Jason22

Thanks i was leaning to a water based polyurethane so thank you Yer this occured to me just after i had finished :facepalm:, but i think i will run a bead of silicone along all the joins. I will have the extraction fans come on for a while daily so a lot of moisture will be blown out.

Would i need to plaster it, why not just seal it with a paint or varnish? the particle board that is will plaster the ceiling. Have read that people just use a water based poly-urethane (and let it air out for a few weeks) to seal there MDF reptile enclosures from moisture. could someone please shed some light on this.

The ceiling is lined with gib, but i used a 15mm particle board on the walls because it was cheaper and easier to fix things to the walls

So now the outside of the fan and air in takes are in and flashed off The flexable flashing around the door The internal door in and all the lining that i can install is in untill i put the plumbing and mains cable I still need a little bit more insulation but my dad is starting to do up his new house so should be able to get some off-cuts :thup: Still not to shore about what to seal the lining off with, help would be great with picking a varnish or something that will not poison my pets

Yer i would like to do that one day but i wouldn't use expanding foam, its like $17 ish a can and it took me 2 cans to do that

Or start popping the right pills

My Whistling tree frog enclosure with expanding foam and peat moss background When i was taking the photo i saw these two

i did a similar thing but with peat moss for my brown tree frogs will put up a photo tomorrow.

Have just started to line the walls with particle board and would like to seal it off. What is a non toxic varnish or similar that will work and not poison my reptiles, anyone know any brands etc that they may have used on there diy wooden reptile enclosures.

Water dragons don't like to be handled much anyway so putting a harness and muzzle on them is not going to impress them. lizards are not really the "take for walks kind of pet" better leave that to the dogs. But i have seen lizards and dogs get along. the dragons will spend most of there time in there enclosure anyway. and are not going to cause any harm to a adult dog.

Thanks Have decided not to gib the walls, going to go for a cheaper option. Found a kiction place that has heaps of 15mm 2.4x1.8 particle board packing sheet for only $15 ea and they are nice and clean, so i think they will look good after a polythene. (hopfully wont be able to see much of the walls soon any way) :thup:

2/3 of the insulation is in and started to gib the ceiling.

Im no expert but the ants will be killing the larvae/eggs. there must be a way the ants are getting in. e.g a bridge over the water, pretty shore ants don't swim. A bead of Vaseline might around the out side might work as well.

some people have them only on during the day but it just means you need to provide another heat source for night

The roof is on, but not the ceiling so the insulations is next to go in before the gib ceiling is fixed.

Thought i would up date. Put the Barge board up and most of the flashing Ran all the wires and back fixings for the plugs. switchboard. Ripped down some 160x30mm to 50x30mm for the ceiling battens.

Thanks. i was thinking i could paint it with a weather shield sort of paint or a polyurethene. they wont get to wet and will dry out quickly because the boxes are heated. it only when there gets a bit of build up of locust waste and can't dry out that well. non-toxic would be the best.

I'm rebuilding my locusts boxes and because they can get a bit damp (from the grass and spilling water). I was just wondering what other people have used with success to seal similar things. the boxes are made out of particle board (not MDF if that makes a difference).

thank you for your ideas Just found this it does both heating and cooling and you can adjust the tolerance so they wont be constantly coming on and off. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=389208650 Will have to have one in each room. The rooms will change through out the year when the reptiles are in brumation (probably just turn heating off). Nar no chance of switching reptiles between rooms the second room is my livefood room and is only 1.2 by 2.3m (temp wont change at all. Yer when the rooms are the same temp can just turn one thermostat off and open the door

That's what i was leaning to but would mean i would have to buy 4 thermostats $$$(2 for each room). a person on TM said they stock one that does both but i don't think you would be able to set the degrees apart, so the heater and fan would be always going on and off.

ok so i am almost at the wiring stage and am a bit confused about how to heat and cool the room. i was thinking a thermostat that turns on the heat when drops below and turns the wall fan on when over heats (from sun etc). but i would also like to have the fan on a timer to get a guaranteed air change, but if the thermostat and timer where both trying to power the fan at the same time wouldn't the power short out???. (do i need 2 fans) I would also like to be able to have the two rooms at different temps, so i guess that means x2 of everything lol Would it be better to have 2 thermostats in each room (1 for heating and other for cooling) rather than one that does both any other ideas are were welcome :thup:

Well atleast dreams are free lol

Has to be an outside enclosure with at least to mesh sides and predator prof, you don't need lighting or heating because outside. and you are not allowed to release anything.

Thanks its looks like a building now lol, but can't do to much more now until it drys out a lot, I've left the back corner sheet of ply off so it will get a bit of air through

Finished the netting & paper on the roof and got the iron on :thup: Used up the off cuts of expol to insulate the gaps form the walls joins manged to get the building paper up despite the wind. and finality after a long day got most of the plywood tacked in place, just before it started to rain