# Waterproofing viv



## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

I know there are probably countless threads buried here on the subject but I wanted to ask in advance about waterproofing a wooden viv.

I know people seem to use yacht varnish quite happily. My viv will be for an ackie and as such needs to be able to hold a foot of damp soil/ sand mix without rotting or distorting etc...
I intend on this viv when built being as long term a home as it can be for my little guy, so I really dont want it ruined by making a poor choice for water proofing. My options as I understand them are 
- Yacht varnish, or 
- Pond liner (which Im not so keen on)
- A molded pond liner (which may be tricky to fit and would maybe waste some digging space.
- Perspex lining ? Does anyone do this ? Does it work ?

Im sure I read somewhere about some kind of fibre glass seal but Im not sure if I have misunderstood on this front or if such a thing exists, is it safe ?
Thanks


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## SnakeJayd (Nov 19, 2011)

I am also interested in this.

I saw someone use a layer of silicone to black out the back of their exoterra, so I wonder if something similar could be used on wood? 

Greg Maxwell use sticky backed plastic, like for covering books, to seal his GTP cages. 

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## harry136 (Aug 2, 2012)

Ive used pond liner for my ackie viv, it works fine. Its a PITA to fit though, you'll need lots of silicone to do the job properly. How I did it was-
1. Reinforce the bottom with some more wood to stop it from blowing out under the weight of the substrate

2. Siliconed the sheets to the sides before attaching the back ground sections

3, I then created a tray from the pondliner to sit in the bottom, this had enough overlap to cover 2 inches of the covered walls. just use silicone in the corners and to seal all the gaps.

If you use persex, contact the companies on ebay and get the pieces cut to spec as cutting them yourself is a nightmare as it shatters when cut, and it melts if you use power tools to cut it!


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## Hootz (Aug 28, 2014)

Are any of the paint-on pond sealers like G4 suitable? painting stuff on seems like a lot less hassle than fitting a liner, though I'm tempted to do both together tbh, possibly overkill, I dunno...


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## harry136 (Aug 2, 2012)

Overkill everytime! Beats having to remake a viv! The most important thing to remember is to reinforce where you are putting the substrate as people dont realise just how much it weighs!


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## Hootz (Aug 28, 2014)

How have you done yours? diagonally across the bottom, or vertically in some way, from plinth to floor?

Yeh, overkill it is;p Im not keen on my viv turning into a squishy pile of chip board debris in 18 months if I'm honest :bash:


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## baitman (Jan 13, 2011)

I think, if it were me, i would look into something like tiles, ceramic tiles like what you use in a shower or bathroom.....

Or slate and silcon the joints.


steve


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## harry136 (Aug 2, 2012)

Once I built the viv, i took measurments from the inside. I then built a box to those measurements 2/3 the height of the substrate bit. Inside the box i put a 1 inch high reinforcing beam every foot across the bottom (width ways) I then put it in the viv and screwed it from the inside to the outside (use the correct size screws as you dont want them sticking out!)


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

Hootz said:


> Are any of the paint-on pond sealers like G4 suitable? painting stuff on seems like a lot less hassle than fitting a liner, though I'm tempted to do both together tbh, possibly overkill, I dunno...


It would be good if this were the case. Does anyone know the answer ? 
To be able to efectively coat the thing with a sealant would be the easiest way to do it, its just a case of finding something that is completely reliable as far as water-proofness and reptile safety go


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## mitsi (Feb 1, 2012)

I used thompson's water seal on my boscs viv and my niles viv, works a treat, soaks right into the wood so makes it all waterproof rather than just the top layer its put onto.
you can use the paint on pond sealer as well.


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## SnakeJayd (Nov 19, 2011)

I had a look around on YouTube for how to waterproof wood and stumbled upon several videos where people have made fish tanks out of wood.

So, it dawned on me that if people can waterproof wood to the point where it can be used as a fish tank, then it should be sufficient for even the more extreme reptile habitats.

There seems to be 3 main approaches that I have seen so far.

Use an epoxy based paint on pond liner or use a rubberised coat which is also painted on or use fibreglass, which seems like way too much effort.

Here is a video series where a guy uses an epoxy type paint:

Creating a Wooden Tank Part 1
Creating a Wooden Tank Part 2
Creating a Wooden Tank Part 3
Creating a Wooden Tank Part 4

Here is a rubberised paint video:

HOW TO: build a Plywood Aquarium

And a video of some guys making a monster fibreglass one if you are feeling adventurous:

800+ gallon plywood and fiberglass aquarium build. From start to finish.


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

I like the look of the first set of videos. Has anyone used this stuff for lizards ? If so what brands and how much was it ? 

Im also a little unsure of if I should waterproof the viv all over internally before adding the background. Im not sure if the background would stick properly (either celotex stuck on or expanding foam)


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## SnakeJayd (Nov 19, 2011)

I haven't used it yet, but I was thinking when I use it, to do what you said and waterproof the viv and then so the foam. 
From the video, glue should stick if you scuff it first. But I would imagine that expanding foam would stick to anything. 

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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

Do you have particular brand or place to buy it from when you do it ?


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## SnakeJayd (Nov 19, 2011)

Fizz said:


> Do you have particular brand or place to buy it from when you do it ?


I will probably just go down to B&Q or equivalent and see what they have.

This one looks decent. I think it is one of the rubberised ones since it says it is polyurethane based.

It might be worth trawling some UK pond and aquarium forums to see what they use. I will have a look and let you know if I find anything.


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## SnakeJayd (Nov 19, 2011)

I found this polyurethane coating mentioned on this fish forum and this forum to coat wood.

So that other one that I posted on Amazon should do the trick as it seems very similar.


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## SnakeJayd (Nov 19, 2011)

I found this stuff, which seems similar to the epoxy resin paint that you liked from earlier videos.
Although I can't see any mention of it working on wood.


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

So confusing. The last link looks really interesting but as you say it doesn't say anything about being used on wood. I will have to look into this further!

Thanks for the links


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

Anyone know if this stuff is safe and if it works on wood ? I have seen G4 mentioned several times in places but I am clueless. Im sondering if it would just be simpler to use yacht varnish if others have used it successfully. 
I wonder what would work out cheaper?


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