Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We just built a new enclosure for our cwd. It is 5 feet tall, 48" wide, and 24 " deep. We built it out of pressure treated wood that we got a really good deal on. I read that when you use this kind of wood that you should paint it with several coats of water based polyurethane. We used a water based acrylic to seal. It is less toxic than the polyurethane from what i understand. Now that we have done this we are nervous if it will really be ok. We had planned to let air out for a month or more. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Pressure treated wood may not the best choice. They use chemicals, Arsenic among them for the process. Howewver, nothing beats it in strength. If it's for the "skeletal" structure of the cage and the animal can not come into contact w/it then you should be fine. However, I did read an article stating that companies are being forced into making a safer pressure treated wood and the State of Massachusetts is eventually going to outlaw the current type.
Pressure treated wood is used in decks, telephone poles and other areas where humans are near. I would see of you can find out if this is the "safer type".

Regarding my previous question about the cage i built. Is coating it with a water based acrylic ok? Or a polyurethane? How toxic is this to the animal?

Water based is better for living rooms and the like, where it isn't as moist. It may hold up in your viv provided nothing leaks or gets splashed. I would consider putting a tarp or a pond liner on the bottom. Water based dries in as little as an hour. The regular urethane takes much longer you have to air it out for like a few weeks I heard. However, the regular stuff
withstands water like its' nothing. Outlasts the fasteners in my cage.