# Type and thickness of wood for vivarium



## NDevon (Jan 20, 2016)

Hi, I'm planning to build a vivarium, I have read so many different things for the right sort of wood, would you say an external ply is the one to go for? Normal ply is cheaper but I want to build this to last, and it's going to be very humid as I will spray a few times a day, possibly adding a misting or fogging system too. 

If exterior ply is the way to go what thickness would you say? As I said I want it built to last, but I also need to be able to move it without having to take it apart so don't want it too heavy. Is 12mm thick enough? 

I planned on treating each board with a waterproof floor varnish first, then as I'm assembling it using silicone in each join. Once built silicone all the joins one last time and give all interior surfaces a couple more coats of the floor varnish. Does this sound right?


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## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

depends on your viv size???


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## NDevon (Jan 20, 2016)

40" wide 20" deep 40" high but it's 2 storey so will have a shelf adding strength half way up. It's not 2 stacked, it's one space for Redfoot tortoises, and the whole thing is an extension to a large vivarium they already have.


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## sharpstrain (May 24, 2008)

why so height? torts won't use the height.

I always use 18mm ply or osb. for humid loving species I also cover the substrate floor and walls with pondliner


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## NDevon (Jan 20, 2016)

When you take out thickness of wood for roof, 1st floor and base that's an inch, then couple of inches of substrate at least for each level and it's down to about 35" at max, so each level would have less than 18". Allowing space for a CHE and UV tube there isn't a huge amount of height, especially once I landscape and add hides. As its sitting on the floor I find that if the lowest level doesn't have much height you can't see inside unless you sit across the room or lay on the floor. It can't go up on a unit as there will be an open top roof 'tortoise table' which my kids won't be able to see in, add the walls for that and it's getting tall, stick it on a cupboard and you'd need a ladder!

Their current vivarium is lined with pond liner, and I may do the same again in this extension, but with the joins and openings between levels and sections I need to ensure its not going to rot from moisture, so I will treat the wood anyway, not going to hurt and should last a while then.


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