Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought a cage that is 29"x29"x5'tall. It is wood frame. Three sides are plexi. The bottom is plywood and the back is plywood. The top is hardware cloth. I am going to house my pair of prehensile-tailed skinks in it. Their preferred humidity is 80%.
First, I will cover the top with something to keep in the humidity.
Regarding the sealing of the wood... Would polyurethane be strong enough or would I need like a solvent-based epoxy or a deck sealer? I want to be able to mist the heck out of that cage and not worry about wood rot.
Also, I was thinking that after I seal the wood I should also seal all the cracks with silicone... good idea?
Thanks so much for any advice you can offer with this! I am itching to get them into a nice bigger cage, but only if I can make it comfortable like they like it!
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Lisa Rakestraw
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My skinks:
1.1 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni)
2.3 Egernia striolata
2.2 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa)

Hubby's snakes of the Southwest:
0.1 Lichanura orcutti (Rosie)
0.1 Lampropeltis pyromelana (Little Red)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer (Jennifer)
1.1 Bogertophis subocularis (Humphrey and Olive)
0.1 Lampropeltis alterna (Sandy)

If you want the cage to last many years in those conditions, then regular old polyurethane you see in do-it-yourself centers is not optimum, especially on the floor.

For the floor, consider either bar-top epoxy or the 2-part epoxy sold for wood. Some are sold for concrete but probably work on wood - I've never tried those. A fantastic product is Repti-Shield, a polyurea coating that from my own experience is so tough and waterproof that it is like the wood was coated with plastic. It is like painting with molasses. I dripped some on a dusty garage floor and nothing but the toughest sandpaper would even begin to get it off.

There is that Drylok masonary paint that leaves a textured surface that will withstand humidity easily.

The back wall might as well use what you use on the floor since you have it. Alot of times a wall is less critical. Well, at least up higher near the top.
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Mark

I agree with Mark, don't use regular old polyurethane, whether it be oil-based or water-based.

If you really want a waterproof clear finish then clear polyurea or clear epoxy are the best ways to go. I think there is a clear version of Reptishield (polyurea).

Nice thing about epoxy and Reptishield is that they are available in small kits so you won't have a lot of leftover. I'm guessing polyurea will be more scratch resistant than epoxy but I'm not sure. I would not put a Corucia in any sort of sealed wooden cage and have full confidence they wouldn't scratch it up eventually.

BTW, there is simply no reason to use any sort of solvent based epoxy. Most of those come in big kits anyways. Regular epoxy resin or bartop resin comes in smaller kits and can be tinted if you so choose.

Mark also mentions Drylok Latex Masonry Waterproofer. Durable and cheap stuff and you only need to buy a quart. Easier to repair and touch up than epoxy or polyurea if it gets scratched up in the future. Only comes in white or light gray but can be tinted with liquid concrete dye.

Those would be my three choices.

Huge thanks, Mark and Chris! This is why I love Kingsnake--the members are so helpful! And so prompt too! I should be so prompt! (#^_^)

Anyway, the Drylok seems the most appealing, for the cost factor, but I had heard that it can't be used on wood?! But why not? If it seals concrete, why not wood?

The polyurea and bar-top epoxy *do* seem like a more aesthetic option, but then again, I might end up covering the wall with cork tiles anyway; I just need a really good seal to keep that humidity from soaking into the wood.

Thanks again! I think I'll check out the Drylok.
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Lisa Rakestraw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My skinks:
1.1 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni)
2.3 Egernia striolata
2.2 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa)

Hubby's snakes of the Southwest:
0.1 Lichanura orcutti (Rosie)
0.1 Lampropeltis pyromelana (Little Red)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer (Jennifer)
1.1 Bogertophis subocularis (Humphrey and Olive)
0.1 Lampropeltis alterna (Sandy)

Drylok will stick to wood, it's just not made for that specifically. Not a bad idea to scuff up the polyurethane finish before topcoating with Drylok, however.

I think I already mentioned it, but make sure you get Drylok Latex based Masonry Waterproofer. Drylok makes a lot of different products.

Thanks, Chris!
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Lisa Rakestraw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My skinks:
1.1 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni)
2.3 Egernia striolata
2.2 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa)

Hubby's snakes of the Southwest:
0.1 Lichanura orcutti (Rosie)
0.1 Lampropeltis pyromelana (Little Red)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer (Jennifer)
1.1 Bogertophis subocularis (Humphrey and Olive)
0.1 Lampropeltis alterna (Sandy)

Don't use deck sealer and don't use silicone. Corucia are too likely to peel up silicone.

Drylok, epoxy or polyurea are all thick enough to fill small gaps by themselves. If you really want a caulk for your piece of mind find something you can topcoat with epoxy, polyurea, or drylok.

Also, given the amount of space you have to coat a quart of polyurea or epoxy should be sufficient. Might need a bit more than a quart of drylok since it is almost 50% liquid carriers.

Or will the thick Drylok adhere just fine to the old polyurethane finish?
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Lisa Rakestraw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My skinks:
1.1 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni)
2.3 Egernia striolata
2.2 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa)

Hubby's snakes of the Southwest:
0.1 Lichanura orcutti (Rosie)
0.1 Lampropeltis pyromelana (Little Red)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer (Jennifer)
1.1 Bogertophis subocularis (Humphrey and Olive)
0.1 Lampropeltis alterna (Sandy)

Well we always use polyurethane here at Newreptilecages. Coat the plywood with a thick layer by brush or roller. Then, lightly sand and re apply another coat and make sure that you get the edges VERY WELL. Thats the most important step because plywood is layered and if water get in there it will begin to de laminate.
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