Crawlspace as an enclosure?
- Thread starter loconorc
- Start date
loconorc;2163213; said:(I know it's kinda long, please read the whole thing, it will only take a minute, I promise!)
My family is moving soon, and we've been checking out lots of houses. There's a beautiful house in the neighborhood that we are interested in. The upstairs doesn't have enough rooms for me, my 2 sisters, and my parents, so I would be in the basement, seeing as I'm the wierd teenager. I loved the basement, it was huge and cozy, with my own bathroom and laundry room. The owner showed us the 'secret' crawlspace, the opening of which is concealed by a shutter similar to those on the front windows. He showed us inside, and it was roughly 15 x 15 feet, and about 5 feet tall. He said that there is dirt directly under the floor, which was only that fluffly pink stuff (cotton candy? lol)
So anyway, I got the inspiration to turn it into a lizard enclosure. My dad and I love big lizards, and we even used to have a savannah monitor. We've been trying to get a hold of a tegu, but we havent figured out how to house an adult. So the crawlspace is certainly big enough, and it didn't feel cold like I thought it would, so I guess it's just as insulated as the rest of the house. The opening was a 3' x 3' metal hatch thing, and I don't see any reason not to replace it with a window. But could it work? I don't know much about crawlspaces, so I don't know what could really go wrong, if anything. Actually, Im not even sure what crawlspaces are for, so if turning one into a lizard enclosure would screw up the house somehow, I wouldnt know. Obviously it would require some effort to make it work, and look good at the same time. Since it is a pretty dark place, no amount of UVB lights are going to be any substitute for good old natural sunshine. Believe me, any tegu of mine will probably be spending more time out of his cage than inside of it!
Well... Whatcha think?
That tegu is stunning imagine high white . Is that type you plan to get?
you need to be EXTREMELY careful covering up that insulation. you can trap the moisture in there and create another problem, MOLD.
ya, just cover that insulation up with hardy backer (waterproof, heavy, but wont obsorb moisture like drywall), idk if you would have to re-frame it most likely not...
if you use the dirt as flooring, make sure you have a barrier atleast 3ft deep around the room. lizards dig!
also you could vent it to a small heater and thermostat like the one in the house. keep it regulated 24/7 and be cheaper in the long run to run that than a bunch of heat lamps and pads.
for the door. knock out the 3'x3' hole and put in a 6x4 double paned sliding window.
if you use the dirt as flooring, make sure you have a barrier atleast 3ft deep around the room. lizards dig!
also you could vent it to a small heater and thermostat like the one in the house. keep it regulated 24/7 and be cheaper in the long run to run that than a bunch of heat lamps and pads.
for the door. knock out the 3'x3' hole and put in a 6x4 double paned sliding window.
nativelover;2164657; said:
The thermostat's a great idea, but he still needs a hot spot. Just one or two heat lamps, set at the right height to get the desired temp, rather than a super heavy duty one. Luckily they don't need as big of a heat requirement as monitors, or this would be a lot more difficult!
It did occur to me to replace the metal door with a window, but knocking it out for a bigger window sounds even better! Luckily, we live in a climate relatively close to their native habitat, so I would let this guy get plenty of free-roam around the basement and the rest of the house, and plenty of outdoor time.
I'm definately starting out with a baby tegu, so this enclosure will have to wait about 2 years. It's always good to plan ahead though!
And Louie, that is one of Bert Langerwerf's tegus. Apparently, its the whitest one he's ever produced. I plan on getting an extreme giant argentine from Varnyard herps. They don't look very different from the normals, but they get about a foot and a half longer on average! However, they're in pretty high demand with a low supply. So, if I can't get my hands on one, I'd go for a white-head argentine.
nativelover;2164657; said:
The thermostat's a great idea, but he still needs a hot spot. Just one or two heat lamps, set at the right height to get the desired temp, rather than a super heavy duty one. Luckily they don't need as big of a heat requirement as monitors, or this would be a lot more difficult!
It did occur to me to replace the metal door with a window, but knocking it out for a bigger window sounds even better! Luckily, we live in a climate relatively close to their native habitat, so I would let this guy get plenty of free-roam around the basement and the rest of the house, and plenty of outdoor time.
I'm definately starting out with a baby tegu, so this enclosure will have to wait about 2 years. It's always good to plan ahead though!
And Louie, that is one of Bert Langerwerf's tegus. Apparently, its the whitest one he's ever produced. I plan on getting an extreme giant argentine from Varnyard herps. They don't look very different from the normals, but they get about a foot and a half longer on average! However, they're in pretty high demand with a low supply. So, if I can't get my hands on one, I'd go for a white-head argentine.
You could do it you would need to totally seal off the walls make sure any reptile can't come in contact with the fiber glass if you sealed it we'll and hung a lighting system it could be done
Oops, I double posted! Sorry, my computer was acting up when I posted it.
Thanks for the advice everyone, I really appreciate it, since I'm fairly lacking in this area.
I have one question though: Would it require extra ventilation? I have to keep a fair amount on moisture in, as well as keeping mold out.
Thanks for the advice everyone, I really appreciate it, since I'm fairly lacking in this area.
I have one question though: Would it require extra ventilation? I have to keep a fair amount on moisture in, as well as keeping mold out.
loconorc;2167377; said:
keeping moisture in and mold out... you could tile the walls... get some good looking rock like tile going, would look cool. then for the floor, tile it, add a drain in the center and you have a way of easily cleaning it... the ceiling just drywall but dont popcorn it. you can use texture, but add a good paint and sealer. KILLZ is a good base coat for everything! add a base coat, then paint it whatever color you like in a flat paint.
the only ventilation you would need is maybe a window to the outside with a screen so you can open it during the summer, and the vents for A/C and Heat.
