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i have a large multi level cage that i built out of pine. it was used for colubrids but now i have them all in racks so i am going to take out the dividers and make this one big cage for tokays. except that they need high humidity so i was wondering how to protect the wood. I was thinking to one of those roll on pick up bed liners but someone here suggested that may not be a good idea. any other thoughts?

While I'm here.

Hi, not sure what they are using exactly, I have not been well enough to go hunt it down. Basically a heavy contact vinyl. I think used for car emblems? Something like that. I love to make stuff work for other uses and that is a great one.

2 issues I run into with water "proofing". 1 the real proofing part. Stopping the water/liquid from penetrating the surface of what ever you are working on.

The one problem some people miss is, moisture level will rise around the cage, no thin plastic is a 100% vapor barrier. So, the inside of a cage wall swells, the outside of the same spot does not, and you form fractures in the vapor barrier. So small you probably can not see them. This lets in more moisture and it worsens.

In general the more dense the structure I would say it is more stable,, I have to think on that myself. But pine may be an issue. But a good plastic coating, will not fracture. Yea you may get some wood movement. But wood movement can be good at times.

Try to find what this plastic is, and I think you'll be very happy.

good luck
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You can line your enclosure with FRP board. You can get this at your local Home depot. I have enclosures made of Wood and have lined the insides with FRP (fiber reinforced Plastic) board and sealed all corners with silicone. I have a water tight enclosure that my Varanus prasinus trio love. My humidity stays about 80% with it raining 7 times a day for 4 minutes at a time and have never had a leak.

I think the vinyl that Herpzilla's taling about is the same kind Chris Harper and I are using. I can't remember where Chris got his maybe he will chime in. But if you call a sign shop they maybe able to help you out. Its the stuff they make window decals with. Comes in a big roll, I can't wait to use my sample. A replacement for Contact Paper.
Jeremy
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Do you truely mean water-proof, or do you just mean highly water resistant? There is a difference between sealing a wooden cage so it can hold water in the base, which I've seen for tropical lizards, or a cage that can hold a few inches of moist substrate.

I'm going to assume that you don't need a truely water-proof cage.

Also, were you wanting a clear coat or a solid color?

For an already assembled cage the easiest method is to spray or brush some sort of liquid sealer onto the inside. If your cage is built from edge-glued pine panels then you'll need something that has a bit of flexibility and handle the expansion and contraction of the wood over time. This can be a bit more tricky.

The vinyl film that other has mentions might be a good choice. To get it to stick to the wood it will be best if the wood has already been sealed with something.

The nice thing about the vinyl film is that you can use what's called a wet application technique. This will allow you to spray the cage with a water/soap mixture and adjust the self-adhesive vinyl until you get the size just right with a razor and squeeze all of the bubbles down. Unlike Contact Paper, the adhesive will not break down in the presence of water.

It might be hard to find in a small enough quantity for one cage, but you should call around to sign shops and see. You only need a basic calendared vinyl film rated for 4 to 6 years of of outdoor use. The more expensive vinyl films will offer you no extra water resistance and are not worth the money in most cases, assuming the cage will be kept indoors.