Is this safe for new tortoise enclosure?

[Ridinaqha]

I’m building my tortoise a new wood enclose and I’m making it out of white wood and I was looking for a sealant and paint and the don’t have the exact sealant I want....is a sealant even required? I plan on lining the inside of the enclosure with pond liner and painting the outside. I did find a sealant that is suppose to me green-guard certified. But if it’s not necessary for a sealant I rather not use one at all.

 

[Yvonne G]

I wouldn't use it. @Tom ?

 

[Tom]

Will this enclosure be indeed or outside?

For the outside of the box, I use Killz2 primer and then two coats of paint. Inside a closed chamber type enclosure, nothing off the shelf will last or hold up under the high humidity and dampness. I've used Pond Shield inside, and that works, but its expensive and difficult. Non-toxic boat paint and primer can work too, but that is also very expensive. Now I just buy expanded PVC enclosures for indoors and skip the wood altogether. Outdoors, I generally leave the inside of the boxes untreated.

 

[Byron Todd]

Will this enclosure be indeed or outside?

For the outside of the box, I use Killz2 primer and then two coats of paint. Inside a closed chamber type enclosure, nothing off the shelf will last or hold up under the high humidity and dampness. I've used Pond Shield inside, and that works, but its expensive and difficult. Non-toxic boat paint and primer can work too, but that is also very expensive. Now I just buy expanded PVC enclosures for indoors and skip the wood altogether. Outdoors, I generally leave the inside of the boxes untreated.

Pond shield is just an epoxy resin. I’ve used general fiberglass resin on my last enclosure with good results. The enclosure holds 6 inches of dirt that is watered daily by misters to keep plant life alive and keep humidity high.

Fiberglass resin is used as an exterior liner on boats so is completely water proof. I’ve seen YouTube videos of people making containers that hold water simply by lining a wooden structure with resin! The stuff is awesome.

 

[Ridinaqha]

It is inside and it’s just a tortoise table so I believe it’s open chamber since there is no top to it. I wanted to get the kennel seal but it would take two weeks just to get that shipped and the box is already built and ready. Others have said it should be fine to just paint the outside and line the inside. I don’t really have added moisture to the enclosure because it is very humid where I live and inside my house usually ranges around 40-50% humidity. Also I don’t believe if I mentioned my tortoise is a Russian so I believe that’s a good humidity range? This is my first so I’m still learnin.