Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've recently made terrestrial boa cages out of 3/4" birch plywood, thrice coated with waterbourne varathane sealant. Is the use of substrate ill advised? I would like to use substrate - not soaking wet but perhaps slightly damp to mostly dry, depending on the day - but do not want to cause my wood to rot/warp.

Thank you,

Zoe

It would break down eventually and probably pretty quick, even with slightly moist substrate. If your substrate was even slightly acidic like some barks it would break down even quicker.

Have you already caulked the edges? If so, what did you use?

I would recommend sealing the floor and first few inches of the cage walls with something more durable. Contact paper, scrap vinyl flooring, or maybe even a small batch of Envirotex Lite Epoxy or Glaze Coat Epoxy you can pick up locally.

The Repti-Shield Polyurea in the post below also comes in small kits. Available through at least one Kingsnake dealer.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

Thanks for the input. I'm in Canada so some of these are harder to get.

Is this what you mean by contact paper?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/MAPLE-WOOD-CONTACT-PAPER-SELF-ADHESIVE-SHELF-LINER_W0QQitemZ370142053192QQihZ024QQcategoryZ10034QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

That seems pretty easy. And it will protect from moisture?

I have siliconed the seams, yes.

Zoe

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370142053192

Yes, self-adhesive shelf liner.

I would peel and scrape all of the silicone off and the apply the contact paper. It's going to be a lot of work but necessary, IMO.

The silicone the seams of the contact paper.

I would also use contact paper on the wall or at least the first few inches of the walls.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback