# First Time Custom Vivarium Build - Pic Heavy



## Mixmaster (Sep 19, 2010)

Hi everyone! I've not posted here before but I've been lurking for a while, me and my girlfriend have been building a vivarium for a bearded dragon and thought we'd put some pics up to show what we've done so far!

It's a 4x2x2 viv, made from mdf + an assortment of other woods.










Completed frame and vivarium:










Started painting:










Started background:










Grouting background:










Heat lamp installed:











This is what we've done so far, I'll update this thread with more pics as we get further along, any tips/comments would be welcome!


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## judy (Feb 12, 2009)

wow looking good so far!


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## Mixmaster (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks! We've done a bit more today, set the two thermometers at the top and grouted the background and platforms in:










Just need to sort the vent area at the top and then its ready for painting.


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## Swain86 (Jan 23, 2011)

very neat and tidy  liking the fake rock


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

that looks brilliant:2thumb:


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## Wattzy21stCentury (Feb 20, 2011)

Very Nice!!!! :2thumb:


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## Mixmaster (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks all! We finished it at the start of this week, but haven't had chance to put some pics up until now, so here it is:










We got the beardie today, he's settling in now, here's a pic of him:










What do you all think? He seems to be loving it so far!


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## jetsmart1 (Feb 7, 2011)

looks good, is it painted, looks like its only grouted?

good job


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## haunted-havoc (Aug 6, 2009)

what type of paint did you use on the wood itself?


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## Mixmaster (Sep 19, 2010)

Yeah the grout is painted, we used gray grout and a kind of sandy colour paint.

As for the wood itself, it was painted with the same colour as the grout inside, and the outside was painted with plain white emulsion. It did however take a ludicrous amount of coats to get a nice finish! I didn't realise just how absorbant MDF was when it comes to paint!


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

What did you seal your paintwork with?


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## Mixmaster (Sep 19, 2010)

We sealed it with some matt floor varnish from Wilkos, was pretty cheap and has done the job pretty well. I splashed some water inside to make sure it was waterproof after we did it . It did have 4 coats of varnish though!


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## Gino55 (Sep 23, 2011)

how did you stick the poly blocks together? and how did you stick them onto the back wall of the viv? it looks fantastic btw!!!!!:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:


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## Mixmaster (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks! The blocks on the back wall are carved out of the front of a single piece of SpaceBoard insulation foam - the whole board was then stuck onto the back wall and sealed in with varnish. This was a bit easier than attaching a load of single blocks!


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## bluebear (Sep 10, 2011)

just a quick reply great viv but being a painter for years mdf is very absorbant seal mdf first with mdf sealer cuts down on dust and put a nice barrier up, and 1 point never sand mdf first then paint allways paint first to fir it up then sand it down and it will go silkie smooth :flrt:


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## Mixmaster (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks for the tip! I sealed the edges of the mdf with PVA glue before starting, which made a big difference, though if I did it again I'd definitely seal the rest aswell!


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