# Tegu Safe Plywood Sealant



## Jbrew_Tegu (Mar 28, 2012)

Hello I am building a 6'x3'x2'8" cage out of 2x4's, plywood, plexi-glass, etc and after being about 70% complete I started thinking about how pine wood (which is what mostly all wood you get from local building supply like HomeDepot is unless you custom order or if it is in Stock) emits hydro carbon gases or otherwise known as "outgassing" into the air around it and I do not want to take any chances with this resulting in a very sick or dead tegu...

Anyways, I have found a product that I am sure a lot of ppl have heard of call *G4 Pond Sealant* which I want to get, but was wondering if there is a product that works just as well that I can get locally so I do not have to order this G4 Pond sealant from an over seas distributor in the UK? I have found some threads on various site stating to use a water-based polyurethane, but I still have mixed feelings about that.

Any help with this would be much appreciated. I am kind of at a stand still until I get this figured out. I do not get my tegu until May or June so i have time to play with, but this is definitely a very important subject in my mind.

Thanks!


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## james.w (Mar 28, 2012)

Drylok, it is a masonry sealant.


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## Jbrew_Tegu (Mar 28, 2012)

james.w said:


> Drylok, it is a masonry sealant.



Cool deal thanks for looking? I also found another one called, "DEFY Extreme Clear Wood Stain". It apparently meets VOC compliance (Volatile Organic Compounds ) which cause head aches, cancer. 

Besides all this not fully un-proven speculation and ONLY California Health Issue claims.... Has ANYONE ever experienced a reptile or Tegu specifically having any health related issues due to being enclosed in a wooden cage, specifically pine???

I am going to seal the cage 100% anyways regardless with either G4 Pond sealant, *Drylok(thanks james.w!!!)*, or DEFY Extreme Clear Wood Stain(meets VOC compliance).

If anyone else has any suggestions please send them!!!


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## Dana C (Mar 28, 2012)

Almost any good water proof marine polyurethane will work as long as you let it cure for a couple of weeks. I personally like the looks of it better than Dry Lok. 
Just a note, the framing 2x4's or 2x3's can be douglas fir which doesn't release volatile compounds, and hydrocarbons like phenols.


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## Jbrew_Tegu (Mar 28, 2012)

Dana C said:


> Almost any good water proof marine polyurethane will work as long as you let it cure for a couple of weeks. I personally like the looks of it better than Dry Lok.
> Just a note, the framing 2x4's or 2x3's can be douglas fir which doesn't release volatile compounds, and hydrocarbons like phenols.



Thank you Dana C!!! I think I am going to actually try this product called, "Seal-Once™ Waterproof Wood Protector - Eco Friendly" (link: http://www.seal-once.com/eco-friendly/waterproof-wood-sealant) it will waterproof/seal any wood that emits VOC's and has a pretty good rep and contains no VOC's and is apparently a really awesome waterproofing sealant. I found a local paint store that carries it for $31.99 a gallon and that will be more than enough to cover my enclosure in and out. 

I did not even think about using douglas fir or even pondered in my head if the wood I used could possibly cause health issues. I wish I would have.... Thanks for the suggestions and replying to my post!!! I will definitely let everyone know how it turns out and send pics of my enclosure upon completion so I can get some good criticism to point out anything that is not good or up to par. 

Again, if any other suggestions let me know!!!


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## Dana C (Mar 28, 2012)

While you are at it, build me a 10x5x5 for my Black Throat Monitor. Oh yea, tempered glass sliding doors on mine please. ;-)

I forgot to mention that Orchid Bark, which is usually listed as an acceptable substrate is actually Fir bark. Safe and smell good as well. Kinda hard to find though.
Many of the newer waterproof sealers are water soluable prior to drying/curing which makes clean up pretty effortless as well. They also lend themselves to creating a furniture like appearance if you use oak faced or birch plywood. I also saw pictures of a large tegu enclosure that was faced on the outside as well as the back inside wall with tongue and groove pine paneling. The paneling is kiln dried which eliminates the phenols / turpenitne. When sealed it was really nice looking. The example I saw was not stained, just sealed.


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## Jbrew_Tegu (Mar 29, 2012)

Dana C said:


> While you are at it, build me a 10x5x5 for my Black Throat Monitor. Oh yea, tempered glass sliding doors on mine please. ;-)
> 
> I forgot to mention that Orchid Bark, which is usually listed as an acceptable substrate is actually Fir bark. Safe and smell good as well. Kinda hard to find though.
> Many of the newer waterproof sealers are water soluable prior to drying/curing which makes clean up pretty effortless as well. They also lend themselves to creating a furniture like appearance if you use oak faced or birch plywood. I also saw pictures of a large tegu enclosure that was faced on the outside as well as the back inside wall with tongue and groove pine paneling. The paneling is kiln dried which eliminates the phenols / turpenitne. When sealed it was really nice looking. The example I saw was not stained, just sealed.





You bring the beer and I will build the cage!!! LOL!


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