Suggestions for building dedicated herp room?

I'm going to completely gut one of my bedrooms and convert it into a dedicated herp room over the summer. The room itself is 10'x15' plus a 4'x5' closet. Here's what I have planned...

Tear entire room down to studs

Insulate walls/ceiling with highest R-Value that will fit in cavities

Add additional electrical outlets

Replace windows with newer gas-filled models

Drywall with green board (to better withstand higher humidity levels)

Replace existing carpet with Berber (i thought about tile for easier cleaning, but i like to sit on the floor with the animals and I'm not crawling around on tile)

Hang insulated roman style shades (keep heat out in summer and in in the winter)


I thought about installing an electric wall mounted supplemental heater, but I think the heat given off by the 10 cages and 5 racks I have planned should raise the room temperature a bit above the 70 degrees that I keep the rest of the house at in the winter. I have a small 5,200 BTU window mounted air conditioner that, along with the ceiling fan, should be more than sufficient to keep the room from getting too hot on those occassional 100 degree days.

Any other suggestions you guys have to make the most out of my herp room would be great. Nothing too crazy since this project has a pretty tight budget.

I dont know how expensive it would be, based on the layout of your house, but it might be nice to put a deep sink in the room for tank cleanups, reptile soaking and hand washing. Just a thought, your idea sounds great and I cant wait to see pictures :)

Yeah, a deep sink would be great. Another cool thing would be to get a sprayer to attach to the faucet. These work well: https://secure.highspeedweb.net/~ldc...hsprayhose.htm

They're made for bathing dogs, but instead of dog shampoo, some mild detergent can be put in the little resovoir thing. I know a few people that use things like this.

I say turn the closet into an incubator, if your breeding! I agree with the sink, ad a work table, a sliding cart that has supplies on it, so you don't have to go over to the table all the time, and to keep the tables clutter free.ad weather striping to the doors,install a thermo stat in the room, maybe add a TV, lol. A big rolling trash can, one marked for waste, and one marked for bedding, for storeage, a recycle bin for newspaper. Ok, I don't have anymore ideas left..I will post more if I remember them.

Double sink (as deep as you can get away with), industrial-tough.

Get rid of the carpet. I know you may hate sitting on tile, but you can put down a simple area rug that is easier to wash. Tile or cement floor is the only way to go in a herp room, IMO.

K~

Thanks for the ideas guys. I will do vinyl or tile instead of the carpet and just put down an area rug as KLG suggested and I'll definitely build myself some sort of rolling work table. A big rolling trash can will also come in very handy.

Unfortunately some of these things just aren't feasible for me. My house is 80+ years old and the heating system is all on one zone, so a seperate thermostat for the bedroom would require rerouting all the copper tubing running the hot water through the house and is just way out of my budget. This is something I've looked into in the past for my own comfort and it would be very expensive to have done.

As nice as a big wash basin would be, the kitchen and bathroom are on the opposite end of the house so again, running all the plumbing to do this would be very costly.

As for the incubator, this room will be for BCI's so no incubator needed.

how many watts are the a/c and heater? I use a Johnson Controls A419 for both my A/C and heater and they work great.

Whatever you do make sure you can undo it. I mean we think a herp room is great but if you go to sale your house the people buying might not and you don't want to spend thousands on this to only hafe to undo and redo it just to sale your home. I'm am blessed in that mine is apart of my house but still off the main house. As many have said sinks are a must, smooth floors for rolling racks and for easy clean up also a plus, Long lasting cool burning floursent lights, a work counter and storage space for empty tubs and supplys, Also something no one has mentioned is a Q-room some where when you bring in new breeding stock so they can be totaly seperate from your regular snakes (mine is my office on the other end of the house). I don't know how you feed but I have a freezer and rat racks in the works. As for the closet into a walk in incubuator and your set

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Originally Posted by tmlowe5704

how many watts are the a/c and heater? I use a Johnson Controls A419 for both my A/C and heater and they work great.

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I might be missing something, but i'm not sure what I would need that for? I don't plan on running a supplemental heater unless I find it necessary. The room stays at 70 empty during the winter months. With all the cages and racks in there that should raise the room temp up a degree or two. I have a 5,200 BTU window mount air conditioner that I will put in the room during the summer. It has built in digital temperature controls. The A/C unit will only be used to keep the room from getting too hot. Probably set it around 80 degrees.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Whatever you do make sure you can undo it. I mean we think a herp room is great but if you go to sale your house the people buying might not and you don't want to spend thousands on this to only hafe to undo and redo it just to sale your home. I'm am blessed in that mine is apart of my house but still off the main house. As many have said sinks are a must, smooth floors for rolling racks and for easy clean up also a plus, Long lasting cool burning floursent lights, a work counter and storage space for empty tubs and supplys, Also something no one has mentioned is a Q-room some where when you bring in new breeding stock so they can be totaly seperate from your regular snakes (mine is my office on the other end of the house). I don't know how you feed but I have a freezer and rat racks in the works. As for the closet into a walk in incubuator and your set

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Good call on the quarantine room. I handn't really given that one much thought yet. I'll probably just set up one or two cages in my bedroom for newcomers. I probably should have specified this in my original post, but this room is for boas so an incubator won't be needed. I will go with vinyl flooring (cheaper and easier than tile) for easy cleanup, but I don't see myself moving racks around on a regular basis so they won't be on castors. The only racks I will have are shoe box racks for babies so they aren't super heavy anyway.

