Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I understand there are a lot of products that can be used to seal enclosures. I am designing a wood enclosure for water dragons that is 3.5 ft x 6.5 ft x 6 ft. I also want to include a sheet of glass as a window to look into a pool constructed with concrete.

How do Drylock, ReptiShield, vinyl pool lining, and paint compare to each other and can you recommend any specific products?

Also, I was looking at the construction of the Summer Palace, where he used a coat of Enviro-Tex epoxy, then two coats of an elastomeric paint and then a final coat of epoxy. What do you think about that application?

Also, what thickness of glass should I use for sliding glass doors that are roughly 36 in tall x 39 in wide?

Thanks for your help!

I understand there are a lot of products that can be used to seal enclosures. I am designing a wood enclosure for water dragons that is 3.5 ft x 6.5 ft x 6 ft. I also want to include a sheet of glass as a window to look into a pool constructed with concrete.

Is this going to be a paludarium type design where you can look through the glass and right into the water?

How do Drylock, ReptiShield, vinyl pool lining, and paint compare to each other and can you recommend any specific products?

This really depends on how the concrete pool is built into the cage. It also depends if you need to use silicone or another caulk to attach glass to the cage for viewing into the water, which I'm assuming you do.

With that assumption in mind, I think you should narrow down your choices to Drylok Masonry Latex Waterproofer, epoxy resin, or solvent-based epoxy paint.

Of the two, Drylok will be the cheapes,easiest to repair and certainly the easiest to work with. Epoxy will be more expensive and harder to work with but is the tried and true approach and if executed properly is the least likely to need repair.

Epoxy paint will be somewhere between the two but then you have to deal with the nasty solvents when working with it.

If the bond between the sealed wood and either the glass or the pond does not matter then you should also consider the polyurea. I can comment on this further but I'd need to know more about the design.

Also, I was looking at the construction of the Summer Palace, where he used a coat of Enviro-Tex epoxy, then two coats of an elastomeric paint and then a final coat of epoxy. What do you think about that application?

It worked, but I think even the builder said he really did not test it long term. He and I had a long email exchange, unfortunately deleted by Hotmail, and I think he said that was the one knock against his approach. I may not remember that quite right.

Certainly there are better choices than Envirotex and other bar top epoxies. They are great products but they are designed to go on thick. A regular laminating epoxy resion would have been a better choice for what he did.

Also, what thickness of glass should I use for sliding glass doors that are roughly 36 in tall x 39 in wide?

1/4" glass will be fine but you should consider safety glass.
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Currently keeping:

3.5.5 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)
0.0.3 Rhynchophis boulengeri
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae
0.0.3 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus
1.1.1 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)
1.0 Morelia clastolepis
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

"Is this going to be a paludarium type design where you can look through the glass and right into the water?"

That is what I’d like to do. I may build a smaller scale version to test everything out. I've seen examples on the internet where they've used silicon to bond the glass to the wood for one side of the pool (their design was for an aquarium) and faux rock to make up the other sides, with the edges sealed with silicon. My design is made of wood, with sliding glass doors and a glass window into the pool. But, I'm not sure how well that would work or if somebody has tried something better.

"If the bond between the sealed wood and either the glass or the pond does not matter"

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

"1/4" glass will be fine but you should consider safety glass."

I was considering using tempered glass for the pool and doors. Safety glass would be better?

Thanks

I'm glad to hear you're doing a paludarium.

I've seen examples on the internet where they've used silicon to bond the glass to the wood for one side of the pool (their design was for an aquarium) and faux rock to make up the other sides, with the edges sealed with silicon.

And you'll get a better and more water tight bond between the silicone and the wood if the wood is sealed first, which is why I stress that whatever sealer you choose is something that silicone sticks well to.

As such, I would recommend you limit your choices to Drylok, epoxy resin and solvent-based epoxy paint.

My design is made of wood, with sliding glass doors and a glass window into the pool. But, I'm not sure how well that would work or if somebody has tried something better.

I have built a few of these, although mine had access from the back so I did not use sliding doors. I think sliders are a good idea and will only require some sort of basic support above the water-viewing window for the lower track to be attached to.

"If the bond between the sealed wood and either the glass or the pond does not matter"

Hard to explain what I meant and I won't bother since you are doing a paludarium. You need a watertight seal between the glass and the pond and likely between the wood and the lower glass so you'll need a sealer that silicone will stick to. If the pond has been free standing in the middle of a (non-paludarium) cage and the only glass was mounted on sliding track then you would not have needed to worry about it.

I was considering using tempered glass for the pool and doors. Safety glass would be better?

Talk to your glass guy, but my understand is that safety glass it easier to put a polished edge on. Even if you use roller track you'll want the vertical edges to be polished and rounded for safety reasons. If you use plastic track you'll need the horizontal edges polished and rounded so they will slide.

And with that said, I think the size you're considering probably will require roller track.

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Currently keeping:

3.5.5 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)
0.0.3 Rhynchophis boulengeri
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae
0.0.3 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus
1.1.1 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)
1.0 Morelia clastolepis
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

Thanks, I'll play with it and see what I come up with.

Are there any epoxy resin products that you can recommend?

Raka, System 3, West Systems and many more. Any marine resin system should be fine.

If you find a product locally and are not sure let me know and I'll let you know what I know about it.
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Currently keeping:

3.5.5 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)
0.0.3 Rhynchophis boulengeri
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae
0.0.3 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus
1.1.1 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)
1.0 Morelia clastolepis
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

Hey Chris,

I looked locally, but only found garage floor sealers. I am thinking about using the products from West Systems: 105 Expoxy Resin and 207 Hardener. I believe I can use this product as a laminate. Do you think if I stain or paint the concrete, and then apply 3 coats of epoxy, the seal will be sufficient? I haven't used epoxies before, other than auto body epoxy, so I still have a lot to learn.

Thanks,

I have not used the 207 hardener and understand it does make the mix run a bit thinner. Is this to waterproof a cement pool as well as the plywood?

I have built plywood pools and just a bonding additive and they seemed to hold water fine. So you might not need much or any epoxy for the concrete.
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Currently keeping:

3.5.5 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)
0.0.3 Rhynchophis boulengeri
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae
0.0.3 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus
1.1.1 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)
1.0 Morelia clastolepis
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

I plan to seal the concrete pool, maybe use concrete on the walls, floor, and I will have to seal any plywood that I leave expoxed. What are you refering to when you seay bonding additive?

When I mixed up my concrete for my pools I used a lot of acrylic bonding additive mixed in. I don't remember my mix or the brand of additive I used.
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Currently keeping:

3.5.5 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)
0.0.3 Rhynchophis boulengeri
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata
0.2 Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae
0.0.3 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus
1.1.1 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)
1.0 Morelia clastolepis
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

That's something I haven't heard before.