New enclosure material?

[Atlas325]

So I'm helping my friend build an indoor enclosure for her fairly small RT. We have the lighting and so forth, but what I was a little clueless on was which material to actually build the box out of. My first thought was Cedar for it's natural water-resistant properties, but that's not easy to come by where I live. So what's a good material to build out of?

 

[tortuga_please]

Wood, then just cover it with some kind of liner. You can use a shower liner if push comes to shove

 

[lynnedit]

Probably not cedar for an inside enclosure (oils, aroma). It is OK for an outside one, as the tort is not in such close proximity and it weathers.
Try Plywood or pine. (you can use interior plywood, as you will protect it, see below).
If you go to a lumbar yard, you can have some cuts made if you don't have the tools.
You will need to waterproof the inside (stain, drylock, enamel paint). Or, you can line the interior with something like a pond liner (fold up the sides) and staple.
Make the sides high enough; 12" at least.
Or, you can see if you can find a used bookcase, remove the shelves, and turn it on its side.
Make it big enough! 4x2 is a minimum. 6x2 is better.
Nice of you to help!

 

[GBtortoises]

Plywood or pine, painted with a good quality alkyd enamel latex paint. Lasts for years and years, easy to clean, no nasty fumes.

 

[philthyturtle]

I used plywood with drylok worked amazing. I also added a liner of tarp just to make clean up easier

 

[extremetortdaddy]

I make mine out of pine. I also used self adhisive vinyl tiles to water proof the enclosure. I didnt paint the enclosures do to being afraid of chipping of the paint and them eatting it. Just wandering what type of bulbs are you useing? Good luck

 

[cueboy007]

From what I've read, both cedar/pine emit toxic fumes, and cannot be used with tortoises. Plywood is most likely made from pine. Will a layer of paint contain the fumes?

What about other woods, like poplar, oak?

 

[GBtortoises]

Pine does not emit toxic fumes whatsoever. Oak (which is 3x the cost) does. The truth is even cedar is really not that toxic when exposure is minimal. You would have to be constantly be in contact with an inordinate amount of it in order for it to have any effect. But cedar is soft, does not take paints or other surface sealants well and with is minor toxicity is basically undesirable as animal enclosure material.

 

[cueboy007]

Pine does emit toxic fumes, look at these links:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/guineapigs/a/woodshavings.htm
http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html


Any wood that has an aroma can't be used with tortoises, to be on the safe side. I didn't know oak emits toxins, what about polar or birch?

I'm planning on an indoor enclosure, and I'm deciding what wood to use as well. Even though other woods are more expensive, but in the long run, I think it's worth the extra investment.

 

[iluvtorts]

we have built many indoor enclosures. we use a product that you can get at home depot or lowes. it is a fiberglass sheet where you find the shower enclosures. sorry i dont know the name of it. you can cut it with a utility knife, it comes in a 4x8 sheet. you can use liquid nails to attach it to wood. a lot of public bathrooms use it. it is either white or beige in color and has a pebbled finish. in the corners you can use latex caulk or aquarium sealant. that makes a water tight seal. we have used it for years on the bottom and sides and neither large redfoots or a 20 pound sulcata have scratched or torn it up.

 

[cueboy007]

Are you talking about this?
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/fiberglass-reinforced-panel/912892

 

[GBtortoises]

Pine does emit toxic fumes, look at these links:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/guineapigs/a/woodshavings.htm
http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html


Any wood that has an aroma can't be used with tortoises, to be on the safe side. I didn't know oak emits toxins, what about polar or birch?

I'm planning on an indoor enclosure, and I'm deciding what wood to use as well. Even though other woods are more expensive, but in the long run, I think it's worth the extra investment.

Being a professional builder for 15 years, lifelong woodworker and tortoise keeper for over 25 years I can assume you that pine and pine based plywood is perfectly safe to use for tortoise enclosures, as well as for many other pets. Any "aroma" that may be emitted is primarily due to working the wood (cutting, drilling, sanding). Any wood emits an aroma when you work it. Some are noxious, some are not. Pine is not.
Pine shavings are safely and widely used for livestock bedding as well as bedding for a variety of small animals.
Regardless, any pine or plywood used for a tortoise enclosure should be coated with a sealer (paint or other) to make it more moisture proof and easy to clean. So any worries of tortoises being exposed to "aroma" or any other possible contact to the wood will be invalid.

Here is information from a veterinarian stating that pine is in fact safe for animal contact:
http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/Pine.html

More expensive wood doesn't make it better. It depends upon what you what to achieve. If you are building an enclosure as a show piece then you might want to use a furniture grade lumber at least on the outside. It comes down to looks since there is no need for brute strength with a tortoise enclosure. Pine is a softwood, oak is a hardwood. Oak is structurally stronger. But a tortoise enclosure doesn't need to hold up a 1,000 lb. support beam. It's basically just a box to keep a tortoise in from wandering off. So unless it's just for the looks, oak or any other expensive wood is just overkill. You can even finish clear pine to look like it has an oak grain.

 

[lynnedit]

And there is a difference between pine bedding (don't use) and pine lumber (OK) that has been processed.
Of course, let any of the waterproofing treatments air out for several days, then you are ready for your tort.

 

[HtVic]

is baltic birch plywood ok?

 

[lynnedit]

Definitely.