring so I put the notebook under it so you could see it was just a piece. Then on top of that is the uhaul pad and then the fleece. News papers are smelly. I used to do newspapers, towels and fleece. Towels are better and absorbent.

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Coroplast Cage is too big for single sheet of coroplast

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