Wooden playhouse

touie · 15-07-2013, 03:37 PM

I have an unused wooden playhouse in the garden and was wondering whether it could be transformed into suitable tortoise housing, what do you think?

Catwoman63 · 15-07-2013, 04:15 PM

Yes...i bought a childs wooden playhouse from B&Q and insulated it, fixed electrics and is now used for my adult females x

Pussygalore · 15-07-2013, 04:25 PM

insulate it and it can be used all year round or at least through the summer whatever the weather.

touie · 15-07-2013, 05:13 PM

How do you insulate it?

Pussygalore · 15-07-2013, 05:33 PM

I did my shed the cheapest which was with polystyrene on the walls, floor and ceiling then covered it with cheap sheets of hardboard, the window was double glazed with perspex and a entrance/exit was made in the bottom of the door so the door could be kept closed. The entrance had a ramp with lifted up to close it at night, you can though spend more on the insulation using those sheets of celotex which is foam covered with silver foil (or something like that). Its worth bothering though as it keep the house cool in the summer and with a tubular heater for cold days nice and warm. It pays to look in B&Q or similar to see what insulation they have on offer, even loft stuff could be used but it will all need covereing with hardboard or ply.

touie · 15-07-2013, 05:47 PM

Thanks I will suggest this to my oh and see if be is up for some DIY

stan794 · 17-02-2014, 04:47 PM

would this type of housing be ok to overwinter if the insulation is done. since losing one tort ive been worried to do it again and with the many for and against discussions i have chosen to keep them awake. has many on here converted a brick garage that could share some pics to give me ideas.

burnt toast · 17-02-2014, 05:13 PM

Hi Stan Sarah on here converted a garage and put tables in for her torts. Try searching her name and you should find them

Pussygalore · 18-02-2014, 07:40 AM

Unless you needed all of the space in the garage you'd be better to partition a section, ie build a 'room' inside the garage. Its far cheaper and easier to heat a small area and also to insulate it, you'd have to insulate and heat the whole garage otherwise. The other choice and probably the cheaper/easier is to have tables/table in a room in your house and have the heating on in there, I'd imagine it could cost a couple of hundred pounds to build something in your garage unless you were lucky enough to find the materials free on a site such as freecycle, if Sarah,s garage is the one I'm thinking about it wasn't cheap to do.

lonelylayla · 18-02-2014, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pussygalore

Unless you needed all of the space in the garage you'd be better to partition a section, ie build a 'room' inside the garage. Its far cheaper and easier to heat a small area and also to insulate it, you'd have to insulate and heat the whole garage otherwise. The other choice and probably the cheaper/easier is to have tables/table in a room in your house and have the heating on in there, I'd imagine it could cost a couple of hundred pounds to build something in your garage unless you were lucky enough to find the materials free on a site such as freecycle, if Sarah,s garage is the one I'm thinking about it wasn't cheap to do.

PG is quite right - better to section off part of the garage

My OH recently did that in a block built store room we have, to create a tort room. The whole thing is insulated with polystyrene, with built in tables, lights UV etc. He put on a new triple wall polycarb roof. Running costs have added about £200 to our latest quarter electric bill

The space itself is about 16' x 9' and maintained at 20 degrees daytime and 15 degrees night time. The photos are early days and we bought ass little a we could, recycled sme stuff

Early photos, being tweaked as we go along

Hope that helps

15-07-2013, 03:37 PM	#1
touie Member Hatched Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Portsmouth UK Posts: 426	Wooden playhouse I have an unused wooden playhouse in the garden and was wondering whether it could be transformed into suitable tortoise housing, what do you think?

15-07-2013, 04:15 PM	#2
Catwoman63 Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: South East England Posts: 6,739	Yes...i bought a childs wooden playhouse from B&Q and insulated it, fixed electrics and is now used for my adult females x __________________ BEV XXX 0.3.0 - T Horsfieldii (Xena, Zelda & Lilly) 2.2.0 - TG Terrestris (Zeus, Astreus / Zagreus & Alexia) 1.2.0 - Zebra Finches (Gunner / Bonnie & May) 0.1.0 - SBT (Hazel) 1.0.0 - FBD (Ted)

15-07-2013, 04:25 PM	#3
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	insulate it and it can be used all year round or at least through the summer whatever the weather.

15-07-2013, 05:13 PM	#4
touie Member Hatched Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Portsmouth UK Posts: 426	How do you insulate it?

15-07-2013, 05:33 PM	#5
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	I did my shed the cheapest which was with polystyrene on the walls, floor and ceiling then covered it with cheap sheets of hardboard, the window was double glazed with perspex and a entrance/exit was made in the bottom of the door so the door could be kept closed. The entrance had a ramp with lifted up to close it at night, you can though spend more on the insulation using those sheets of celotex which is foam covered with silver foil (or something like that). Its worth bothering though as it keep the house cool in the summer and with a tubular heater for cold days nice and warm. It pays to look in B&Q or similar to see what insulation they have on offer, even loft stuff could be used but it will all need covereing with hardboard or ply.

15-07-2013, 05:47 PM	#6
touie Member Hatched Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Portsmouth UK Posts: 426	Thanks I will suggest this to my oh and see if be is up for some DIY

17-02-2014, 04:47 PM	#7
stan794 Junior Member Egg Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Belper Posts: 43	would this type of housing be ok to overwinter if the insulation is done. since losing one tort ive been worried to do it again and with the many for and against discussions i have chosen to keep them awake. has many on here converted a brick garage that could share some pics to give me ideas.

17-02-2014, 05:13 PM	#8
burnt toast Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,245	Hi Stan Sarah on here converted a garage and put tables in for her torts. Try searching her name and you should find them

18-02-2014, 07:40 AM	#9
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	Unless you needed all of the space in the garage you'd be better to partition a section, ie build a 'room' inside the garage. Its far cheaper and easier to heat a small area and also to insulate it, you'd have to insulate and heat the whole garage otherwise. The other choice and probably the cheaper/easier is to have tables/table in a room in your house and have the heating on in there, I'd imagine it could cost a couple of hundred pounds to build something in your garage unless you were lucky enough to find the materials free on a site such as freecycle, if Sarah,s garage is the one I'm thinking about it wasn't cheap to do.

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