In need of hard coat seal ? since skiped the grout and paint

I need advice on a clear ( matte ) hard coat type sealant.
I used great stuff expanding foam (pond and stone version ) and before it expanded completely I covered it in play sand gently pressing it in to create the look of sandy blacksoil . once the great stuff cured completely I picked up the pieces and rubbed off any sand that wasn't bonded to or embedded in the great stuff. This is a close up of what the textured outcome is .
Note there is no paint or glue ,just the expanding foam and sand.
And here is a pic of the whole thing put together for the most part.
So I'm now kind of stuck since I can't seem to decide properly what sealant I should use to help hard coat this so I can clean without rubbing sand off yet keep the desired look I've got going here . all of the threads talk about sealant for over grout but I am planning to completely skip paint, cement or grout since I have the look I wanted to achieve . I've seen people use Watered down gorilla wood glue that's Matte and water resistant meaning I should be able to spot clean fairly well. Plus gorrila glue is basically the same as great stuff without the expanding property so it shouldn't harm the great stuff foam . but does it dry really hard ? Or will it be rubbery and flexibal kind of like the great stuff alone? Is there a better option for a matte clear hardcoating? Preferably curable to rather hard in a week or less ..... Any ideas or input would be helpful.

Please someone read or forward this .

Oh also this tank will have uvb and a heat lamp basking spot at the very hottest about 105°f

I don't have a direct answer to your question but if you have the texture you're looking for, you may want to try leaving it unsealed. If you can train your dragon to poop outside of the tank (using a fairly regular schedule) then the tank may not wind up needing to be cleaned very often and the foam will hold as it is.

CooperDragon":306w4x8s said:

I don't have a direct answer to your question but if you have the texture you're looking for, you may want to try leaving it unsealed. If you can train your dragon to poop outside of the tank (using a fairly regular schedule) then the tank may not wind up needing to be cleaned very often and the foam will hold as it is.

Click to expand...

I can't really leave it unsealed since it has a pillow like bounce if you put weight on it and I need it to be slightly rigid for cleaning and so he doesn't wedge himself into some weird spot. I think I'm going to try using gorilla wood glue possibly diluted with water since it drys faster that way. it's a bit shinier than I would have liked and not as hard as I'd hoped but im kind of out of ideas to reasearch and am really ready to be done with the build.

Hey there, just responded to your other post, but if you wanted to skip the grout and paint, I'd suggest using Polyvine Decorator's Varnish Dead Flat Finish. I've used this as a sealant on my other projects, and it is dead flat, so it doesn't change the color or sheen of what I had already made. Maybe if you coated it with multiple layers, you could get the hardness you want but not the shine that most sealants have? I would apply one layer at a time and let it dry in between coats, and just keep adding coats until you have the hardness you want. It's non-hazardous, water based, and has UV protection so it won't turn yellow under special lights. Mine have lasted years with this stuff and holds up SO well under the nails of my beardies. And it dries VERY quickly, and since it goes on milky and dries clear, you can tell when you're able to add another coat

It's also water resistant! Here's the link to the product page:
http://www.polyvine.com/index.php/en/varnishes/water-based-varnishes/decorators-varnish

It's a bit pricey online, but I've made more than 5 large pieces for my enclosures and still have half the bottle left. Maybe you could find it at Home Depot or Lowe's at a lower price, but it's pretty amazing stuff.

Smilobar":4mc35y17 said:

Hey there, just responded to your other post, but if you wanted to skip the grout and paint, I'd suggest using Polyvine Decorator's Varnish Dead Flat Finish. I've used this as a sealant on my other projects, and it is dead flat, so it doesn't change the color or sheen of what I had already made. Maybe if you coated it with multiple layers, you could get the hardness you want but not the shine that most sealants have? I would apply one layer at a time and let it dry in between coats, and just keep adding coats until you have the hardness you want. It's non-hazardous, water based, and has UV protection so it won't turn yellow under special lights. Mine have lasted years with this stuff and holds up SO well under the nails of my beardies. And it dries VERY quickly, and since it goes on milky and dries clear, you can tell when you're able to add another coat

It's also water resistant! Here's the link to the product page:
http://www.polyvine.com/index.php/en/varnishes/water-based-varnishes/decorators-varnish

It's a bit pricey online, but I've made more than 5 large pieces for my enclosures and still have half the bottle left. Maybe you could find it at Home Depot or Lowe's at a lower price, but it's pretty amazing stuff.

Click to expand...

Sorry I read this post after the other you replied to and I'm REALLY liking this option you've suggested . so do you have to paint it on like a goo or is it more like paint?

haha no worries! I'll just respond to this post :lol:

You just paint it on with a paintbrush, it's not thick or goopy, it has a consistency of paint. And since it's not latex based, it will dry hard. Here's their chart:



Here's a PDF for the data specs of it, if you're interested:

http://www.polyvine.com/images/datasheets/decorators%20varnish.pdf

It's hardness property is labeled "Durable", so I am confident this will work for you!

Smilobar":27jyocly said:

haha no worries! I'll just respond to this post :lol:

You just paint it on with a paintbrush, it's not thick or goopy, it has a consistency of paint. And since it's not latex based, it will dry hard. Here's their chart:

Here's a PDF for the data specs of it, if you're interested:

http://www.polyvine.com/images/datasheets/decorators%20varnish.pdf

It's hardness property is labeled "Durable", so I am confident this will work for you!

Click to expand...

Hmmmm.... it looks like a perfect sealant. infact so perfect that I'm now suspicious. I looked at that pdf and I'm a bit confused as to why they spelled "mold " "mould" and what the biocide additive is that they mention.

Hahaha well "Mould" is the British spelling of mold. A biocide additive to a sealant is a disinfectant that seals and protects against mold, mildew, and any other bacterial growth. I've used it on many foam projects and they've been in my tanks for many years. They've been scratched and climbed over, and pooped on, and they've held up with no problems. Of course I don't think it would be good in a tank with high humidity though, I haven't had any experience with that since all of mine are in desert tanks for my beardies.

It does seem too good to be true, but I found this sealant from a few reptile decor tutorials while researching years ago. It's been a long time so I don't remember which ones used it, but that's how I originally found it. Hopefully that helps you believe in this sealant, and of course it's up to you if you want to use it or not

Oh! I was able to find the forum I originally found it on:
https://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/habitat/956717-new-viv-my-bearded-dragon-3.html

And also found someone who used it recently :
https://deskgram.net/p/1848908892207423939_8218315285