Viv building material

[NickZafo]

Ok... so I started to purchase all the materials I need and started on my fake rocks.

The only question i have about building the viv is what material should I use?
Safety is my number one concern obviously and I’ve hurd a lot of good and bad things about melamine.

 

[RedHandFilms]

Many people here many people use melamine to build their cage. There haven't really been any problems with it. Some woods have been shown to be dangerous. Woods liked cedar and pine can give off toxic fumes. Just remember the chemicals in these woods are natural antibiotic agents often used in cleaning products. The best woods to use our birch and oak. These are completely safe. I would never recommend using cedar, however pine can still be used so long as it is properly sealed. I built my cage of pine and had had no problems with it.

 

[slddgk]

How about good ol' fashioned plywood??? Can you use that?

 

[NickZafo]

Woods liked cedar and pine can give off toxic fumes.

i will deffinatly keep this in mind while shopping around. How is the pine?

edit:
i was thinking about plywood but i didnt like the look of it =/

 

[RedHandFilms]

How about good ol' fashioned plywood??? Can you use that?

Plywood comes made in many different types of wood. The cheap, basic kind of plywood is pine but it comes in birch, oak, maple, ash, etc...
There are also grades to the plywood. The normal grading system uses the letters A, B, C & D, where A is the best quality, with virtually no blemishes and very well sanded. Grade D typically contains up to the maximum number of blemishes allowed.
The letter grades typically come in pairs, where one letter refers to the "better" side, called the face, and the other letter to the back side, opposite the face. As such, a sheet of A-C plywood will be very well finished on the face with a relatively unfinished back. This could be used for cabinetry and finished furniture. Conversely, construction grade plywood would be C-D (commonly referred to as CDX plywood), which is great for structural use but not suited to be finish material.This kind of stuff isn't seen. It could be used as a subfloor with hardwood or carpet covering it.

 

[NickZafo]

my god.
you have opened my eyes to the world of plywood lol.
thank you for the in depth reply
i will deff look more into it.
hopefully it will be cheeper too

 

[slddgk]

Ok - so I guess then the answer to my question is yes, as long as you get the better grade plywood, and of course sealing it properly, Right!!!!

 

[NickZafo]

yes, plywood seems like a great choice thank you all for your advice!

 

[1sttimebeardiemom]

Just want to add Shellac is a great sealant....organic and non toxic...perfect for beardie cages...typically takes at least 3 coats for wood. It gives it a nice natural stain and sheen.

 

[NickZafo]

thank you mater's mom
i had been looking around for a good sealent and the Shellac sounds great i will definatly look more into it