Sealing wood on cham enclosures?

[sagemoon2004]

What is the safest product to use to seal wood on enclosures, especially those with 3 solid sides? I am concerned about misting and having chemical run-off that could be deadly. Or is there a product to put over the wood, after sealing it, (like glue on some stick down flooring squares), to keep things water proof, rot resistant, and SAFE? Any ideas. Have to get my cage built, too many worries are making me crazy! Thanks!

 

[andy123]

fish tank silicon?

 

[VeiledOwner87]

there would be no toxins left in any stain or sealer if properly cured
depending on the constant temperature of the staining and sealant. also if you leave it out too sun dry, it could reduce the cure time. for getting cracks where water can seep through, like andy said, an aquarium safe sylicon will work best. that is a product you have to let cure as well though.

 

[Miss Lily]

I used aquarium silicon to seal the joins in one of my vivs. I also used it to seal offcuts of vinyl into the bottoms too. It just needs time to cure and airing so the smell goes off.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I paint my wood cages with Zero VOC latex acrylic paint. Caulking in all seams is painted over as well.

 

[tv321406]

I used polyurethane on my enclosure and it has worked great over the last 2 years with no problems

 

[Syn]

I paint my wood cages with Zero VOC latex acrylic paint. Caulking in all seams is painted over as well.

I've always loved No VOC latex acrylic.

 

[moviemanmania]

Latex paint will get a good seal but can scratch off if agitated enough. I always waterproofed my enclosure after painting it with latex paint. I used a small little can of polyurethane clear varnish/finish available from walmart for under $5 bucks. the can is small and will last a long time! Once the latex paint is dried, a light coat of this over it will waterproof it nicely. It does add some shine so keep that in mind. The chemicals when wet are toxic but once they cure enough, about two days just to be safe...they no longer pose a threat unless ingested. You cham won't be chewing/eating your wood off the enclosure in large chunks, I promise, so you will be fine so long as its cured. As an additional safe guard I wash it with antibacterial soap before installing the finished cage inside my home.

 

[aliguori]

What is the safest product to use to seal wood on enclosures, especially those with 3 solid sides? I am concerned about misting and having chemical run-off that could be deadly. Or is there a product to put over the wood, after sealing it, (like glue on some stick down flooring squares), to keep things water proof, rot resistant, and SAFE? Any ideas. Have to get my cage built, too many worries are making me crazy! Thanks!

You want to look for a food grade sealant. There are an awful lot of options but most will require being refinished over time.

Even with the best finish, wood is not a stable material overtime in the presence of moisture. I'd suggest a hybrid approach where you used wood for the structural support and plastic to keep the wood dry.

Melamine is a good building material too as it is a wood core with a plastic water resistant coating. You can seal the joints with silicon.