# sulcata wood house build for winter



## heathedw (Sep 17, 2012)

Trying my best to get this house built before the cold in Alabama. I made it 4 x 4. Peanut is 16 inches long and 12 inches wide. Just used plywood and fence post wood to build. I used the roll roofing material to wrap everything in. I added plywood to the inside. I painted the bottom with some exterior paint but I think I am going to seal with some color paint and 10 year seal I have to match the kids play set and seal the bottom. Going to add some tile to the bottom also to help with him digging. I am going to add some cypress mulch for him to bed in since he is use to it in his summer burrow (upside down baby pool).

Still got to work on the roof. I added a light fixture with a thermostat (just high and low) application to adjust the temp. I have a temp gun so I will figure out. I have a 250 watt red heat bulb and a 150 watt CHE so it shouldn't be hard to add one to heat the area. 

I still haven't figured out where to get vinyl door strips for the entrance. I would like to use unless it's too cold and I will lock the door.

Any advice, recommendations would be nice. I will post better photos when finished.

Thanks.


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## Yvonne G (Sep 17, 2012)

That's nice. You did a good job.

Its called vinyl strip door, and you can GOOGLE it. I bought it by the roll then cut it to size.


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## heathedw (Sep 17, 2012)

Ok great. I will buy some online. Does it do a decent job at holding in heat? Thanks


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## Tom (Sep 17, 2012)

That is a fantastic design, and very well built. Any insulation in there?

The one problem that I keep seeing with over heads bulbs is that the top of the carapace can get too hot while the rest of the tortoise is still relatively cool. I like to set a big rock at tortoise height and check the temp of that after being under the bulbs for a few hours. A heat mat might work wonders for you there too.


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## heathedw (Sep 17, 2012)

No, I didn't use insulation. I figured with plywood, roofing material and heat lamps it would get plenty hot. The guys at Lowes told me you would be surprised how much heat roofing material holds in. I actually would like to keep it around 70 at night. I was thinking about a heat pad (pig blanket) but was worried it wouldn't provide enough heat. I don't know too much about them and with 2 kids and one on the way got to stay in budget. I don't think I will point the fixture straight down so it heats the whole area. With it being 4x4 it seems like it should be hot. Spending my afternoons trying to haul butt to get this finished. Fall seems to be coming fast to my area. Low's in the 50's this week but the highs are nice in the 80's. Oh, btw I read a few sites that said you should let sulcata's cool down to 60 at night. Is this true?


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## Tom (Sep 17, 2012)

I built a few without insulation. Then I saw my electric bill. Now I build them all with insulation and it is a lot more efficient.

I like the pig blankets because it ensures their belly is warm on those below freezing nights. There are many ways to heat a tortoise house though. My favorite combo now is a radiant heat panel overhead (no hot spots) and a pig blanket underneath. Either this or an oil filled radiator type heater. The radiator is a little big for a 4x4' house though.

Sulcatas can survive night temps of 60, but here is the problem: How is he going to warm up the following day when there is snow on the ground? 60 overnight when they can warm up the next day is fine, but 60 all the time is not so good. I unplug my night heat here in the summer. Night temps are usually in the 60's, but day temps are usually near 100. In the winter, because the days really don't warm up some times, I set my night heat at around 80-85. I find this works much better than letting them be cold all the time.

There is all sorts of sulcata info out there. They can survive a lot. I don't want mine to just survive, I want them to thrive.


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## heathedw (Sep 17, 2012)

Tom, thanks for the info. Two years ago in Bama we had snow on Xmas day and last year I wonder if we ever had a winter. I think I might keep it in the upper 70's. I might pull out the plywood and slap some insulation in the wall. Not hard. The radiant heat panel sounds cool but I need the CHE for now cause the iud mirena failed me and I now have 3 kids and probably going to live in a shoe, so funds are low.

U think I should hook a pig blanket up as well? Any suggestions on good price blankets?


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## Yellow Turtle (Sep 17, 2012)

I love how you build the house. It is very good looking and your Peanut is lucky!

I want to provide one too for my tort just for his hide but I don't have much time doing all wood works, so I think I will buy him a dog house


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## Tom (Sep 17, 2012)

heathedw said:


> Tom, thanks for the info. Two years ago in Bama we had snow on Xmas day and last year I wonder if we ever had a winter. I think I might keep it in the upper 70's. I might pull out the plywood and slap some insulation in the wall. Not hard. The radiant heat panel sounds cool but I need the CHE for now cause the iud mirena failed me and I now have 3 kids and probably going to live in a shoe, so funds are low.
> 
> U think I should hook a pig blanket up as well? Any suggestions on good price blankets?



Well you might have to live in a shoe, but your tortoise has a rockin' house. 

I would run a heat mat if I were you. You can get the Kane mats from Tyler at tortoisesupply.com. They now come with an embedded thermostat so they can never over heat. They also have a rheostat style temp controller. I hear ya that money is tight, but with snow on the ground you are going to want to make sure he is warm enough. I would hate for you to find out too late that it wasn't warm enough... 

