Non toxic finish for outdoor house??

[MollyNMM]

Hi everyone,
Well, while my kids dig out what will be the outdoor pen area for our Russian tort ... I've been busy building her a weather proof home out of redwood. (I'll attempt to attach a picture. the picture is a bit old - it now has a roof, and it still needs feet and a ramp on it)

View attachment 4351

Anyway, in reading previous comments - I've read about the use of "non-toxic" finishes. I've found some online - but none of my local hardware stores (OSH, Home Depot, or even a local lumber yard) carries anything specifically non-toxic. Even water based stains are somewhat toxic. Not sure if she will even chew on the wood.. and it'll be well dried and aired out before she even gets to use it so I'm at a loss as to what to use for my next step.

Anyone have suggestions as to what to use?

 

[Yvonne G]

Actually, redwood is fine in the elements without any kind of finish applied. It looks great as is. In my opinion, if you apply a finish, you would be keeping in the oils that might be harmful to the tortoise. I would just let it air out and leave it as is.

What is used most often on redwood is some sort of stain. But I think its fine as is.

 

[GBtortoises]

I agree with Yvonne, as long as it's not in an area that is constantly damp and it gets some sunlight on it to dry out it should last a long, long time unfinished. Redwood will change color and "weather" after a period of time. But it is also one of the most stable woods to use outdoors since it has less of a tendency to warp, shrink and split than other woods used outdoors. Most available finishes for outdoor use contain mildewcides. I'm not sure of the ingredients used in them but chances are good that they're not environmentally friendly if they're meant to kill mildew which is a fungus, which is a plant! It's best to stay away from non-hardening finishes such as paints or urethanes around tortoises.