Moisture in Indoor Table

[klawran1]

Okay, so it has been many years since I've had my tortoises inside. They're all big now and live outdoors year round with heated boxes in winter. Lots of care suggestions have changed since I got them 13 years ago so I wanted to get some opinions.

I'm about to build a new tortoise table for getting a new hatchling down the road. It will be about 3x6. For my old tables I just lined the bottom with plastic until I had my russian dig into it and get trapped and my leopard started eating said plastic. No good, right? So I swapped to just nothing. Of course the table rotted, but thankfully they live outside at this point so no harm done.

For this new one, let's say I'm putting a baby russian in there. I was thinking of lining all of it with linoleum and sealing the places where it's attached. Even better, let's say it's a leopard or sulcata that need it enclosed for higher humidity as hatchlings. I need the wood not to rot but I can't get pressure treated with all of the chemicals, obviously. Has anyone tried linoleum? And other water proof suggestions? Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Agathaade]

Not sure if this is what you are asking about but I lined my table and my custom diy cover and door with thick EPVA shower curtains which are stapled into untreated pine wood.
Pros :
- cheap and quick to build custom over my existing table. - I like that I can see my tortoise, that it lives in the room with us more like a vivarium and less like a pvc cage or grow tent.
Cons :
- sensitive to room temperature so monitoring and adjusting required over time.
- wood can get moldy if the door isn’t opened at all for a few days and the lights are off (I tested it! But during regular use it doesn’t happen)

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings. Personally, I wouldnt give up so quickly on pressure treated wood. The wood industry have come a long way in the chemicals they use to prevent wood rotting when in high humid/wet conditions. That said, lots of new easily worked solid PVC sheets are available. Same cutting tools, no rotting. High end super glues instead of nails Or screws.

PVC Sheets - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Royal-Buil...-48-in-x-8-ft-Common-Board-PVC-Board/50393486

 

[klawran1]

Thank you both.