You can also get a wireless remote probed thermometer from Lowes for about $20. This will let you monitor his highs, lows and current temps from inside your nice warm house.


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## JonAz (Sep 17, 2012)

emysemys said:


> That's nice. You did a good job.
> 
> Its called vinyl strip door, and you can GOOGLE it. I bought it by the roll then cut it to size.



Could you post a link to what you purchased? All I am finding is full door 'kits' for $100+. Not looking to spend that to make flaps for a 2x3 door haha. 

Thank you.


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## lynnedit (Sep 17, 2012)

I couldn't find vinyl strip doors very cheaply either. Save the $ and get your pig blanket instead.

I used clear carpet runner, the smooth kind. You buy it at hardware stores like ACE by the foot. If it isn't wide enough (might be 24"), then you can overlap two pieces. Cut it larger than the door, and the staple to the top side. You can add some trim to hold it in place. 
Then cut strips up from the bottom almost to the top.

If you close your enclosure up at night (carpet runner on the inside of the door), you can conserve on heat loss too. 

Here is a link to the radiant panels for the roof (no worry about shell hot spots).
http://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels
Although if $ are tight, then use your CHE and focus on the pig blanket for the floor.


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## DesertGrandma (Sep 17, 2012)

Tom and Lynne, about the radiant heat panels. How many inches down can you expect the heat to go? Is there a height at which it would be most efficient?

Cute house, and well built too.


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## Tom (Sep 17, 2012)

My houses where I use the RHPs are 24" tall. It works just fine for them. Your tortoises can literally sleep touching one of these and it won't burn them, but yet it radiates heat away from the pad. Between the RHP and the Kane mat on the bottom, I'm able to maintain a non-insulated box in the 70s on a below freezing night.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Sep 17, 2012)

Nice!


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## DesertGrandma (Sep 17, 2012)

Tom said:


> My houses where I use the RHPs are 24" tall. It works just fine for them. Your tortoises can literally sleep touching one of these and it won't burn them, but yet it radiates heat away from the pad. Between the RHP and the Kane mat on the bottom, I'm able to maintain a non-insulated box in the 70s on a below freezing night.



Two questions Tom...would it be safe to use the Kane mat under a juvenile? and how is your electric bill with this combination?


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## Tom (Sep 17, 2012)

Yes. The new mats are safe enough to use under hatchlings, which I have done.

The electric bill is hard to calculate. It depends on the wind, the outside temps, etc. Both of my heating devices are on a thermostat so it just depends on how much they run in a night. The 18x28 Kane mats use 72 watts when they are on, and the 12x24 RHP uses 80 watts. I have both my mat and my RHP on the same thermostat. On a really cold night, it might run continuously. On a normal night, it kicks itself on and off as needed.


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## DesertGrandma (Sep 17, 2012)

Tom said:


> Yes. The new mats are safe enough to use under hatchlings, which I have done.
> 
> The electric bill is hard to calculate. It depends on the wind, the outside temps, etc. Both of my heating devices are on a thermostat so it just depends on how much they run in a night. The 18x28 Kane mats use 72 watts when they are on, and the 12x24 RHP uses 80 watts. I have both my mat and my RHP on the same thermostat. On a really cold night, it might run continuously. On a normal night, it kicks itself on and off as needed.



thanks. good info


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## heathedw (Sep 18, 2012)

Tons of great info. Thanks everyone. Going to get a pig blanket for now and use the CHE until I can get a RHP.


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## Tom (Sep 18, 2012)

It occurs to me that I actually have and use these little meters that track electrical usage. They are these little boxes that you can buy at the hardware store for around $30. It's called the "Kill-A-Watt EZ". You plug the little box into the wall or power source and program it with your electricity rate (found on your electric bill) and plug in your "appliance" to the box. It keeps track of how many hours it has been plugged in, how much electricity you've used and how much the "appliance" is costing to run. 

With the understanding that CA probably has the highest electric rates in the whole country, my big oil filled heater in my "Mother of all tortoise boxes", which is 4x8x4' costs almost $1 a night to run in the winter, but $0 all summer for an average of .50 cents a day year round. My heat mat/RHP set up in an uninsulated 4x4x2' box costs about .30 cents a day to run during cold weather, but again $0 for the entire summer, so about .15cents a day on average. It must be said that results will vary depending on the weather, the box, the boxes location in the yard, the door and door flap situation (I use less electricity when I fold up and latch the door shut), etc... Also my big box is consistently warmer than my littler boxes and I prefer the big insulated box with the oil heater. I think it works better for the tortoises that way, but either way will obviously work.

I was at work and very distracted while typing yesterday. Sorry that I forgot to mention this "detail". I guess with the little box, it's not hard to calculate how much electricity you are using at all.


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## heathedw (Sep 18, 2012)

good stuff tom. i might get one just to see how much it's costing during the winter. if it's .30 cents a day during the winter i would love it.


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## DesertGrandma (Sep 18, 2012)

oops, didn't want to send


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## Tom (Sep 18, 2012)

heathedw said:


> good stuff tom. i might get one just to see how much it's costing during the winter. if it's .30 cents a day during the winter i would love it.



with Alabama electricity rates it will probably be only .03 cents a day...


