Redfoot indoor enclosure

[Probs]

Heya! First post here as a lurker.
I have a 3 year old redfoot ( I’m the 3rd owner of her! Had her for only 3 months now.) for which I am building an indoor enclosure! I have planned it out so that she will have a two level- enclosure with a total walking space of around 34 sqft. My question for seasoned enclosure builders would be how they have sealed the wood they used to make sure it will not mold from the humidity! And any other tips and advice would be heavily appreciated

 

[Ink]

Welcome to the forum. Read the care sheet for the information.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Heya! First post here as a lurker.
I have a 3 year old redfoot ( I’m the 3rd owner of her! Had her for only 3 months now.) for which I am building an indoor enclosure! I have planned it out so that she will have a two level- enclosure with a total walking space of around 34 sqft. My question for seasoned enclosure builders would be how they have sealed the wood they used to make sure it will not mold from the humidity! And any other tips and advice would be heavily appreciated

Hi!

As far as I've seen from others experience - properly treating wood is much harder than to use other materials Two-component epoxy boat paint seems to work well. Maybe high grade OCB boards (grade 4, if I'm not mistaken, made for outdoor construction) will survive. Lining walls and bottom with shower curtains or pond liners, sealing seams with silicone - helps as well.

I would explore expanded PVC or HDPE boards for building the enclosure. Or various options with portable greenhouses or grow tents.

 

[Probs]

Hi!

As far as I've seen from others experience - properly treating wood is much harder than to use other materials Two-component epoxy boat paint seems to work well. Maybe high grade OCB boards (grade 4, if I'm not mistaken, made for outdoor construction) will survive. Lining walls and bottom with shower curtains or pond liners, sealing seams with silicone - helps as well.

I would explore expanded PVC or HDPE boards for building the enclosure. Or various options with portable greenhouses or grow tents.

Ohh now that you say it, PVC definitely sounds better ! She’s being temporarily housed in a grow tent while I make her new home! I’ll definitely line the floors and walls with pond liners and the seams with silicone Thank you for your input!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Here is the guide how to make a PVC enclosure, just in case: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...-pvc-enclosed-chamber-–-for-beginners.159220/

 

[Probs]

Here is the guide how to make a PVC enclosure, just in case: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/building-your-own-expanded-pvc-enclosed-chamber-–-for-beginners.159220/

Super helpful! Thank you.

 

[CanOfCorn]

I used untreated plywood from the hardware store and put 4 coats of water based polyurethane on the wood after I sanded it down. I am by no means an expert but this was my second build and so far I have seen no mold. The water just beads and rolls down the wood. I also used a pond liner for the bottom and used 100% silicone caulk for the cracks. Be sure to let the polyurethane air out for at least a week before you move your tortoise in. The brand I used is BEHR from home depot. It has to be water based or else it's toxic.

 

[Probs]

I used untreated plywood from the hardware store and put 4 coats of water based polyurethane on the wood after I sanded it down. I am by no means an expert but this was my second build and so far I have seen no mold. The water just beads and rolls down the wood. I also used a pond liner for the bottom and used 100% silicone caulk for the cracks. Be sure to let the polyurethane air out for at least a week before you move your tortoise in. The brand I used is BEHR from home depot. It has to be water based or else it's toxic.

Thank you very much! Did you put pond liners on the walls as well as a safety measure or just the floor?

 

[CanOfCorn]

I just used it on the bottom 4 inches of my enclosure and stapled it to the side walls. Then I covered the edges where the pond liner meets the wood with 100% silicone to prevent water from getting trapped under the liner. You can also use a thick shower curtain if pond liner is expensive where you are. You'll have to wait for the polyurethane to dry between coats. It takes a few hours especially if it's humid where you are. Then when you're done with polyurethane you can do the silicone for the cracks and that will take another 24-48 hours to dry. I learned that the silicone sometimes comes in bad batches and if it takes more than 48 hours to harden then just peel it off and get a new tube. Sorry for the long reply, I spent so long on google trying to troubleshoot my build and I wanted to make sure you don't have the same issues. I'm here if you have more questions about building. Can't really help with tortoise questions though.

 

[CanOfCorn]

Here’s some pictures. Hope this helps

 

[Probs]

Here’s some pictures. Hope this helps

These look lovely! Thank you very much for all the tips I’m based in the U.K. and with a storm currently happening I’ll put off the project until spring (extremely humid and cold haha). Meanwhile I’ve purchased a 6x2ft enclosure for the time being!

 

[Maggie3fan]

I put a mini green house over a wooden tort table lined with a shower curtain liner and filled with fine grade orchid bark...ambient temp is 85 degrees with 90% humidity...Logan is 2 years...look at the humidity

 

[Probs]

I put a mini green house over a wooden tort table lined with a shower curtain liner and filled with fine grade orchid bark...ambient temp is 85 degrees with 90% humidity...Logan is 2 years...View attachment 365584look at the humidityView attachment 365585

I am in awe at how humid it is! Has there been any issues with the wood molding/warping or has the shower curtain sufficed?

 

[Maggie3fan]

I am in awe at how humid it is! Has there been any issues with the wood molding/warping or has the shower curtain sufficed?

The tort table had box turtles in it... I took out as much substrate as I could, and saw the shower curtain liner I used had been dug up and torn...so I added a piece of plastic sheeting over the damage...stapled and glued it in place...It started to leak and made a mess...I have 2 other tort tables in the house w/box turtles and they like a sloppy substrate, and there's no leaking for freakin years. So the liner needs to be in one piece. In order to fix it all the stuff needs changed..I like using the liner and for all these years they have worked...