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DIY Vivarium plywood sealer?

6690 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  hlsiefken, 
K
Hello,

My boyfriend and I have decided to go ahead and give all 4 girls a much deserved housing upgrade. I have been in the process of saving up for 2 double ferret nations, however my boyfriend wants to opt for a more modern look and build our own vivariums. We have all the dimensions and general draft for our vivariums, the only thing I am unsure of is how to go about sealing them. We have decided to go ahead and make them out of plywood, and seal them with a clear coat wood sealer. We may stain them prior to sealing them, we haven't quite decided yet.

I was just curious as to if anyone had any information as to what wood sealer would be appropriate and safe? I came across this one on a reptile form as I have also been looking there for an answer.

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/diamond-wood-finish-int-water-gloss-236ml/980301

Or is there a better alternative that comes to mind?

Any information at all is helpful, pictures would also be appreciated. :smile:
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darthvader
i was in your same situation when i was making Julie's vivarium in the summer. i made it with plywood also, and then painted it with very low VOC fumes paint, to seal it from water, but i still didn't want Juliet trying to dig at the paint or the wood so at the paint store i went to, the worker there makes wooden toys for his baby grand children. so they dont digest the paint he coats them with shellac spray, so that's what i used, and coated the entire cage with. its super hypoallergenic and non toxic to kids or pets, and it seems to work perfect for me. i out about 3 good spray coats on then after it dried i washed the cage down with water and vinegar. and it works perfect!:)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-...nish-and-Sealer-00304H/100203332#.UoBAcPl4Km8
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K
Thank you so much for the quick reply. My boyfriend is now debating about making it out of melamine instead, as it is already water proof. This way we only need to seal the joints and that makes the waiting time a little less. Plus, we were able to find a good price at our local home depot. We found a 4ft x 8ft sheet goes for just under $50.

We aren't starting the project until next week, however I will definitely add pictures once we've got it up. I'm so eager and I can't wait!
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darthvader
Good luck on your project! cant wait to see it!
this is how Juliet's turned out:)

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R
Darth, did you just modify an existing structure, or make it all by hand?
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darthvader
Raurora, i made it all my hand. My dad's a carpenter, so he helped me a lot and finished it pretty quickly.
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hlsiefken
Do you like it? Melamine is pretty darn heavy! I recently saw someone on Instagram who does their entire enclosure out of cloroplast. I thought it was pretty creative, and I imagine pretty easy and inexpensive!
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