Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering what is the quality of plywood I should use to construct an enclosure for my Monitor. Is the cheap stuff ok since i will be sealing it?

It really boils down to what you think looks nice. The cheaper plywoods often are not as straight and can make construction more difficult. Also, if you don't use a FRP board or some other laminated surface the knots, defects, etc. will show through on at least one side of the plywood.

One plywood that I generally don't like to use but seems to be a good comprimise is Fir CDX Plywood. However, I've heard that at least one of the surface layers is pressure treated so I'm not sure about toxicity. Some people have said it is treated, others have said it is not.

It could be that some "brands" of CDX have a treated ply and others do not. As such, it's most important you look into the actual brand your local DIY store carries.

All in all, I've found the differences in plywood costs to have such a minimal impact on total cage price that I've always splurged for oak or birch plywood. They have two good surfaces and are straighter than most other types of plywood.

But it sounds like yours is going to be a pretty big cage so saving $15 or more per sheet will add up.

Lastly, BigTattoo has said on the old forum that he's saved money by laminating a thin piece of luan plywood to a thin piece of oak plywood and saved money over buying a straight 3/4" piece of either. Those price savings don't add up at my local store but may where you live. It will still be more expensive than some of the cheaper plywoods, though.