Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have my cage all built and need to seal/stain it. What brand is best so that it won't be toxic to my snakes? Thanks.
-----
1.2 Normal Cornsnakes het Anery
1.0 Snow Cornsnake

Plus 38 eggs

What is the cage built out of?

Is the floor covered with anything.

If plywood, what kind?

Are you housing a cornsnake?

Do you want a finish that may need to be touched up every year or two are are you wanting a seal it once and forget it finish?
-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

The cage is built of plywood with melamine floor. It'd be nice to seal it and be done with it, however if this is not the best I don't mind every yr or two.
-----
1.2 Normal Cornsnakes het Anery
1.0 Snow Cornsnake

Plus 38 eggs

I still don't know what type of plywood it is built from. Cheaper pine and birch laminated plywoods often don't absorb stains evenly so you may have trouble there.

For a clear coat, I think you could get away with a water-based polyurethane. But it would have to be recoated every year or two.

You might also consider laminating some sort of plastic or formica over the melamine floor, especially if it's just home depot quality melamine. The melamine coating on the cheaper stuff is just a thin foil. Cabinet grade melamine is much more durable.

>>The cage is built of plywood with melamine floor. It'd be nice to seal it and be done with it, however if this is not the best I don't mind every yr or two.
>>-----
>>1.2 Normal Cornsnakes het Anery
>>1.0 Snow Cornsnake
>>
>>Plus 38 eggs
-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

Sorry I'm not being that specific, but I appreciate your help. It is made from birch plywood. It was 29.99 for a 8'x4' sheet at home depot. It seemed like a good comprimise between the really expensive ones and the really cheap ones. But I don't know where this falls in the realm of quality for plywood.

I sort of like the color of the wood and was thinking of not staining it and just using a clear coat. Is there something that would be more permanent than a water based polyurathane? I'm thinking that since it's for a corn, it won't be a high humidity environment and that the wood should hold up for a long time, no?

And the melamine is just the stuff from Home Depot. So I might take your advice there and lay something down over it.
-----
1.2 Normal Cornsnakes het Anery
1.0 Snow Cornsnake
0.1 Blizzard
1.1 Candycane
1.1 Banded Motley

The birch laminated plywood you get at Home Depot and similar places is pretty darn good. Unfortunately, it still does not absorb stain all that well and can produce a blotchy look. This has nothing to do with the quality of the plywood, but rather has to do with the characteristics of birch itself.

So, I like your idea of no stain and clear coating it only.

Oil-based poly will give a much longer lasting finish, especially if you have the floor protected with a plastic, but gives an amber look to pale woods like birch-laminated plywood. It really takes a lot away from the wood, IMO.

There is also Envirotex Light Epoxy, but that gives a very plastic look to the cage.

There are some more durable waterborne clear finishes but I don't know that much about them. That's what I'd look into for a birch cornsnake cage.
-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

Thanks for your replies and all of your help!!

I believe that I'll look into a water based polyurethene. I don't mind redoing it every two years; but I might also try an oil-based one and test it on a scrap just to see how amber looking it is. It would be nicer to do it once and be done with it, but if it sacrafices too much color of the wood then screw that.

Once again, thaks for your help!
-----
1.2 Normal Cornsnakes het Anery
1.0 Snow Cornsnake
0.1 Blizzard
1.1 Candycane
1.1 Banded Motley

The problem with testing an oil-based poly is that is will darken over time, meaning you won't really know. I can tell you most people don't on birch, pine, or other light woods.

If you're at the grocery store or somewhere soon you should look for the most recent edition of Fine Woodworking. They have a test of wipe-on finishes and I believe they are ranked in order of how clear they are. I assume they are all oil-based.

Lastly, a flooring specialty store is likely to have the most durable waterborne clear finishes. Maybe they have something you can buy in small quantity.

>>Thanks for your replies and all of your help!!
>>
>>I believe that I'll look into a water based polyurethene. I don't mind redoing it every two years; but I might also try an oil-based one and test it on a scrap just to see how amber looking it is. It would be nicer to do it once and be done with it, but if it sacrafices too much color of the wood then screw that.
>>
>>Once again, thaks for your help!
>>-----
>>1.2 Normal Cornsnakes het Anery
>>1.0 Snow Cornsnake
>>0.1 Blizzard
>>1.1 Candycane
>>1.1 Banded Motley
-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

I went ahead and bought some waterbased polyurethene. I figured it best not to take a chance. Thanks once again for your help and advice
-----
1.2 Normal Cornsnakes het Anery
1.0 Snow Cornsnake
0.1 Blizzard
1.1 Candycane
1.1 Banded Motley

Just remember that your store brand poly like Minwax contains toxic compounds and will still offgas. It just takes less time to cure than oil based ones. Also, it may not seal against the plywood offgassing. I don't know if you read my other post, but you can get non-toxic water based sealer at needs.com or do a web search for AFM Safecoat Polyureseal BP. This stuff seals whatever you coat with it against offgassing too. It's expensive though.

1.0 Corn Snake, "Motega"

I just finished an enclosure for my corn too. He's just over a year old and about 32 inches long. I was concerned about toxicity too. Research outgassing or offgassing online. For an example, plywood is manufactured using formeldahyde. That stuff offgasses for quite a while. My brother, who does woodworking, says that a water based polyurethane is good but that it will offgass (it has toxic stuff in it) until it is completely cured. It can take oil based polyurethanes months to fully cure. I didn't want to take any chances with my snake though. I found a company that makes a sealer that does not contain any toxic ingredients. It's called "AMF Safecoat Polyureseal BP". I found a website called "needs.com" that had it. Be warned though, it is 27 bucks a quart and 90 bucks a gallon! But I don't get up every day and run down to see if my snake is getting sick from toxic fumes or whatever.

1.0 Corn Snake "Motega"