Hello everyone. I live in Riverside, Ca and I raise sulcatas. The warmer than usual weather here has been pretty kind to them and I haven't had a need to provide housing aside from the burrows they've carved out behind the garage. That is, until recently. The change in night time weather coupled with the warnings of a wetter than usual winter finally compelled me to put something together. That, and the addition of a new big guy to our herd.
Meet Steve:
Steve is about 20 and just under 100lbs. We aren't sure we're going to keep him yet, but the situation at his previous home was one that it his well being depended on being rehomed so we took him in. Maybe temporarily, maybe forever. Until we decide though, we have to keep him alive through winter.
Previously, I kept my sulcatas inside the garage on mats with a space heater. That's not really an option for this winter because of how big they've gotten, plus the new monster. They have this really nifty habit of rearranging all my furniture and tool boxes in new and exciting ways, so I've decided to evict them from the garage.
First, I built this out of scrap lumber,
but soon realized too much of it was wrong. Too small, no real way to insulate, no good way to waterproof, etc. I needed something bigger and warmer, so I turned to my friends on the forum for direction and after just a little looking around I found some great build threads for night houses (thank you, @Tom ). This is what I came up with:
It's 2' tall, 4' wide, and 8' long with a hinged top and the entire structure is insulated with 1 1/2" Styrofoam, except for the bottom which is 1/2" plywood laid on a foundation of sand. I tar papered the roof, with shingles and paint to come this weekend.
My question for the experts are these:
Is there a need for a substrate, and if so, what do you recommend?
Which is the best type of heating element? I planned to use heat bulbs originally, but after reading the threads on here I was considering an oil filled radiating heater. Now I'm reading about heat mats and infrared hearing elements, and am more undecided than ever. I'm more concerned with both heat and electrical efficiency than heater cost, so any advice on what works well would be much appreciated.
Also, I'm wondering about ventilation. After I caulk and apply weather stripping that thing is going to be pretty air tight. Do I need to cut in some type of vent? I built an insulated door that has a 1/4" gap around it when installed. When that is in place, will it be enough for air circulation?
Thank you in advance for your help, and for taking the time to compile such helpful resources. Looking forward to hearing your responses!
Meet Steve:
Steve is about 20 and just under 100lbs. We aren't sure we're going to keep him yet, but the situation at his previous home was one that it his well being depended on being rehomed so we took him in. Maybe temporarily, maybe forever. Until we decide though, we have to keep him alive through winter.
Previously, I kept my sulcatas inside the garage on mats with a space heater. That's not really an option for this winter because of how big they've gotten, plus the new monster. They have this really nifty habit of rearranging all my furniture and tool boxes in new and exciting ways, so I've decided to evict them from the garage.
First, I built this out of scrap lumber,
but soon realized too much of it was wrong. Too small, no real way to insulate, no good way to waterproof, etc. I needed something bigger and warmer, so I turned to my friends on the forum for direction and after just a little looking around I found some great build threads for night houses (thank you, @Tom ). This is what I came up with:
It's 2' tall, 4' wide, and 8' long with a hinged top and the entire structure is insulated with 1 1/2" Styrofoam, except for the bottom which is 1/2" plywood laid on a foundation of sand. I tar papered the roof, with shingles and paint to come this weekend.
My question for the experts are these:
Is there a need for a substrate, and if so, what do you recommend?
Which is the best type of heating element? I planned to use heat bulbs originally, but after reading the threads on here I was considering an oil filled radiating heater. Now I'm reading about heat mats and infrared hearing elements, and am more undecided than ever. I'm more concerned with both heat and electrical efficiency than heater cost, so any advice on what works well would be much appreciated.
Also, I'm wondering about ventilation. After I caulk and apply weather stripping that thing is going to be pretty air tight. Do I need to cut in some type of vent? I built an insulated door that has a 1/4" gap around it when installed. When that is in place, will it be enough for air circulation?
Thank you in advance for your help, and for taking the time to compile such helpful resources. Looking forward to hearing your responses!
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