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.