Clifford's Home - From Introductions

[tortoisestew]

Well I posted some pics of Clifford and his house yesterday in Introductions. Here are some more. I took a rubbermaid shed, cut a door and filled the open gaps with foam in a can. I used carpet runner for the door and cut 4" slits. I used Reflectix insulation along the walls to keep the warmth in. The heat is a 150W CHE which hangs from the roof. I also placed an inside/outside wireless thermostat to keep an eye on the temp inside the enclosure while I'm in the house. So far so good. Last night it got down to the low 40's and the inside of his house stayed a warm 74. I plan on getting a Kane or Stanfield heat mat to keep him a little warmer during the colder months. I live in South Texas and it's rare that it gets below freezing. Anything below 30 I bring him inside our house anyways. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Jacqui]

Very nice! I like the non-normal enclosure shape. It looks very visually pleasing along with functional.

 

[ascott]

very cool use of the curves...rather than the blunt corners....I love this and he looks very happy in his domane

 

[jackrat]

Super nice looking enclosure!

 

[byerssusan]

Wow! I hope when Phoenix gets big enough I will be able to make such a beautiful enclosure.. Very Very nice

 

[DesertGrandma]

I like this very much. Couple of questions. What kind of carpet did you use for the tort door, was it indoor/outdoor or what? Did you have to use cement with your pavers or are they heavy enough that the tort can't push them over? And, last but not least what brand of outdoor remote thermostat did you get? These are exactly what I was thinking of using when my little one gets bigger. We already have the rubbermade box that currently stores outdoor pillows. It is pretty sturdy and like you said will allow for added insulation. Love that you can put a lock on it, and that you can enter it from the top as well as the front. Very nice!!

 

[tortoisestew]

I like this very much. Couple of questions. What kind of carpet did you use for the tort door, was it indoor/outdoor or what? Did you have to use cement with your pavers or are they heavy enough that the tort can't push them over? And, last but not least what brand of outdoor remote thermostat did you get? These are exactly what I was thinking of using when my little one gets bigger. We already have the rubbermade box that currently stores outdoor pillows. It is pretty sturdy and like you said will allow for added insulation. Love that you can put a lock on it, and that you can enter it from the top as well as the front. Very nice!!

The door flap is the clear carpet runner that people put down to protect their carpet. No I did'nt use cement for the pavers. Originally I had only 3 layers, but he kept trying to climb out. I added another layer and now he doesn't think twice. Each paver weighs about 20lbs. There's no way he could move them. The pavers were the most expensive part of this. And the thermostat is just your basic wireless one you get at Lowes or Home Depot($15). The whole enclosure put me back about $1200. But in the long run it's worth it.

 

[DesertGrandma]

Thanks for the info. Love it all. 80)

 

[tortoisestew]

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback!

 

[tyler0912]

That is awesome!

 

[pdrobber]

very very nice!

 

[dmarcus]

Very nice...

 

[Torty Mom]

That is awesome!!! I may have to try that for Lou!

 

[Zamric]

I like the race-track look! WalkingRock just walks along one fence and has a very distinct rail-road track running in the grass. I did however have to build my garden up by 4 layers of landscape timbers to keep him out!

 

[tortoisestew]

I like the race-track look! WalkingRock just walks along one fence and has a very distinct rail-road track running in the grass. I did however have to build my garden up by 4 layers of landscape timbers to keep him out!

Funny you mentioned that, he likes to make alot of left turns. My friends laugh and make the Nascar comment all the time.

 

[Laura]

love it! does grass ever grow? Does he eat the dry hay?
If you get a heat matt.. they reccomend Not using bedding on top,
your CHE... is that a light coming off it? or just the picture?
I would guess that you will not need to bring him inside in the winter anymore...
he is bog enough to stay out if he has the heat. some days he may not wander out much, but when he does and he gets cold, he should just go rightback in.

 

[tortoisestew]

love it! does grass ever grow? Does he eat the dry hay?
If you get a heat matt.. they reccomend Not using bedding on top,
your CHE... is that a light coming off it? or just the picture?
I would guess that you will not need to bring him inside in the winter anymore...
he is bog enough to stay out if he has the heat. some days he may not wander out much, but when he does and he gets cold, he should just go rightback in.

There was grass until we had this drought hit Texas. Since the grass disappeared, he's been getting alot of greens from the market and timothy hay. I also have a small garden where I grow a variety of veggies for him. I plan on fencing off half his enclosure next spring to get the grass growing again...Yes I know not to put anything on top of the heat mat when I do get one...And no there is not a light, thats just the sun and how the pic turned out. He's been outside since he was two yrs old and we probably only brought him in twice. Both times it snowed. I was just being over cautious.

 

[lynnedit]

Did you staple gun the Reflectix to the inside of the Rubbermaid?
Nice trees, nice Rubbermaid (thanks for the instructions), nice natural looking enclosures, just nice!

 

[tortoisestew]

Did you staple gun the Reflectix to the inside of the Rubbermaid?
Nice trees, nice Rubbermaid (thanks for the instructions), nice natural looking enclosures, just nice!

Yes it's stapled. Thank you.

 

[JLSchmittou]

It does look great, it has curb appeal. I'm interested to know how much grass these guys eat!! Being in Arizona, the only thing that grows in the summer is rye grass... I might have to get the girls a patch of their own!!!? It really is fantastic. Did you get it done in a weekend or has this been an ongoing project for some time??