Sealer/paint for homemade enclosure

[peddro]

i'm pretty sure the cage i built is made of spruce. what kind/brand of sealer/paint should i use that's non-toxic once cured, to protect the wood from rotting?? how long should it cure for?

thanks

 

[jannb]

Hi! My husband says a waterbased, clear, polyurethane and to let it dry for at least 2 days or untill you can no longer smell it. He's made a few cages for our daughter. Hope this helps.

 

[bigcappa]

jannb is correct , I have built numerous enclosures for herps. I usually let them sit 2 to 3 days outside and bring them in the house for a day to make sure the smell is gone. Much easier to tell inside. It usually take 4 to 5 days to cure completely I've noticed.

-DAve

 

[FOREVER ENDEAVOR]

yes,,like they said..coat it with a water based poly and let it set up for a cupple days youll be good..

 

[bigcappa]

Has any one used Linseed oil, I have heard of people using that before.

 

[FOREVER ENDEAVOR]

i have used it on tons of doors and wood work..no cages though

 

[bigcappa]

ya its supposed to be non toxic. I've seen people use it on bird perches.

 

[opihiman]

Oils tend to evaporate off after awhile. and you can also assume that some of that oil will get on to your pets. I can't tell if the linseed will harm your pets or not.

I was just checking on some properties of linseed oil. Two properties that would be strikes against its use is 1> may encourage wood to be more absorbent to water, 2> May also encourage the growth of Mildew.

With the amount of water that is used to keep these guys hydrated, it would be better to use Water base poly.

Hope that helps.

OPI

 

[peddro]

thanks you guys. i'm off to the hardware store!