Water proofing plywood that will have a hard life

[nightanole]

Im almost done with "pvc city". Im using hard wood plywood for the bottoms. This bottom will have plant pots raked across it etc, along with mistings. Whats the best way to solid color paint it and make it close to counter top tough? I was thinking of getting a gallon of floor/patio paint for $40. Im looking to do at least 3 coats on an area about 100sqft.

Also any tips on making pvc with non removable lettering look good? I was thinking of light sanding and using krylon fusion plastic paint.

 

[Augustine]

Look at the hardware store for some counter top cut offs.
If u have a kitchen shop close to u it might be worth a call a 2 foot square bit of counter top is to small to use in most kitchens.

 

[nightanole]

my bottoms will be 4ft by 2.5ft. Though i dont have to have the mister/plant pots go all the way to the edge of the cages

 

[Coded]

A Fiber Glass Resin could work, just make sure you give it plenty of time to cure(a couple weeks).

 

[sandrachameleon]

My cage bottoms are painted with zero voc acrylic latex. I prefer this because it is safe (doesnt outgass). And if you feel the need, easy to re-paint to freshen up.

But have you considered melamine (Urethane Reinforced oil) paint? It comes in a variety of tints too.

or regular paint, with some vinyl floor tile ontop?

 

[nightanole]

My cage bottoms are painted with zero voc acrylic latex. I prefer this because it is safe (doesnt outgass). And if you feel the need, easy to re-paint to freshen up.

But have you considered melamine (Urethane Reinforced oil) paint? It comes in a variety of tints too.

or regular paint, with some vinyl floor tile ontop?

I thought about the vinyl floor tile as a good solution. The only problem was what to do about the water that gets inbetween the floor tile and wood? That normally turns into a petri dish.

 

[Kaianuanu]

I'd desperately try to get my hands on a synthetic alternative. But if you must use plywood, first make sure to get the treated kind, Cut it to size then saturate it with wood petrifier, and then seal it with polyurethane.

 

[Carlton]

I recently began using a large sheet of corrugated plastic greenhouse paneling in my bird aviary. This stuff is great! It is completely waterproof, cuts with a box knife or scissors, and will hold up to serious cleaning. Smooth and no seams, so no grooves to hold grungy stuff. It isn't all that rigid, but you could lay a piece over board, run some silicone caulk around the edges and create a very water resistant surface.

 

[Carlton]

I'd desperately try to get my hands on a synthetic alternative. But if you must use plywood, first make sure to get the treated kind, Cut it to size then saturate it with wood petrifier, and then seal it with polyurethane.

Be careful with pressure treated wood of any kind! Some of the treatments use fairly toxic heavy metals which is why they resist mold and rot...and the metals leach out over time. I think there are less toxic types now, but definitely look into this first.

 

[Carlton]

I recently began using a large sheet of corrugated plastic greenhouse paneling in my bird aviary. This stuff is great! It is completely waterproof, cuts with a box knife or scissors, and will hold up to serious cleaning. Smooth and no seams, so no grooves to hold grungy stuff. It isn't all that rigid, but you could lay a piece over board, run some silicone caulk around the edges and create a very water resistant surface.

Oh, the name of this paneling is Coroplast, but there are other brands of basically the same idea.

 

[Carlton]

I thought about the vinyl floor tile as a good solution. The only problem was what to do about the water that gets inbetween the floor tile and wood? That normally turns into a petri dish.

You'll have to caulk the edges of the vinyl to keep water out.

 

[sandrachameleon]

You'll have to caulk the edges of the vinyl to keep water out.

exactly. should do that before painting too, to seal the join of the cage bottom to sides

I just use paint, and its been fine. But large amounts of water dont pool on the bottom of my cages.

 

[mrfixit01]

I have a plywood bottom with a drain pan sitting on top of it. To seal it I used a Spar Urethane product. It dries to clear, hard finish overnight and completely cures in about 3 days max. Applying several coats over a couple of days really built it up and it has withstood water, crud, and such for nearly a year and still looks good. Any place that sells paint should have it. Cost about $15 for a quart. Once it's opened, use it or it will cure in the can before you can need it again.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/att...eason-cage-builds-2012-06-13_19-01-33_601.jpg

 

[z0mbies fear me]

Im almost done with "pvc city". Im using hard wood plywood for the bottoms. This bottom will have plant pots raked across it etc, along with mistings. Whats the best way to solid color paint it and make it close to counter top tough?

I have two with plywood bottoms on one I used "chalkboard" paint and on the other I used "spray in truck bed liner" both have held up great. The chalkboard paint came from Lowe's and the truck bed liner came from Advanced Auto Parts.

As far as the lettering I use "clear" PVC primer. It takes the letters off pretty well. The kyroln fusion paint works well too.

 

[mcanham]

What about using a glued up solid wood panel? Black locust or red cedar are great rot resistant woods.