ENCLOSURE MOCK UP NEED OPINIONS

[wellington]

I divided the enclosure into two sections. The hide at the top of the pic has a removable wall, also a portion of the dividing wall is removable between the smaller, left side and larger right side grazing areas. This will be to help control heat on colder then normal winter days and also for less space to heat for night time. I will also take advantage of being able to switch him from side to side, while reseeding. My main reason for two sides, I would like to add another tortoise maybe some day. If another leopard, the enclosure should be big enough for the two. If a different species, enough room to keep them separated. The whole thing will have a roof, that will be able to be lifted open on hinges for summer.
Now, the hide will have insulated wood floor. However, the rest of the enclosure will be left with the dirt/grass as the floor. Leaving most of it without a floor, will that be harder to heat then if I had a floor in it? Is there a way to keep it dirt/grass without it drawing in the cold? That's the one thing I don't have a clue about.
Hope you can understand my mock up and explanation of it.

The whole enclosure is approx. 5 or 6 x 16 or by 20 and 4 feet high. It will be at least 4 inch thick insulated double wood walls and hide floors and the roof will also be insulated, caulked all around and rubber to seam around the roof opening.
I will use pig blanket, MVB's and CHE's to heat. I also have a radiant fan heater I will probably use in the larger area.

I have been getting great pointers from Len, thank you so much. Also, thank you Tom for recommending contacting him. Also got some info from Yvonne, thank you.

Any and all thoughts, comments, recommendations appreciated and will be added to the list of things to sort through, before the final build starts.
Thanks

 

[volcom6981]

Are you doing a heated shed?

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, I think that would be easier. I'm not sure because its hard to imagine from the picture, but I think you're over thinking it. Just have a yard with a heated, insulated shed. I like a walk-in shed that I can stand up in. Makes it easier to clean.

 

[wellington]

Yes it will be heated.
My concern Yvonne, is the 3 months that he will be outside with cold and snow. In the winter, for about 3 months, I don't get any sun in the yard. He will have access to go out into the weather, but I thought with a big shed, he wouldn't go stir crazy if it were to cold and snowy to go out.
I originally was going to do a standup shed, but figured it would be alot easier heating one that wasn't so tall. This one will only be about 4 feet tall. However, I will be able to lift the whole top and step into it for cleaning, etc.

 

[WillTort2]

If you think you will need to clean it in cold weather then the lift off top will cause you to loose all your heat whenever you clean it.

Your ground temperature is probably about 47 degrees, therefore in winter this will serve as a warmer than air contact. Can you but in a basement for your shed or pile dirt up on 3 sides for insulation?

One way to take advantage of the rising heat is to build a ramp that allows your tortoise to climb to the highest part of the shed where the temperature is warmest. If the ramp has sides and is water tight then the summer months you can clean by hosing it out. In the winter, just sweep from top down to bottom. Could even build a collection slot into the ramp to collect all the debris, etc.

 

[wellington]

Hmmm, didn't think about the loss of heat for cleaning in winter, duh. I will have to think about that one. If I go too tall, with it being so long, I will have to get permits, which will cause a bunch of other costly requirements. I can go taller, but then a lot smaller, without permits. This will be quite a challenge. Thanks for reminder, and the ramp idea. Although I don't really care for ramps, it might be a solution.

 

[yagyujubei]

I really think that trying to keep a tortoise in this type of habitat in Chicago winters just won't work. I live in a similar climate, am a carpenter for 35 years, have had heated, well insulated sheds in the past, and would never attempt this myself. Is there room in your basement to frame a room? You can't allow them access to the outside, it would be like an open window. So basically. they'd be in a small heated box all winter. What are you going to do when there's two feet of snow? Feeding and watering will be a nightmare. If there's a power outage, they're dead. People in warm climates have no idea what a cold winter is like, so their advice, might not apply. We had 4" of snow here last night. There were only two days here this month when the lows were above freezing. The winters have been warmer recently, but I remember really horrendous ones. I think the pen will be fine about 6 or 7 months a year.

 

[volcom6981]

I dont know im in PA, and i know somebody who has a detatched garage that is insulated and heated, and she has a bunch of tortoises in there plus other animals, and had this for over 20 years with no problem. Im not in Chicago and the winters here have not been that bad, but i think i would rather go with a shed. Buy or build a insulated shed, and i would throw a wall hung heater in there, hooked up to a T-Stat. I really think you will be able to do this if you wanted to, it will cost you some money, but i do think it could be done. Oh the wall hung heaters in a Shed will keep it pretty warm in there.

 

[wellington]

I only have a 1/4 basement, the floor space would be much smaller then what I'm building, so no room there. He would only get access to the outside, on the warmer milder days, the door wouldn't be left opened, and it wouldn't be a big access door. The enclosure is 5-6 feet by 16-20 feet, and actually i think i might be able to make it 8 feet wide. The two feet of snow, well I only get that once maybe twice a winter, except the unusual dumping we had two years ago and a shovel and snowblower will be removing that if needed, or those days he'd have to stay in. I'm not sure why you don't think it can be done? Just about anything can be done. Many people are already doing it in all the northern states. It's just getting the right combo of heating and building it well insulated. My plan is double walled with at least 4 inch insulation. As for loss of power. Well, we don't worry about that much at all where I live. However, the generator will handle that. I also will be able to monitor the temps from inside my house, with an alarm for when it gets too cold or too warm. Now, I know that it working on paper, is different then actuality, but that's why I have been planning since I got him and have changed plans several times, trying to get it all tweaked. I also want to have it up and running before he actually has to live in it. That way, if it doesn't work, I can still have time to house him inside, while I fix what needs fixing. I appreciate your thoughts and concerns. I hope your wrong, for my and Tatums sake BTW, not sure if I and hubby will be building it or we might have our builder do it. I like doing this kind of stuff, so I would like to do it myself.

