Heat mat question

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

Yes you got the right place.

I would not place anything on or over the heat mat.
Especially plastic than can melt.

Keeping temps at certain levels by manual methods are a nightmare. (at least for me.)
So I got a Controller that has a nice temp and hygrometer.
A zoomed Hygrotherm HT-10 and I love it.
I controles all my "life support" for my frog.
I have a 75W heatmat (on the side) 50W ceramic and a 50W infra red bulb in mini deep dome light fixtures
that sit on top of the steel mesh of my small an Low ecoterra.
With a Zoomed reptifogger
For my Baby Pacman.
And I love how it keeps a steady 80F during the day and drips the temp by 5F at night.
It has a light sensor on the control head so it can make the night and day temps.

You might ask why so many heat sources.
#1 redundancy. Just in case one or more fails while I am away.
My wife wouldn't notice and wouldn't know what to do.
#2 the different sources act differently. Two are radiant and one is a light wave.

And yes the heat mat does loose close to 60% of its heat when mounted on the side.
So proper installation is a must.
See This thread I know it is really about reattaching a old mat to a new tank but you can pick out the part you need.

So to recap.
Do not cover the mat with anything, it can cause it to over heat. It has no internal heat regulation.
Highly recommend getting a Controller. Look on amazon first I recently found them for $40.00 each.

Good luck hope this helps and welcome to the forum.
OH please post pictures. We love pictures around here.

[Pyxiefan001]

Thanks for the info but I think you misunderstand me.

What I meant about placing plastic wrap was to place over the screen, on the lid. Not on the mat itself lol. That WOULD be a bad idea. I was just wondering if the heat emanating from the mat would be stuck in the air by the plastic on top of the screen. I do have this thing to control it with.
Amazon.com: Zoo Med ReptiTemp 500R Remote Sensor Thermostat: Pet Supplies

THIS is what I'm thinking about, if it helps:

And I have thought about getting a hygrotherm and a fogger to go with it but at the mo I can't afford them.

[Mentat]

...and then place a heat mat to the side of the cage where night-glo was. Experience tells me side-mounted mats aren't the most efficient means of heating. But if I put plastic wrap over that side, would it trap enough of the heat the mat emanates to keep that side warm enough (I'd like a minimum temp of 75 on said side of inside of the cage)?

...What I meant about placing plastic wrap was to place over the screen, on the lid. Not on the mat itself lol. That WOULD be a bad idea. I was just wondering if the heat emanating from the mat would be stuck in the air by the plastic on top of the screen. I do have this thing to control it with.
Amazon.com: Zoo Med ReptiTemp 500R Remote Sensor Thermostat: Pet Supplies

THIS is what I'm thinking about, if it helps:

...

As stated by Louis, heat mats are inefficient when placed on an enclosure side. IRT your description and drawing; would place mat above substrate level and away from any water source to prevent splashing on hot glass and shattering it. The plastic wrap on screen top will help retain heat on enclosure. It will also increase humidity and decrease ventilation.

There is no way to predict if mat is going to be warm enough for your enclosure heating needs. You can experiment by covering around 50% of top and then increase as required. Since you got a thermostat, would use the largest mat that can fit the on the intended side, without exceeding the thermostat wattage. Good luck !