# Best Material for an Outdoor Enclosure



## Granolagal (Mar 22, 2010)

Trying to decide what to build my outdoor enclosure out for my two Hermanns..

I have done a bit of research and found one online that used pressure treated landscaping wood and a hinged top. Seemed easy and doable.. Not so sure about what they use to pressure treat the wood with though. CCA Chromated Copper Arsenate. Does seem to the kind of think that I want leaching into a garden..

Thought about using some leftover dog run panels..tooo big and ugly.

Something simple not to much $$, won't rot over time and safe??

Any suggestions??

Cheers,
Carley


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## GBtortoises (Mar 22, 2010)

I've used pressure treated lumber (3/4" plywood) for outdoor enclosures with great success. Never any problems or complaints. Any construction material that I can think of that is designed and intended for long term outdoor, subsoil use is going to be expensive. One very good alternative to wood is composite decking which are expensive, but in the long run a very good investment that should never need to be replaced, at least not in our lifetime! 
Other alternatives are concrete block and and depending upon how strong it needs to be fiberglass or galvanized roof panels. I don't particularly like the idea of the roof panels only because the edges are exposed on top and can be sharp enough to cause injury if fell upon.


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## Yvonne G (Mar 22, 2010)

All of my pens (with the exception of the box turtle pens) are built out of corral lumber. These are 2x6x16 rough cut planks intended for fence-building. I set 4x4 posts then attach the boards horizontally with no spaces in between. Because the bottom board doesn't last long next to the dirt, I have started using cinder blocks instead of a bottom board:







Closer look:






A look at the inside:






And all my hard work pulling the grass out of the Russian pen last year to no avail. What it looks like right now:






For the box turtle pens I use grape stakes. You can pick them up for free if you watch the classified ads. Farmers wanting just to get rid of them. They are weathered and made out of redwood, which is ALMOST impervious to rotting in the ground. I set 4x4 posts about 8' apart, and nail either a 2x4 or a 2x6 from post to post. Then I dig a trench with a pick-ax between the posts, then set the grapestakes down into the ground about 3 or 4 inches and screw them into the 2x4.

From the outside:






This is the Gulf Coast box turtle:






This is inside the pen where I have two 3-toe/ornate crosses:


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## Tom (Mar 22, 2010)

I use slumpstone blocks. Works the same as cinder blocks, but looks a little nicer. I've also used those landscaping logs. They work well, but you've got to watch for digging at the corners.


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## GBtortoises (Mar 22, 2010)

After seeing Yvonne's enclosures (which are great), I realized that it bears mentioning that environment will also dictate to some degree what materials you can use that are going to withstand long term use. 
For example, in the area that I live in the Northeastern U.S. any organic materials that aren't somehow protected against moisture will not last long in our often cool, damp soil that for the most part does not facilitate good drainage. Something to keep in mind when choosing material. It would be a shame to put a lot of work into it only to have to replace it in a few years. You may want to check with a local contractor or material supply company to find out what materials are commonly used in your area for long term subsoil use. Material availability varies somewhat in different parts of the U.S.


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## ChiKat (Mar 22, 2010)

Do you dig down into the ground and bury anything to prevent digging out of the enclosures?
...trying to get ideas for Nelson's outdoor pen...


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## Tom (Mar 22, 2010)

ChiKat said:


> Do you dig down into the ground and bury anything to prevent digging out of the enclosures?
> ...trying to get ideas for Nelson's outdoor pen...



I don't. Never needed to. I just watch for digging. On the rare occasion that I see any, I just fill it in and put a big rock or cinder block on that spot for a few days. They almost never dig at the same spot, or anywhere else for that matter. As a general rule, if you go really big with the enclosure, they seem less inclined to dig. There are exceptions.


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## ChiKat (Mar 22, 2010)

Great, thanks Tom! I might just do the chicken-wire thing buried underground. Nelson's outdoor enclosure probably won't be enormous, unfortunately.


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## N2TORTS (Mar 22, 2010)

Granolagal said:


> Trying to decide what to build my outdoor enclosure out for my two Hermanns..
> 
> I have done a bit of research and found one online that used pressure treated landscaping wood and a hinged top. Seemed easy and doable.. Not so sure about what they use to pressure treat the wood with though. CCA Chromated Copper Arsenate. Does seem to the kind of think that I want leaching into a garden..
> 
> ...



Use redwood, or Cedar.... 
JD~


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## Granolagal (Mar 23, 2010)

Wow, they all look great, very happy tortoises and turtles! 

I do however live in Ontario, Canada and as GB Tortoises mentioned I'm not sure that all of the materials used would last very long through the winters and the rain.

I noticed that nobody seems to use any fencing. I was also contemplating digging a foot deep trench, using pressure treated 4x4 posts and attaching small holed fencing on the inside and then filling in the trench. This would also allow me to build a hinged mesh/wood lid on top?? They are little guys-and I am surrounded by hundreds of acres of field that is crawiling with predators..so I do want a top. 

Does no one use fencing because of the torties can see out?? Perhaps a low visual barrier as well??

Thanks for all of the feedback..love the pics!!! Lucky Happy Torts )


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## GBtortoises (Mar 23, 2010)

Granolagal-I actually live in upstate New York, similar winters to yours, although yours are even colder and longer than mine! I am also a carpenter and have used a number of outdoor products. The best materials that are going to withstand soil contact and hold up over a long period of time in the Northeast are going to be pressure treated lumber, composite lumber that is UV resistant (most, if not all now is) and plastic or fiberglass panels. Concrete blocks are also good choices but depending upon soil type and moisture content in your soil they may need to be coated with a sealer for long term subsoil use. But even uncoated blocks will hold up for decades below ground as long as their is no heavy weight load on them. 

Any type of mesh fencing usually isn't considered because many species of tortoises are good climbers. Tortoises will also often pace back and forth against a fence if they can see through it. Which over a long period of time can cause abrasions on their nose and legs from rubbing on the coarse surface of the fence. 

Depending upon how small your tortoises are you could simply build a large box with 12" high sides, a mesh bottom and fill it with about 4" of substrate material. This would also enable you to put a secure hinged cover over the top. Something similar to a cold frame but with a mesh top. For a northern climate it would even be a good idea to make a third of it a mini greenhouse for them to gain additional heat on cool mornings and days. Many of my enclosures now have small greenhouses in them, a project that I will be finishing this summer for all of them. I was instantly pleased with how much more active the tortoises had become on cooler days when they could spend much of the time in their greenhouse where the temperatures were warmer. Almost every one of my females nested within the greenhouses also. Making nest hunting much easier for me!


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