Mildew

[mudflats]

I was cleaning my enclosures when i noticed the wood was alittle discolored. Its like a light light green. Very light in color but also noticable. Is there some way to rid the cage of mildew. Its from misting the animal in shed. Not talking about a paint to put over it. Its in a small area, is there some type of safe cleaning etc.. that can be used? jon

[marisa]

Well you can clean it but unless you SEAL the wood, it will just keep happening.

Marisa

[mudflats]

Any safe sealants you can point me towards. thanks, jon

[Linds]

Lots of things can happen to cause mold and mildew to grow. Porous things are incredibly difficult to rid the stuff of. Can also be caused by improper air circulation within the cage or wetness causing wood to rot. Placement of cages can also be a cause. I have to constantly be cleaning all the cages and rubbermaids on the floor level in my room, because every type of setup will grow mold in a relatively short period of time, if I do not keep on top of it. I suspect it has something to do with the temperature differences inside and outside the cages (although there is no condensation), since my bed is located over the vent, any heat or a/c goes is redirected to the floor. As Marisa mentioned though, wood needs to be sealed. The mold spores will just soak right in to the wood and constantly reappear.

[Linds]

Jon,
Certain epoxy coatings are great for sealing cages. They will give a 100% waterproof seal, relatively quick cure, and no offgassing. I use Epoxal 3:1 on my enclosures (available from Niagara Protective Coatings), and despite the repuation of epoxy being so much more expensive than urethanes, actually worked out to be far cheaper (and you can't argue the superiority). Check out your local place that specializes in protective coatings, and they can direct you to the proper product ;)

[mudflats]

Well ok, i will do that. thankyou
jon

[Cruciform]

Like the contractor that inspected our basement said:

"Molds feed on cellulose, so anywhere you have that exposed to moisture you're going to end up with mold."

So if you're using wood, which is definitely made of cellulose, you'll want to use one of the solutions they recommended :)

Or make a sleeve using corrugated plastic and silicone. I'm going to try that in a lightweight enclosure and see how it works.