Okay, so I'm building a new enclosure for my Russian Tortoises and have been having some dilemmas trying to decide which material to use to build the enclosure. We finally decided upon pine, but then I got home and googled it and now it's saying that pine isn't okay either. We'd planned on using stick-on-floor-tiles to waterproof it instead of sealant, but if pine is toxic then we may just end up having to seal it anyways....we don't have another $70 to spend on buying decent wood to build it out of and have it cut to the right size and buy the tiles and everything, so here are my questions (bearing in mind that unless it is absolutely necessary then I would rather not use sealant as it takes so long to dry and air out and such)......
1.) Is it safe to build my enclosure out of pine? It was labeled 'white wood' at the store, and the associate at Lowes told us that that meant pine. If I put the stick-on tiles on the floor and attach plastic (aka stapled tarp or hard plastic lining the inside) to the sides of the enclosure, is that going to be safe for my Russians?
2.) What exactly does the wood do to the tortoises? The 'toxic' properties of the wood....what are they and what do they do?
3.) If the answer to question number 1 is no, it is not safe, then would the pine become safe upon using sealant?
4.) If I absolutely must use sealant, then how much would I need? How much does that cost? Which brand would I need? If I can't find that brand, then what should I look for when I go to get the sealant?
Thank you in advance guys!
1.) Is it safe to build my enclosure out of pine? It was labeled 'white wood' at the store, and the associate at Lowes told us that that meant pine. If I put the stick-on tiles on the floor and attach plastic (aka stapled tarp or hard plastic lining the inside) to the sides of the enclosure, is that going to be safe for my Russians?
2.) What exactly does the wood do to the tortoises? The 'toxic' properties of the wood....what are they and what do they do?
3.) If the answer to question number 1 is no, it is not safe, then would the pine become safe upon using sealant?
4.) If I absolutely must use sealant, then how much would I need? How much does that cost? Which brand would I need? If I can't find that brand, then what should I look for when I go to get the sealant?
Thank you in advance guys!