Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I'm making some snake cages (3'x2'x1-1/2') out of MDF. I'm pleased with how they're turning out so far. They're ready to sand and paint. What would be the best type of paint to use to achieve a high degree of water resistance. I'll need to maintain some fairly high humidity levels in theses cages. Thanks...

How much moisture will the substrate need to hold? Will it be damp at all times?

I assume you want a solid color since you specify paint, so I'll limit choices those types of choices. I will list them in what I believe to be most water resistant to least water resistant.

1) Solvent based epoxy paints. Very expensive but you can seal a plywood box with these and they will hold water for years. Commonly used by aquarists to build large wooden tanks. Are very smelly and messy to work with as well as sensitive to improper mixing.

2) Water based epoxy paints. Still expensive, but generally easier to work with than their solvent based counterparts. Also sensitive to improper mixing.

3) Drylok latex based masonry paint. Remarkably water resistant for being so cheap and easy to work with. However, it is a hydraulic cement based paint and has a sandy texture to it. I would strongly recommend an easy to clean plastic floor of some sort is used in conjuction with this. Probably not the most attractive color, although it can be tinted. It sticks to melamine so it should stick to MDF. A bonding agent on the MDF might be a good idea to insure adhesion.

4) Some of the higher quality acrylic paints available. There is one from Sherwin Williams in particular that is highly regarded. Don't just get any old acrylic latex paint from Home Depot. One problem with these is that they are a bit brittle so they may not work with any thin panels of MDF than can flex. These also will not work with constant exposure to damp substrate. With these you should line the floors and first few inches of walls with plastic. I recommend scrap linoleum, vinyl film, or expanded PVC sign board.

One last suggestion I'll make is vinyl film used in the graphics industry. You can just peel and stick it right on the walls and floor. It is cheap but only when purchased in bulk so it may depend on how many cages you made. It is also very glossy looking.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

First off, Chris Harper gave you some excellent advice regarding coatings.

I tested some MDF material for moisture resistance. Lightly misting did absolutely zero damage to MDF painted with acrylic paint as long as the panel was allowed to dry after some time. Acrylic spray paint also worked really well, as did epoxy appliance spray paint. I let large drops of water sit on the spray painted test panel until it dried. No damage at all.

I tried Polycrylic water-based clear poly. It worked very well too, but is easy to get hairline cracks in the finish if the panel flexed alot. Still quite durable for the ceiling for example.

But there is a hitch.

The thing about MDF - you can make it fairly moisture resistant for the cage ceiling and sides, but the problem is when you clean the cage floor. Scrubbing MDF, even if painted, can cause damage over a relatively short time. For that reason, I would urge you to put something on the floor like vinyl tiles or expanded PVC. Something that you can scrub without worry, or that sheilds the MDF from prolonged substrate moisture if you are using a moist substrate.

And if you have the patience, putting vinyl tile a few inches up each wall will provide even more protection. Do that and I bet these cages last a very long time.

Thanks for the advice. I think that a high quality acrylic along with a pvcx tray will suit my needs very well.

Use a dry substrate (like newspaper) and use a plastic humidity box/hide. This is a great practice to make wood cages last a long time while still providing humidity.

One last suggestion I'll make is vinyl film used in the graphics industry. You can just peel and stick it right on the walls and floor. It is cheap but only when purchased in bulk so it may depend on how many cages you made. It is also very glossy looking.
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was interested in using this but was infomed by manufactor over here that the adhesive would be toxic to reptiles , i probly had the wrong type what was the one you were recomending?