jessica5150
New Member
Hello All!
Im building a custom wood door for my chameleon enclosure. Was woundering what wood would be safe?
Im building a custom wood door for my chameleon enclosure. Was woundering what wood would be safe?
Safe Wood?
- Thread starter jessica5150
- Start date
Chadbot
New Member
I would think that any hardwood is good, or any softwood for that matter. Pine, spruce, fir, (construction-grade lumber is usually one of the three 'S.P.F.') maple, oak, etc.
Seal it with good outdoor/waterproof sealer (urethane/varathane), give it a few weeks to get rid of fumes/solvents and you should be all right. I've heard yacht varnish works fairly well.
Stay away from pressure treated (P.T.) wood, it's the green stuff. It contains chemicals that could be harmful to your chameleon.
Seal it with good outdoor/waterproof sealer (urethane/varathane), give it a few weeks to get rid of fumes/solvents and you should be all right. I've heard yacht varnish works fairly well.
Stay away from pressure treated (P.T.) wood, it's the green stuff. It contains chemicals that could be harmful to your chameleon.
coldbloodedAL
Avid Member
Cedar would probably be your best bet, but any wood treated a few times with a sealer would do the trick 
Cedar is very good, but expensive...and I would still seal it personally
As Chadbot said, do *NOT* use Pressure treated wood (the green stuff)
I do not like pine because it is MUCH more prone to rot/mold....BUT I use it myself b/c of its availability and price.
Pretty much regardless of what wood you use, you should seal it with a good waterproofer so I go cheap on the pine and then just make sure to seal it REALLY good.
Personally, I use EITHER:
a) 635 3:1 epoxy from US Composites
OR
b) 2 coats of "weatherproof" stain (the can says it withstands hail and blizzard) and then a coat of DRYLOK on top of that.
personally though, I use epoxy on any bigger/"serious" builds, especially ones that house 100% humidity (like dart frogs, etc / glass enclosures). For open-air terrariums and things that vent out I feel the stain/drylok combo is decent but I'm still not entirely confident in using it.
I should say that I aim for at least 5, ideally 10 year lifespan on my builds.
You didn't mention what "kind" of door you are building....if you are just using a wood frame covered in screen, then option (b) should be more than sufficient (you probably don't need 2 coats even). Most of my builds use full size wood walls with very high humidity so my wood:water contact is much higher than simply a wood frame
As Chadbot said, do *NOT* use Pressure treated wood (the green stuff)
I do not like pine because it is MUCH more prone to rot/mold....BUT I use it myself b/c of its availability and price.
Pretty much regardless of what wood you use, you should seal it with a good waterproofer so I go cheap on the pine and then just make sure to seal it REALLY good.
Personally, I use EITHER:
a) 635 3:1 epoxy from US Composites
OR
b) 2 coats of "weatherproof" stain (the can says it withstands hail and blizzard) and then a coat of DRYLOK on top of that.
personally though, I use epoxy on any bigger/"serious" builds, especially ones that house 100% humidity (like dart frogs, etc / glass enclosures). For open-air terrariums and things that vent out I feel the stain/drylok combo is decent but I'm still not entirely confident in using it.
I should say that I aim for at least 5, ideally 10 year lifespan on my builds.
You didn't mention what "kind" of door you are building....if you are just using a wood frame covered in screen, then option (b) should be more than sufficient (you probably don't need 2 coats even). Most of my builds use full size wood walls with very high humidity so my wood:water contact is much higher than simply a wood frame
Midnighthwk
New Member
if u want it colored u could also go with a latex paint, doesnt take as long to defume and comes in about any color u want
coldbloodedAL
Avid Member
Id say cost wise they are just impractical. I use teak for various things on boats, and it can be PRICEY! cypress not too sure about
You use cement DRYLOK water proofing on your last coat?
