# sealing mdf



## dpfb (Jul 1, 2009)

what are the options if useing mdf for a viv. cheapest safest quickest and most visully appealing.
if to varnish it. should it be strait varnish, strait onto the mdf?
could it be painted first, if so what paint and lacqaur would be used?

im toying with making rather than buying as it maybe abit quicker and cheaper.
i was thinking of covering it with sticky sheets but itd still leave corners where water can get in.

its only for boas and royals but they are messy sods.


options, opinions and experiences all welcome.

thanks


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## parkiboy (Sep 13, 2009)

yacht varnish is your best bet.

i dont think itll b as cheap as you think it is... i currently am in the middle of building 2 vivs and it would have been just as cheap for me to buy them imo.. but i wanted to build them into my wardrobes thats why i went for that option rather than buying them.

oh and by the way i have used mdf for mine but make sure it is well sealed if you do.. any water gets into it and your viv will be ruined.


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## cmmercer (Aug 6, 2008)

I think I have heard of people covering their vivs in some sort of covering sheet - I would say though that it doesn't have to have holes in the corner if you silicone along all the edges properly.

In terms of paint - I think that so long as it is sealed properly you can probably use any paint really - although bare in mind that with mdf you will have to use an mdf sealer/primer to make sure your paint looks anywhere near half decent.

In my drier beardie viv I went for a strong floor varnish which appears to have held up well for the last 18 months. In my BRB viv which I am currently constructing I am using Yacht Varnish - I think I am on my 5th coating (and I will carry on till I run out of varnish) because its going to be live planted and very humid. Whichever varnish you do use though - give it lots and lots of time to air out. Then put the heating element in and run that for a week or so to make sure you have fully expelled any of the fumes!!!!

It isn't cheap to build them per se, but it is wholly rewarding - and it means you and your reps can have something custom made to fit them, the surroundings in your house and your taste.


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## xautomaticflowersx (Sep 7, 2009)

You can get adhesive-backed vinyl sheets that essentially look like the wood effect melamine coating on contiboard. 'Fablon' is one of the brands, but if you do an ebay search for Fablon you'll come up with quite a lot. You iron it on I think. It comes in lots of different wood finishes and also some that look like stone/granite for kitchen worktops etc.
Hope that helps!: victory:


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## dpfb (Jul 1, 2009)

with the cost, il make 2 viv stacks of 2 3ft by 2 out of 3 sheets of mdf 18mm, £10 per sheet at bandq. runners vents and handles £20 odd. just the glass then. which will cost more than the rest but shouldnt be too much.
so for around £100 i got 4 vivs.

would it need primering if useing varnish or just varnish strait on.
is there a clear varnish so if i painted it it wouldnt still look brown.


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## dpfb (Jul 1, 2009)

im not really keen on sheets as i can just imagine it looking like when i tried to tint my car windows back in the day. cant really afford to waste tomuch money and thatd cost a small fortune to cover what i need.


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## Nitram156 (Sep 19, 2009)

lol im going through the same problem, dunno what to do with my MDF either.


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## Jeremyisking (Aug 25, 2009)

good things can be achieved with mdf, ive built this from mdf 6x7x3.5 for iggy.

i got the mdf cut at b and q and then sealed all the edges with two coats of pva, to prevent grain raise and to get a smooth finish on the edges with the paint. then i coated the whole viv with mdf primer.

left that for a few days then lightly sanded with 180 grit sand paper, then applied a base coat of cream paint. agan let it dry then used a selection of green paints all from b and q they even mixed small test pot £3 of certain colours they didnt have for me .

then i sealed the whole interior of the viv with a low v.o.c acrylic varnish ( yatch varnish works also .

the paint did crack and glaze a little , when the varnish dried.but i think it was more because i used my ceramic heater to get the varnish to dry. how ever i felt it added a certain something.

good luck with the builds


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## xautomaticflowersx (Sep 7, 2009)

I'd probably end up swearing an awful lot if I tried to use vinyl stuff as well. Plus it's not exactly cheap. Haha just thought I'd mention it, would be great for a small project. Maybe if you were making a 3ft viv or something it would be OK... but painting is probably your best bet, looking at that lovely iggie house.


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## Nitram156 (Sep 19, 2009)

thanks alot for sharing that jeremyisking thats going to help alot:2thumb:

did you do anything to the outside of your viv?

cheers 
Nath
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/members/jeremyisking.html


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## dpfb (Jul 1, 2009)

Thats one lucky iggi. Thanks for the quick guide. Iwant to paint mine black. Could i use hammerite smooth brush on? Would i need to varnish it? Il have to check but i think it is non-toxic aswell. Thanks again


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