Tortoise Shed Ideas?

[vladimir]

I doubt a fence that is supported by pounding stakes into the ground will be strong enough to keep a sulcata contained.

Cinder blocks can cause damage to the shell from rubbing against it, and chip it if they bang into it hard enough. The fence we had installed is fixed knot woven wire, with wooden posts that are three feet in the ground

 

[Nellie Rose]

I doubt a fence that is supported by pounding stakes into the ground will be strong enough to keep a sulcata contained.

Ok thank you! I'll look for an alternative.

Cinder blocks can cause damage to the shell from rubbing against it, and chip it if they bang into it hard enough. The fence we had installed is fixed knot woven wire, with wooden posts that are three feet in the ground

Gotcha. Could you post a picture of your fence?

 

[Nellie Rose]

Found this shed on Facebook. Negotiating with the seller now but hopefully it works out and I can save a bit on the shed itself, and then be able to spend more on the insulation and fenced area.

 

[Nellie Rose]

Ok the Facebook shed fell through. Now looking at this one from Lowes. Its more expensive than home depot but it comes with the floor.
Do I really need to insulate the floor? Wood isn't enough to lock in the heat? I'm budgeting $1500 for insulation.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Heartland-8-ft-x-12-ft-Coronado-Gable-Engineered-Storage-Shed-Installation-Not-Included/5013043435

 

[Renee_H]

I did this style fence and I love it. In your case I think I’d buy the shed. Insulate it with tiger foam and build a heated night box to keep inside the shed to ensure a warm 86 night and let the ambient temp be a little lower for daytime.

 

[wellington]

Ok the Facebook shed fell through. Now looking at this one from Lowes. Its more expensive than home depot but it comes with the floor.
Do I really need to insulate the floor? Wood isn't enough to lock in the heat? I'm budgeting $1500 for insulation.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Heartland-8-ft-x-12-ft-Coronado-Gable-Engineered-Storage-Shed-Installation-Not-Included/5013043435

Yes you need a floor. The floor is the coldest part already as heat rises. That's why I have a ceiling fan that's on 24/7 cuz otherwise it's much colder down where the tortoises are and that's with a insulated floor.
The plastic sheds would cost a lot to heat and wouldn't hold heat well.

 

[Nellie Rose]

I did this style fence and I love it. In your case I think I’d buy the shed. Insulate it with tiger foam and build a heated night box to keep inside the shed to ensure a warm 86 night and let the ambient temp be a little lower for daytime.

Thank you!

Yes you need a floor. The floor is the coldest part already as heat rises. That's why I have a ceiling fan that's on 24/7 cuz otherwise it's much colder down where the tortoises are and that's with a insulated floor.
The plastic sheds would cost a lot to heat and wouldn't hold heat well.

Ok gotcha.
After much discussion my father has decided he is going to build me the shed and I'll just pay him. He can build me something much higher quality and for cheaper, so I'm just giving him $2000 to start off and we'll go from there. He's aware of all my insulation needs and heating, and we're drawing up plans together.

 

[Nellie Rose]

We changed plans again. Now I am just paying someone to build the shed. After talking with my dad and figuring up what would go into it, it's about the same to have someone build it and we save potentially months of work. They can also install the insulation and electric for me. My new budget is $6000. I also decided I'm probably going to go with an 8×16 instead of an 8×12, just to give Celeste and Hermann some more space. I think it's going to end up really nice.

 

[vladimir]

We changed plans again. Now I am just paying someone to build the shed. After talking with my dad and figuring up what would go into it, it's about the same to have someone build it and we save potentially months of work. They can also install the insulation and electric for me. My new budget is $6000. I also decided I'm probably going to go with an 8×16 instead of an 8×12, just to give Celeste and Hermann some more space. I think it's going to end up really nice.

👍 some thoughts based on my recent experience and the planning I put into it:

I'd suggest having them install a tortoise door too, so you can leave a small opening available during the day in the winter without losing too much heat.

You'll also probably want to cover the insulation with plywood to prevent damage.

What kind of insulation will they be installing? I was concerned about moisture possibly being an issue, so I avoided fiberglass insulation and opted for XPS rigid foam boards. At about R5 per inch, the R value for our shed walls is around R27.5

I'm not sure if R13 will be enough depending on how cold it gets - maybe @Len B can share how he does insulation for his sulcatas in Maryland. Hearing how well his setup works inspired me to go with 2x6 framing over 2x4 to allow more room for insulation.

We're rooting for you, can't wait to see how it turns out

 

[Nellie Rose]

👍 some thoughts based on my recent experience and the planning I put into it:

I'd suggest having them install a tortoise door too, so you can leave a small opening available during the day in the winter without losing too much heat.

You'll also probably want to cover the insulation with plywood to prevent damage.

What kind of insulation will they be installing? I was concerned about moisture possibly being an issue, so I avoided fiberglass insulation and opted for XPS rigid foam boards. At about R5 per inch, the R value for our shed walls is around R27.5

I'm not sure if R13 will be enough depending on how cold it gets - maybe @Len B can share how he does insulation for his sulcatas in Maryland. Hearing how well his setup works inspired me to go with 2x6 framing over 2x4 to allow more room for insulation.

We're rooting for you, can't wait to see how it turns out

Thank you for the info! I'll speak to the builder about my specific needs and what the shed will be used for. Hopefully they can accommodate.
I appreciate the specifics, I don't know much about building or insulation etc. and I just started my research.