# What to use & What not to use - hides, enclosures etc etc....



## MSD Reptiles (Jun 2, 2011)

Hello folks!

I apologise in advance if something like this has surfaced before, but tried a search and didnt come up with anything (may have been choice of words i was searching). Anyway....

Im wondering what is ok to use and what to avoid in everything DIY when it comes to reptiles (snakes specifically). I want to have a crack at building an enclosure and then decking it out with homemade rock walls and hides, but i would hate to use something not suitable. 
Whats glues and adhesives, cements, fillers, sealers.... anything and everything that you could think of that are both recommended and should be avoided. Maybe a comprehesive list of practical things could be compiled and made a sticky!

Cheers!

Matthew


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## J-A-X (Jun 2, 2011)

Hi Matthew, 

the list of what you cant use is probably way to long to post, but the general thought is anything labeled 'non toxic' should do the trick. as far as foam goes it is always coated with something like grout/render and by the time you've finished that the foam is no longer an issue. some of us seal the grout/render with a nontoxic sealer like pondtite, its safe for fishpond so wont cause any issue to your reptiles, and it has the added bonus that it makes things easy to clean, the down side is that it is shiney, but you can always say you were going for the 'wet' look  

waterbased polyeurethane is also popular for sealing raw timber and it is also non toxic when dry.
sealant - again it would likely be covered by the foam work so not an issue (yes I seal the joints and then foam over the top. i'd rather be double sure i dont wind up with puddles on the floor or swollen melamine because i was too cheap/lazy to make sure it was done properly.)

ummmm........ cant think of anything else right now but i'll repost if I do. 

good luck and post progress pics once you get going with it all.


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## MSD Reptiles (Jun 2, 2011)

How about paints... what type/brand paint do people use? And varnishes etc?


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## J-A-X (Jun 2, 2011)

Oxide in the final couple of layers of grout/render then el cheapo $2 kids acrylic paint for detail and highlights then sealed with sealer of choice.


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## pythonmum (Jun 2, 2011)

Most sealants are good. Ask at your local hardware store and tell them exactly what the requirements are in terms of flexibility, heat exposure and cleaning. I found that sealants, adhesives and gap fillers were one of the greatest expenses in my project. I steer clear of textured surfaces because I find them harder to clean if my grotty Darwin decides to do a poo painting. Ease of cleaning is a major consideration for me, along with aesthetic appeal. I was delighted to find a polyurethane sealant in a spray can at Bunnings when shopping for my last project. I hate working with oil-based products and cleaning up in turps, as it must go to chemical waste disposal. The spray can took care of that problem and meant I didn't have to use a brush, either - SCORE!


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## J-A-X (Jun 2, 2011)

I'll have to keep an eye out for that one, sounds like a great idea.


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## MSD Reptiles (Jun 3, 2011)

This is awesome! Exactly what i was hoping  Keep the excellent ideas and specific products that you've found to be invaluable coming!!!!


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## Khagan (Jun 5, 2011)

Hope you don't mind me asking in your thread, but i'm wondering if anyone can verify if expanda foam is safe to use? Even around heat sources?


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## longqi (Jun 5, 2011)

Expanda foam is safe to use around hot water pipes
So I would assume it is also ok at the temps a Viv would run at


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## Khagan (Jun 5, 2011)

longqi said:


> Expanda foam is safe to use around hot water pipes
> So I would assume it is also ok at the temps a Viv would run at


 
Thanks, wasn't sure if it'd possibly give off any toxic fumes or something. But i guess covered with enough coats of cement/grout it shouldn't be an issue.


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## MSD Reptiles (Jun 5, 2011)

Khagan said:


> Hope you don't mind me asking in your thread, but i'm wondering if anyone can verify if expanda foam is safe to use? Even around heat sources?


 
Dont mind at all! This is the sort of info i want to obtain!! THANKS 

Anyone else have any concerns with a certain product?


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