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
Tortoise Shed Ideas?
- Thread starter Nellie Rose
- Start date
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
Member
Ok thank you! I'll look for an alternative.
Gotcha. Could you post a picture of your fence?
Nellie Rose
Member
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.
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Nellie Rose
Member
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.
Do I really need to insulate the floor? Wood isn't enough to lock in the heat? I'm budgeting $1500 for insulation.
Renee_H
Active Member
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
Member
Thank you!
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
Member
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.
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👍 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
Member
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.👍 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
I appreciate the specifics, I don't know much about building or insulation etc. and I just started my research.
Nellie Rose
Member
Talking to a local business now about the shed. I've chosen a model and design, spoken to them about what it will be used for and my specific needs including a 3×3 tortoise door.
I've sketched out the inside, I'll attach it and the plans for the shed here.
We are going to add insulation and electric ourselves, but am having the company insulate the floor to be easy.
I'm happy the shed is coming in under $4000, which leaves plenty left over in my budget to insulate, run electric, and build the tortoise yard.
Some quick questions:
How do I keep the tortoises from having access to the power plugs?
Should I have substrate inside the shed and what kind?
Would a mulch similar to forest floor bedding do and how do I keep it from rotting the floor?
What kind of water dish should I include?
And this is a species specific one, how fast should a sulcata tortoise grow, or does it depend on the individual? My little girl is still about the size of my hand and won't be ready to move into the shed for a while, but my hermanns should be able to move into his new table as soon as it is built!
I've sketched out the inside, I'll attach it and the plans for the shed here.
We are going to add insulation and electric ourselves, but am having the company insulate the floor to be easy.
I'm happy the shed is coming in under $4000, which leaves plenty left over in my budget to insulate, run electric, and build the tortoise yard.
Some quick questions:
How do I keep the tortoises from having access to the power plugs?
Should I have substrate inside the shed and what kind?
Would a mulch similar to forest floor bedding do and how do I keep it from rotting the floor?
What kind of water dish should I include?
And this is a species specific one, how fast should a sulcata tortoise grow, or does it depend on the individual? My little girl is still about the size of my hand and won't be ready to move into the shed for a while, but my hermanns should be able to move into his new table as soon as it is built!
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I had the electrician put the outlets 4' off the ground, which so far has kept them away from our dinosaur
Initially I put down plastic floor underlayment and horse mats from tractor supply before his first winter in there. Not having substrate was a mistake, as all the urine just formed puddles on the horse mats, or worse, got underneath them requiring me to use the shopvac to clean up after him on a regular basis.
As soon as spring came, I took everything out (thankfully no moisture damage to the floor or walls!) and primed and painted the floor/walls before putting plastic underlayment back down, then the horse mats, then about 20 bags of mulch to soak up the pee.
These are the horse mats: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4-ft-x-6-ft-x-3-4-in-thick-rubber-stall-mat. warning, they're almost 100lbs each!
Nellie Rose
Member
Thank you. I'll have to pick up some of those horse mats. Is there a specific paint I should buy for the inside? Like something water resistant.I had the electrician put the outlets 4' off the ground, which so far has kept them away from our dinosaur
Initially I put down plastic floor underlayment and horse mats from tractor supply before his first winter in there. Not having substrate was a mistake, as all the urine just formed puddles on the horse mats, or worse, got underneath them requiring me to use the shopvac to clean up after him on a regular basis.
As soon as spring came, I took everything out (thankfully no moisture damage to the floor or walls!) and primed and painted the floor/walls before putting plastic underlayment back down, then the horse mats, then about 20 bags of mulch to soak up the pee.
These are the horse mats: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4-ft-x-6-ft-x-3-4-in-thick-rubber-stall-mat. warning, they're almost 100lbs each!
I hadn't thought about the puddles of pee so definitely going to want substrate!
Any particular brand of mulch I should buy?
I used Kilz primer and then some exterior grade house paint, but others may have better advice.
I put a layer of this down after painting, and then put the horse mats on top of that:
Ideally you'll want orchid bark, but I can't find anywhere near me that has it at an affordable price. I went with hardwood mulch that wasn't stained and sorted through it as best as possible to take out anything that shouldn't be in there.
Nellie Rose
Member
Thank you!
Happy to help. My priority was making it energy efficient, so I went with only one insulated window. I also didn't want any electrical issues to cause the heat to go out, so we made sure that each heater is on a different circuit, and both can run safely at the same time without tripping anything.
my main heater is a 1500w oil filled radiator set on Medium, that kicks in at 80F and off at 82F in the summer. In the winter I have it kick on at 82 and off at 84. The backup heater is a mini 700w oil filled radiator set to kick in at 75F and off at 82F, so that it will only really kick in if the main heater isn't working or can't maintain temperature for some reason.
My thermostat probes are also at floor level, so at the ceiling the temps are closer to 90F usually in the winter.
Nellie Rose
Member
Would a sprinkler/misting system be something I should install? Or is that too much moisture and would rot my shed?
