snake room info

[tmlowe5704]

I am in the process of converting my shed to a snake/rodent room and had a few questions for those of you who have built one. First, what did you use as insulation on the walls? I was thinking of using normal household insulation but then thought about maybe using something else as insulation. Are there any good spray insulations that can with the normal cotton candy looking insulation? I was thinking some kind of rubberized spray type. Over that will be sheetrock. Is all of this overkill?
Second, this will not be a slab foundation, but one of wood. Not quite positive what it is like underneath the floor, but I would imagine it is like a deck with supports spanning the length of the shed and the plywood laid on top of it. The floor is beat up because of the doors falling off (some rotten wood on the door and the nails came through) so the floors will be replaced with some type of treated or sealed playwood. To better insulate the floor and make it more water resistant, I was thinking once again, using that rubberized spray or possibly even a truck bed liner spray on. I wanted the floor to be water proof in case anything spills or my rodent watering system develops a leak.

[jotay]

I don't know of any type of can insulation for the walls. How about good old R-15 or 19 for the walls. Would be close or same as in your house. I would think you would want it to be warm and hold heat like your house.

As for the floor it it is wood on posts than I would think you would want to insulate that also. I know Advanta-tek 50 is one of the best subfloors you can get and would make a good base if you did go with a spray on bedliner type coating another choice only a bit costly unless you find some on a close out would be ceramic tile.

What type of heating system are you going to use?

[tmlowe5704]

I don't know of any type of can insulation for the walls. How about good old R-15 or 19 for the walls. Would be close or same as in your house. I would think you would want it to be warm and hold heat like your house.

As for the floor it it is wood on posts than I would think you would want to insulate that also. I know Advanta-tek 50 is one of the best subfloors you can get and would make a good base if you did go with a spray on bedliner type coating another choice only a bit costly unless you find some on a close out would be ceramic tile.

What type of heating system are you going to use?

I am not talking just a spray on insulation, I meant that along with the r-19. Since the only thing between the insulation and the outside is some wood, I figured I would add a little more. I am going to go through all the corners with expanding foam to make sure there are no gaps to the inside. The temps here never reach outside of 30-100. It is rare that it gets to either extreme so I will probably just try only r-19. As for the floor, I am going to look into maybe putting down new floor and building a subframe on top of that and insulate in between.

For heating, I am going to be using an oil filled heater on a ranco to keep the temps to 80 and all my adult racks use 11" flexwatt for the hot side.

[PJ FF]

I was thinking about doing something the same but the heating will kill us on money. I think it would be a fun project do redo a shed into a herp room.

[tmlowe5704]

I was thinking about doing something the same but the heating will kill us on money. I think it would be a fun project do redo a shed into a herp room.

If you insulate it right, heating won't be a problem. I forgot what breeder it was, I think the Sutherland's that don't even heat the herp room because all the flexwatt heats it to the right temps.

http://ballpython.com/page.php?topic=facility

[green_man]

R13 is meant for 4 inch studs, if you can stuff in R19 more power to ya. Most houses in my area only have R13 and it gets 0-100 F here.

If you really want to go all out I think you have the right idea hitting all your corners with Great Stuff insulation foam. I would worry more about your ceiling and floor then the walls obviously. You'll lose way more heat out the top and bottom then the sides.
Go thicker on the ceiling, R25 if you can make it fit. Its all going to depend on the thickness of your studs and trusses.

If we could see some pics of the shed it would be alot easier to make suggestions...


Another thought, after the R19 on your walls put up some deafening board and then sheet rock. It is cheap stuff and helps insulate.

I work at The Home Depot, "You can do it, we can help". lol

[tmlowe5704]

Good to know. It is built with all 2x4 so sounds like R13 is the way to go. I may be having some questions for you soon. I will try to get pics up this week. My weeks are very busy Mon-Wed

R13 is meant for 4 inch studs, if you can stuff in R19 more power to ya. Most houses in my area only have R13 and it gets 0-100 F here.

If you really want to go all out I think you have the right idea hitting all your corners with Great Stuff insulation foam. I would worry more about your ceiling and floor then the walls obviously. You'll lose way more heat out the top and bottom then the sides.
Go thicker on the ceiling, R25 if you can make it fit. Its all going to depend on the thickness of your studs and trusses.

If we could see some pics of the shed it would be alot easier to make suggestions...


Another thought, after the R19 on your walls put up some deafening board and then sheet rock. It is cheap stuff and helps insulate.

I work at The Home Depot, "You can do it, we can help". lol

[green_man]

shoot all the questions ya'd like. Lumber and Building Materials are my departments hehe.
If the entire thing was built out of 2x4's which is very likely, is sounds like R13 is going to be what you would want. I'd bet interested to see how your floor is set up.

Anywho, sounds like a fun project, I'd like to do the same one of these days. Probably not till my next house though.

Good luck!

[biggc1]

Why wouldnt you just slap a sheet of linoleum down for the floor?

[tmlowe5704]

Why wouldnt you just slap a sheet of linoleum down for the floor?

Because I don't have much knowledge on this type of stuff as far as materials go? I have not gone and researched products and prices yet, just throwing some ideas around before I get started. I wanted to see what other people did for their herp rooms.