Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can I use polyurethane on driftwood? Will it make it easier to keep
clean and make it water proof?
Thanks J.

I wouldn't do anything to it.

If the cage is very wet or humid, then perhaps a plastic or resin fake would be a better choice. Not sure what your application is.
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Mark

I just have some unusual pieces Id like to keep nice.But they would look awesome in the enclosures for my snakes.One cage is more humid then the other but not wet/damp.
Trying hard to make naturalistic enclosures for a milksnake and a ratsnake.

I see. The ratsnake branch should be dry and natural, as ratsnakes will often use branches to perch on. No need to seal it, but if you absolutely want to, then you can use 1 or 2 coats of shellac. Shellac cures fast and is completely safe. In fact, it is hypoallergenic. It isn't the most durable or waterproof sealer, but for a ratsnake you do not need waterproof at all. But really, I wouldn't bother.

The other thing you can do is to put plastic furniture glides on the bottom of the branch where it touches the substrate, to lift the branch contact points off of the substrate just a bit. Or a piece of tile or small rocks glued to the branch bottom.

The milksnake: Milks are underground snakes, or under debri snakes. You can use mopani wood - it will hold up to any cage condition w/o sealing. If you have ever seen milksnake habitat (Sinaloan, Nelsoni, Pueblan, Mexican for example) - they are in burrows or in plant litter, among roots, etc. They likely will use wood cover if it is shaped so they can get under it. Some cork flats will probably be better utilized than a piece of driftwood. But again, if you want a piece of wood in there, no harm, but perhaps doing the furniture glide thing or other spacer thing is better than trying to seal the wood. And if you still want to seal it, shellac is still the safest choice, but it isn't the most durable of sealers. Wood children's toys are often sealed with shellac. And if you decide you want water-based polyurethane later, you can apply it right over the shellac no problem. Shellac was the "sanding sealer" of the wood shop days in school many years ago.

I made a cage once and put a branch in it for a carpet python. I used polyurethane on the branch, and I hated it. It took away from the natural texture of the wood and didn't hold up to scrubbing anyway.
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Mark

That mopani wood looks great.I think for the milk I will use that instead.I did try the poly on a smaller piece of driftwood I didnt care so much about and it does look like crap.It makes it look like plastic and even changed the color.Thanks for telling about the Mopani.