Vivarium separating?

[Sophieg]

Hey so I got this wooden Viv back in December and just really noticed today how much it's kinda come apart? It wasn't siliconed although I'm going to be taking it apart, putting it back together and siliconing the edges in about a week as that's when I'm getting another 1 (moving my corn into this 1, my BP going into the new 1) Will the silicone stop this from happening? If not, what can I do?

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[pbenner]

That looks like moisture warping for sure.

Wood should always be sealed before being used in a humid environment. You can make it better, but it's probably swollen up so it won't ever be perfect again.

Best,

Paul

[Sophieg]

That looks like moisture warping for sure.

Wood should always be sealed before being used in a humid environment. You can make it better, but it's probably swollen up so it won't ever be perfect again.

Best,

Paul

ohh Thanks, as in seal with silicone?

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[pbenner]

Thanks, What can I seal it with?

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Generally any Polyurethane type sealer will work. I don't use wood so I'd suggest you look at what they use for Tegu cages or other wood construction for reptiles.

Once you seal it though, it will be unusable for a week or so while it cures. Don't put your pet back in there until the smell is gone and has been gone for a couple days.

Paul

[Sophieg]

Generally any Polyurethane type sealer will work. I don't use wood so I'd suggest you look at what they use for Tegu cages or other wood construction for reptiles.

Once you seal it though, it will be unusable for a week or so while it cures. Don't put your pet back in there until the smell is gone and has been gone for a couple days.

Paul

Ohh right okay, thanks!

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[fadingdaylight]

Once the sealer is completely cured, you can apply silicone caulking to the joints to try to provide additional waterproofing, but as mentioned, if the moisture has already gotten into the wood, it may never be quite the same again.

[SquirmyPug]

Did you have it custom made? I thought that any wood terrarium sold would be sealed before leaving the manufacturer. I haven't seen too many wood terrariums around here so I don't know how they are normally made but it seems like it would be sealed for protection from humidity and spills.

Do you have it inside an air conditioned space?

[Craiga 01453]

Honestly, for the time, effort and cost to repair it, you're better off scrapping it and buying something new. Once wood is damaged it's only worth fixing if you're experienced in doing so or want to spend money to do it right. Even then, unless its fixed by en experienced restoration craftsman it will always be damaged and not function properly.

Also, it is EXTREMELY important to make sure any silicone or sealants have dried, cured and off-gassed prior to putting any animal in the enclosure. The process will likely take a week or so if the enclosure is stored somewhere it can get a lot of air circulation.
Otherwise you're risking neurological damage and possibly death to the animal.

[Sophieg]

Did you have it custom made? I thought that any wood terrarium sold would be sealed before leaving the manufacturer. I haven't seen too many wood terrariums around here so I don't know how they are normally made but it seems like it would be sealed for protection from humidity and spills.

Do you have it inside an air conditioned space?

No, it's not custom made, I got it off amazon specifically for reptiles. There's a decent amount of air that gets to it (it's not in a room) but there's no actual air con.

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[Sophieg]

Honestly, for the time, effort and cost to repair it, you're better off scrapping it and buying something new. Once wood is damaged it's only worth fixing if you're experienced in doing so or want to spend money to do it right. Even then, unless its fixed by en experienced restoration craftsman it will always be damaged and not function properly.

Also, it is EXTREMELY important to make sure any silicone or sealants have dried, cured and off-gassed prior to putting any animal in the enclosure. The process will likely take a week or so if the enclosure is stored somewhere it can get a lot of air circulation.
Otherwise you're risking neurological damage and possibly death to the animal.

I know it still wouldn't be completely right but if I took it apart, put it back together and siliconed all the sides properly to prevent anymore moisture from getting in, would that prevent it from getting any worse? I really need to keep this viv, just spent a load of money on a complete new set up!

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