Need heat!

[Kadels]

I have an outdoor enclosure for my 3-legged Sulcata. The enclosure is quite large. It is insulated, but there is no floor – just concrete. I have used an oil filled heater, but it just does not keep it warm enough. I have searched through a few threads, but have not really found a good solution. I live in north central Texas - it gets cold, but stays above freezing most of the winter (usually). Suggestions?

 

[Gillian M]

Please post pics of the said enclosure as well as your tort.

You'd better take care: torts are cold-blooded and therefore need relatively high temperatures.

@Yvonne G @Tom @JoesMum please help. Many thanks.

 

[Tom]

I have an outdoor enclosure for my 3-legged Sulcata. The enclosure is quite large. It is insulated, but there is no floor – just concrete. I have used an oil filled heater, but it just does not keep it warm enough. I have searched through a few threads, but have not really found a good solution. I live in north central Texas - it gets cold, but stays above freezing most of the winter (usually). Suggestions?

We need more info. Dimensions?

Concrete will suck the heat right out too. You might have to make an insulated floor. That should be pretty easy.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Do you have a semi sealed entrance? Like a mud flap or plastic strips?
Most of heating an enclosure comes down to not letting the heat out and keeping out drafts.
In the photo, one of my heated night boxes is behind that flap on the left.

 

[Kadels]

We need more info. Dimensions?

Concrete will suck the heat right out too. You might have to make an insulated floor. That should be pretty easy.

As I recall when we built it, the exterior is about 6 feet wide by 4 feet high. The interior would be a bit smaller. It was built about two years ago. It seemed OK that winter, that last winter it was not staying warm enough. There is insulation in between two layers of wood all around the exterior. There are plastic strips covering the entryway. Chuck Norris the Tortoise is 5 1/2 years old.

 

[Tom]

I can't tell how well sealed it is in the pics. If its too drafty, you won't be able to keep it warm enough, so I'd check that first.

Next problem is that you are heating 4' of airspace when the tortoise only needs about 18-20" of it heated. Heat rises into the empty space above the tortoise.

Biggest problem I see is a concrete floor. I'd lay down some 2x4s, put rigid foam insulation between it all, and then cover it with plywood. That should offer plenty of insulation. If you wanted to get more fancy, you could build a regular floor on the bottom.

A small fan might also help circulate the warm air and push it back down to the floor, but if the enclosure is drafty, this might make things worse.

 

[Kadels]

I can't tell how well sealed it is in the pics. If its too drafty, you won't be able to keep it warm enough, so I'd check that first.

What is safe to use for sealing?