 

[N2TORTS]

Looks wonderful ..... plus your going to need room for your CherryHead...


J~

 

[wellington]

Looks wonderful ..... plus your going to need room for your CherryHead...


J~

Thanks, and ya never know or maybe my beautiful plumies will winter in a tort house

 

[N2TORTS]

and as others have mentioned .... I think in your area ( I couldn’t even imagine ) ...where Jack Frost resides ...Your better off with inside basement *insulated* spare room and make a loft' type table plus take advantage of the rising warm air. Needless to say most tortoises of all species do slow down when winter approaches....so " yard space isn’t really an issue during those months .

 

[wellington]

I dont know im in PA, and i know somebody who has a detatched garage that is insulated and heated, and she has a bunch of tortoises in there plus other animals, and had this for over 20 years with no problem. Im not in Chicago and the winters here have not been that bad, but i think i would rather go with a shed. Buy or build a insulated shed, and i would throw a wall hung heater in there, hooked up to a T-Stat. I really think you will be able to do this if you wanted to, it will cost you some money, but i do think it could be done. Oh the wall hung heaters in a Shed will keep it pretty warm in there.

I might look into those wall heaters, thanks. Yes, I used to live in an apartment that had a heated garage that wasn't insulated very well and it stayed nice and toasty. Probably wasn't cheap, but that's why I want good insulation. In fact it will probably be better insulated then my brick house.

 

[N2TORTS]

Looks wonderful ..... plus your going to need room for your CherryHead...


J~

Thanks, and ya never know or maybe my beautiful plumies will winter in a tort house

Now thats a great idea .... get a large greenhouse ... and kill two birds with one stone ... if ya didnt live so dam far away I would help ya build it ! ....you can get them pre made without spending to much money.

 

[wellington]

Looks wonderful ..... plus your going to need room for your CherryHead...


J~

Thanks, and ya never know or maybe my beautiful plumies will winter in a tort house

Now thats a great idea .... get a large greenhouse ... and kill two birds with one stone ... if ya didnt live so dam far away I would help ya build it ! ....you can get them pre made without spending to much money.

Summer time is a fabulous time to visit the great beautiful city of Chicago You can summer helping me, I will winter helping you

 

[volcom6981]

I dont know im in PA, and i know somebody who has a detatched garage that is insulated and heated, and she has a bunch of tortoises in there plus other animals, and had this for over 20 years with no problem. Im not in Chicago and the winters here have not been that bad, but i think i would rather go with a shed. Buy or build a insulated shed, and i would throw a wall hung heater in there, hooked up to a T-Stat. I really think you will be able to do this if you wanted to, it will cost you some money, but i do think it could be done. Oh the wall hung heaters in a Shed will keep it pretty warm in there.

I might look into those wall heaters, thanks. Yes, I used to live in an apartment that had a heated garage that wasn't insulated very well and it stayed nice and toasty. Probably wasn't cheap, but that's why I want good insulation. In fact it will probably be better insulated then my brick house.

Im in the same spot as you, and right now i have plenty of time, because my guys are still young, and i have a heated basement where i can build something for now. My wife and i are looking to move here soon so im waiting till i move there, and i have money saved for a fence, and im going to have a shed built, and let them insulate it while they build it. Im also going to run a power line from my inside breaker panel, and put a subpanel in the shed, that way i can add recepticles, and add a wall hung heater. It will cost a good bit of money, but it will be well worth it. I too will buy a generator that will be specifically for the shed itself. Like i said i know somebody who has done this for 20 or more years with no problems, and i go to her if i have any questions.

 

[N2TORTS]

Barb … even here I insulate all the “ Huts” … not only does it help with winter time , but also provides a cooler environment as well …when its 95 degrees out. Like Yvonne mentioned a stand up is ideal for ease of maintaining and viewing.

Or a smaller version and not so “tall“ but still can be locked up tight and hold up well to the environments’

 

[volcom6981]

What for insulation are you using for those huts. You live in Florida, so im gussing here in PA, i would need a different R value then you are using

 

[wellington]

I always loved your tort houses. Thanks for the pics. Is that you? Nice to have a face to your name I had thought about a taller house with low ceilings for helping with heat, but that were on hinges, so I could lift them up out of my way, so I could walk in. I just don't know if I can get away with it, without getting permits, which I won't do. I do like the ease of a taller building. However, even the builder said if I went bigger then an 8x8x6 high, I would need a permit
I will have to keep thinking and tweaking

---

What for insulation are you using for those huts. You live in Florida, so im gussing here in PA, i would need a different R value then you are using

Actually he lives Cali. Where do you plan on moving too?

 

[volcom6981]

I'm staying here in Pennsylvania.