# Redgard for Waterproofing?



## GorillaNostrils (Feb 11, 2008)

So the guy at HD said i could use Redgard to water proof the inside of my tank.http://www.custombuildingproducts.c...terproofingAntiFractureMembranes/RedGard.aspx He said that it dried into a latex type material. Im not to worried about the sides of my tank because i will be covering those in great stuff, but the bottom of the tank will be in direct contact with the water i will be using in my water feature. It does say its "protected by MoldGard Technology to resist mold and mildew growth" which i have heard is a bad thing. Wondering if anybody has used this for a PDF tank. If it wont be safe then I was also thinking of using that rubbery pond liner stuff. Would this be a good alternative? As always I'm also open to anyother suggestions.


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## tkromer (Dec 20, 2007)

If it's treated for mold and mildew I'd be very afraid. It might turn out OK but I wouldn't test it.


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## GorillaNostrils (Feb 11, 2008)

Yea i figured so. Any other suggestions? I wasn't able to find any marine epoxies.


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

Read through the MSDS for that material. It's further down the page on your link. This material has been given a "1" on health as it causes irritation of skin, lungs, eyes, etc., causes nausea/vomitting,
and has small amounts of chemicals that cause birth defects in animals. 

Definately would not be my first choice of things to put in with my frogs.


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## LaserGecko (Oct 8, 2007)

The actual quote about that is


> May contain trace amounts of chemicals that caused birth defects in animal studies. It did not cause harm to the animal or fetus when applied on skin.


Note that this is for the liquid phase as a worker would most likely contact it. Nothing is said about the cured phase of Redgard. A Material Safety Data Sheet has to be read properly to be of use.

For example, 
The HMIS code (the numbers in the Right To Know triangle) for Redgard is:
Health - 1
Flammability - 0
Reactivity - 0
Personal Protection - B

PP level "B" is pretty standard, really. (goggles, gloves, clothing protection, etc.) 

The HMIS code for Great Stuff is:
Health - 2
Flammability - 4
Reactivity - 1
Personal Protection - B

Redgard has the same HMIS numbers as the cleaner Simple Green.

Here's what the numbers mean:
http://everything2.com/title/HMIS%2520ratings

While I won't go so far as to say that Redgard is perfectly safe for a PDF tank, you can't base the decision off of the MSDS. If you did that, you couldn't use Great Stuff!


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## GorillaNostrils (Feb 11, 2008)

I have decided not to risk Redgard. On another post someone said that they used Drylok. http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&N=0&Ntk=i_products&Ntt=drylok Would any of this work?


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

GorillaN,
You may find that you'd be the first or maybe second to try some of these materials. I agree with LaserG in that the MSDS doesn't tell the whole story. Unfortunately, for our needs, we don't have much more to go on since I don't think we have much experience or history with them. 

I should have also mentioned that personally, I minimze or avoid completely the use of all of these types of materials, including Great Stuff and silicone. I find myself moving further and further away from viv construction techniques that use them. I guess I represent the more conservative side.

I've used similar products to Redgard, namely Latticrete, in various construction products. Even without the MSDS, I wouldn't use them in a frog tank. But that's just me.

How exactly were you thinking of using the RedGard?


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## Marlboroman (Jun 9, 2008)

There's a site called GARF.com that has some great information on reef tanks. If you go to the DIY Pages -> Tank Building and put in the dimensions that you want and choose "Plywood w/Acrylic" or "Plywood w/Glass" it gives you the cut list and specific information for waterproofing the plywood. 

Here are the products they suggest (much more info on the site about the reason for these products):
- sherwin williams brand "Epoxide HS Tank Lining"
- rustoleum brand "9200" system epoxy


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## GorillaNostrils (Feb 11, 2008)

http://www.garf.com appeared to be a search engine. I couldnt really find where exactly it tells you how to build plywood/glass tanks. I clicked on "Building Aquariums" and it gave me a list of websites having to do with architectural construction. I'm very confused. I was thinking of simply lining my cage with PVC sheets or pond liner. Any thoughts?


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## GorillaNostrils (Feb 11, 2008)

Oh, i figured it out. It is GARF.org. Thanks marlboroman.


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