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## heathedw (Sep 18, 2012)

Tom said:


> heathedw said:
> 
> 
> > good stuff tom. i might get one just to see how much it's costing during the winter. if it's .30 cents a day during the winter i would love it.
> ...



LOL. After this summer heat, I could use some smaller bills. Thanks again.


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## heathedw (Sep 18, 2012)

Just got an acu rite wireless weather thermometer. Best 19 bucks I spent.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=acur...=103&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:100


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## lynnedit (Sep 18, 2012)

Tom, what thermostat do you use with the radiant heat panel? Does it matter as long as the thermostat can handle the wattage?


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## Tom (Sep 18, 2012)

I use the A Life thermostat from LLL Reptile. I don't know if they make them anymore, but I think the ZooMed one is very similar. I don't think it matters as long as it can handle the wattage.


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## lynnedit (Sep 18, 2012)

heathedw said:


> Tons of great info. Thanks everyone. Going to get a pig blanket for now and use the CHE until I can get a RHP.



Thanks, Tom. So heathedw, you can get any thermostat, even use the one you have with your CHE, as long as it can handle the wattage!


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## sibi (Sep 18, 2012)

Great enclosure! I'm going to use some of your ideas, like the upside down kiddie pool to create a burrowing place for my two torts. I will not be ready to do this until at least next year since my babies are on 10 months now. But, what a great idea, and all the information on the pig heating pads are great.


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## heathedw (Sep 19, 2012)

lynnedit said:


> heathedw said:
> 
> 
> > Tons of great info. Thanks everyone. Going to get a pig blanket for now and use the CHE until I can get a RHP.
> ...



Good to know. Thank you





sibi said:


> Great enclosure! I'm going to use some of your ideas, like the upside down kiddie pool to create a burrowing place for my two torts. I will not be ready to do this until at least next year since my babies are on 10 months now. But, what a great idea, and all the information on the pig heating pads are great.



The baby pool turned out to be great. We had it for the kids so I decided to hide it under the trampoline and peanut went straight in. Get the one with a slide on it and just flip over (Walmart) I now have to get him to use his own house I built. He loves the upside down pool burrow. Usually, he sits at the burrow opening and looks out.

On a side note, I should have built the house in the backyard. It took 4 people to move it and getting through the fenced gate was joy on my back. It must have weighed over 500 lbs. Once I get it all finished I will post some pics for people searching for ideas.


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## heathedw (Sep 19, 2012)

Think I got everything finished except for vinyl strips (got some for free from an Overhead Door Company), cypress mulch and my pig blanket.

I added tile to see if it would help from him digging into the plywood. Also, stained/sealed it with a 10 year color stain. Letting a fan dry it for a few days, but the sun probably did the job today. Clear and sunny.

How hard is it to clean other than a pooper scooper? How often should I change out the cypress mulch?

Pics

House







Roof






Door open






CHE






Wireless thermo probe






Power






Peanut's Yard






Tile laying on floor. Too lazy to seal and I don't have a wet saw to cut. 19 bucks from Home Depot. Figure it will be covered in mulch anyway.











Anything I missed?


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## Tom (Sep 19, 2012)

If you are going to use mulch you will need to elevate your heat mat to keep the mulch off of it. Yvonne uses flat 2x4s for this.

And the house looks great!


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## heathedw (Sep 19, 2012)

Tom said:


> If you are going to use mulch you will need to elevate your heat mat to keep the mulch off of it. Yvonne uses flat 2x4s for this.
> 
> And the house looks great!



Good to know. Tom, thanks for all the help BTW. Very grateful and to all others as well. I think I saw a post that you use hay. I was going to use straw but wondered if it would soak up urine and also if it could possible catch on fire (that probably is a dumb question). 

Should I just use hay? Any pros, cons? I was thinking cypress mulch cause that's what he has for his summer burrow, but hay is cool with me.


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## Tom (Sep 19, 2012)

I don't use any substrate in my boxes with heat mats. I use Bermuda or orchard grass hay in my big box with the oil filled heater.


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## DesertGrandma (Sep 19, 2012)

I saw in one of Yvonne's posts that she uses a horse stall pad in the bottom of her shed. It can be cleaned and I like that idea better than just plywood. Not sure, but I think she put her pig blanket directly on top of that. They are available online for $40 for a 4x6 foot pad, can be cut to fit with a box cutter. 

But, now wondering if putting a RHP so close to a stall pad would cause toxic fumes??

You did such a great job building this. It is cute too!!!


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## heathedw (Sep 20, 2012)

DesertGrandma said:


> I saw in one of Yvonne's posts that she uses a horse stall pad in the bottom of her shed. It can be cleaned and I like that idea better than just plywood. Not sure, but I think she put her pig blanket directly on top of that. They are available online for $40 for a 4x6 foot pad, can be cut to fit with a box cutter.
> 
> But, now wondering if putting a RHP so close to a stall pad would cause toxic fumes??
> 
> You did such a great job building this. It is cute too!!!






Thanks. I'm still debating on the substrate. So many options.


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