Silicone

[TayKiren]

How long would you wait to put your animal in their new enclosure after using 100% silicone to seal it? And how long would you wait before putting in the substrate and plants? The tube says it cures in 24-48 hours, but I'm not sure if that means it's good to go afterwards?

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[Bogertophis]

Time honestly means nothing. You need to be absolutely sure you cannot smell any trace of the silicone (it gives off a pungent- irritating- vinegar smell)- since it will irritate the lungs of a snake. The thicker you apply silicone seal, the longer it takes to dry, as it dries from the outside- the inside (when it's thick) can take a long time to fully dry. If you apply it really thick, it can take days or weeks to fully dry.

Personally, I'd error on the side of caution, & wait a few days beyond when I couldn't smell it, because our sense of smell is very poor compared to our little snakes, & remember, they mostly only have one lung too. Airing out the enclosure in warm or hot sunshine will help, as will running a fan inside.

[Homebody]

How long would you wait to put your animal in their new enclosure after using 100% silicone to seal it? And how long would you wait before putting in the substrate and plants? The tube says it cures in 24-48 hours, but I'm not sure if that means it's good to go afterwards?

I used silicone sealant on one of my hides and it took weeks to finish off-gassing. It took so long I almost threw the hide away. If I was you, I'd use a low VOC one. That might finish off-gassing more quickly.

[TayKiren]

Yeah the rest of the silicone was put on yesterday and stopped smelling a while ago, not much was needed in terms of thickness It says the VOC content is 3%.

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