2 replies to this topic

[cmnacsin]

Hello! I'm new to the forum, so please be forgiving. I'm building a DIY enclosure for my male Syrian hamster, and the topic of which wood to use is widely debated and I'm having a difficult time deciding the right move to make. I had planned on using pine plywood, as aspen plywood isn't available near me. With further research, I'm seeing that plywood isn't recommended and that heat-treated wood is the way to go, but it's so much more expensive! Is plywood truly unsafe for a hamster enclosure, and if so, is there a way to seal it safely? Or should I take the hit to my wallet and just go with heat-treated wood? Or am I just nervously thinking myself in circles? I'll take all the advice I can get, this is my first hamster and I want only the best for him.

[lil BIG dwarf]

Plywood is unsafe due to the glues used in it. Even with sealant, there’s a chance it could come through and any chewing means it’s out in the open. Have you looked into pine (solid pine), birch (could be what you mean by heat tragedy ?), and melamine? The first two need sealants like raw/unboiled linseed oil (pine is safe when in solid form, though it’s still very debated and it’s best to avoid strong smelling pine), while the latter is plywood with a plastic coating (still a chew risk). If you use an ikea item as a base (like the platsa), the plywood is safer because of European standards, but still not ideal for chewing (in the event your ham decided to swallow it). Since it’s plastic, you can easily wipe it up/clean it and it looks pretty nice

[Lillias]

There are plywoods in the US that do not use toxic glues, but they are more expensive than generic plywood.

 

On the Home Depot website, look for the brand Columbia Forest Products (I don't think they carry them in-store, but you can have them shipped to the store). I would use the maple, the birch, or the poplar plywood.

 

Avoid any wood that is labeled as "pressure-treated." That process involves a lot of chemicals to make wood more durable for outdoor use.