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Originally Posted by AK4900PA

Good call on the quarantine room. I handn't really given that one much thought yet. I'll probably just set up one or two cages in my bedroom for newcomers. I probably should have specified this in my original post, but this room is for boas so an incubator won't be needed. I will go with vinyl flooring (cheaper and easier than tile) for easy cleanup, but I don't see myself moving racks around on a regular basis so they won't be on castors. The only racks I will have are shoe box racks for babies so they aren't super heavy anyway.

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You'd be surprised.:rolleyes: Good luck!! I would love to be able to do that!

a rubbermaid push cart! they are the bomb!! :D



vaughn

Something else I just thought of: a computer station and webcam so you can always be connected to ball-pythons.net and keep us up to date with a live webcam stream. Let me describe it in pictures so you arent confused.

:pc: -> :community -> :headbang: + :bow:

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Originally Posted by minotaur

Something else I just thought of: a computer station and webcam so you can always be connected to ball-pythons.net and keep us up to date with a live webcam stream. Let me describe it in pictures so you arent confused.

:pc: -> :community -> :headbang: + :bow:

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I don't know about the webcam, but I will be moving my computer, desk, and file cabinet into this room so I have easy access to take photos and upload them plus all my records will be right there to stay as organized as possible.

I'm thinking the closet will make a nice place for storing all the shipping supplies. Insulated boxes, deli cups, heat packs, and packing peanuts can all be crammed in there.

Some kind of rolling utility cart will be kept in the room. Gotta find one with a nice worktop and enough storage space for hemostats, probing kit, and my scale.

I'm also going to get a chest freezer for storing rats, but that will be kept down the basement.

I'm also going to put a shelf on the wall for any snake related literature I accumulate and a small radio to listen to while i'm cleaning cages.

Thanks again for all the suggestions guys. With my budget and older home I have some limitations, but I'm confident that I can make a pretty darn nice snake room.

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Originally Posted by AK4900PA

I don't know about the webcam, but I will be moving my computer, desk, and file cabinet into this room so I have easy access to take photos and upload them plus all my records will be right there to stay as organized as possible.

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Heat + humidity = good for many snakes, but BAD for computers. You may want to rethink this, as you'll most likely end up moving the computer back out in order to make more room for snakes in the long run. ;)

Don't ask me how I know that. :D

K~

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Originally Posted by KLG

Heat + humidity = good for many snakes, but BAD for computers. You may want to rethink this, as you'll most likely end up moving the computer back out in order to make more room for snakes in the long run. ;)

Don't ask me how I know that. :D

K~

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Good catch. I was just looking at cooling systems for the computer, but I hadn't even thought of the humidity. I would imagine that could cause corrosion problems internally. Oh well, the room right next to this one can be turned into an office and it's only like 10' down the hall.

For anyone who's interested, here's a pic of one of the girls that will be kicking off this project...

http://www.conleyherps.com/Albino%20...%208%20009.jpg

I will also be picking up another female in a few weeks and their mates next summer. Eventually I hope to produce albinos, sunglows, anery, ghost, salmons, motleys, albino motleys, sunglow motleys, snows, moonglows, and numerous hets. Should have a very nice selection in the next few years.

Not sure if this has been mentioned but make everything moveable easily and take the opportunity to escape proof the room and the door so if if houdini appears in our racks its easy to find him as you can move everything (racks on castors etc) and he definately can be anywhere but in the room.


Paranoia is not just for xmas - it's for everything you meet your relatives.:D

If you plan for the worst and only get the best so much the better.



dr del

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Originally Posted by AK4900PA

but I don't see myself moving racks around on a regular basis so they won't be on castors. The only racks I will have are shoe box racks for babies so they aren't super heavy anyway.

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Have one escape and get in behind some racks and you'll be kicking yourself. either way good luck and make sure you get pics up when your done

Deffanatly get them on casters....and put weather striping on the bottom of the doors!!

you might want to think about a exhaust system for you room

i would consider not using drywall but instead line the interior walls with refletix ,(bubble wrap with metal coating on each side) this reflects 97% of heat,works great.

also 70 degrees is a bit kool for room temps,especially with boas.i use a oil filled electric heater that works well with a quality thermostat added,getting air temps inside your cages where you want them would be difficult with a cooler room.have fun!

What were putting in my room is a 4' by 5' shower that we took out of a hospital for work. This should make cleaning even the biggest of tubs easy.

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Originally Posted by twh

i would consider not using drywall but instead line the interior walls with refletix ,(bubble wrap with metal coating on each side) this reflects 97% of heat,works great.

also 70 degrees is a bit kool for room temps,especially with boas.i use a oil filled electric heater that works well with a quality thermostat added,getting air temps inside your cages where you want them would be difficult with a cooler room.have fun!

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reflectix is meant to be an insulation, not a wall liner. I would go with plywood or some kind of sheetrock that does not allow mold growth for the walls.

I'm hoping to keep the room temperature right around 75-78 degrees. With the added insulation and newer windows plus all the cages and racks I'm hoping I won't even need supplemental heat. If I do, I'll just pick up a small oil filled heater. The entire house is on a single zone valve so if I keep the main floor at 68, the second floor is about 70. This room will be the most heavily insulated area in the home so hopefully the temps will stay a bit higher than the rest of the house. I'm going to be curious to see how much the temps go up with 10 large cages and 5 baby racks (120 tubs). I would imagine that is worth at least a degree or two, no?

A big sink would be very handy, just not practical since there is no plumbing on that side of the house. The bathroom is straight down the hall, like 20' from this room so any cage/tub cleaning will have to be done in there. Some time in the next few years I'd like to purchase a brand new home a bit closer to where I work. If/when that happens I will be able to design all the extra plumbing into the project from the start. For now, I'll just do the best I can with what I have.