Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[Rickeezee]

For those that have rep sheds or something of the like, what do you use to keep them cool in the summer, the only thing I can think of is one of them portable air con units, are they any good has anyone used them in this sittuation?

Any advice on cheap to run heating systems would be nice please, also security. In fact if you would like to come and build it for me that would be nice to.

Has anyone used, I think it's called celatex or something of the like, insulation material rigid foil backed boarding, I think it's supposed to keep heat out in the summer and heat in in the winter?

Any advice at all about a rep shed would be appreciated cheers.

Would like to convert my conservatory but I don't want to end up like that Bobbit bloke in USA!


Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

[Jas]

Ive used celatex in my sheds its easy to work with comes in a variety of thicknesses starting from an inch up and is an excellent insulator average price for 1" thick 8 ft x 4ft seems to be 15.00 + vat, depending on how many sheets you want there is a guy in Hainault Essex who sells it for 10.00 cash a sheet, may be worth the travel, you can email me if you want the address.You will have to cover the windows with it too as in the summer the sun comes through onto the foil it makes the room temps rocket, and in the winter you will lose alot of heat through them.
Ive also got air cons in them but more for insurance against stat fails.
Also i think celatex is just the brand name so if your phoning around builders merchants you may want to describe it to them as they may only stock the other brands, they all look the same though.

[Rickeezee]

Thanks for that Jas very helpful cheers.

Did you use the celatex on the walls and the ceiling? Any floor insulation used such as jabalite etc?


cheers Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

[Jas]

I did use it on the walls and ceiling and the door but not on the underside of the floor, which i now regret as the floor does get cold, im thinking of drilling a few holes and pumping in some expanding foam.

[Rickeezee]

So is the shed on a concrete / slab base? Sometimes if mounted on slabs or even a concrete base, treated sleepers etc. The shed can either be; if on slabs raised off the slabs using pressure treated floor bearers, if on a raft style concrete base the base can be made smaller than the shed so the shed protects the base and overhangs it no floor bearers required, the raft base is made higher than ground level and the shed sits directly on the raft base.

With the slab base as above rainwater drips clear of the base as the slabs are set up to floor edges leaving the external shed cladding clear to let watrer just drip to the ground (not on base)

Ditto with raft base that is slightly smaller than the shed and raised above ground level. Water just drips of the cladding to the ground avoiding the base.

In either base set up the shed is never standing in any water and the base is protected.

Adds years to the life of the shed!

If slabs have been used there will be a void under the shed floor (raised on floor bearers) You could always insulate the void with jabalite?


If set on a raft style concrete base there will be no void, but, more expensive option, insulation layers can actually be set in the concrete base as it is built e.g jabalite etc. the base will then act as a giant heat pad.

If already built as yours is Jas will be harder to achieve, what type of base set up you got? The idea of pumping some insulation stuff in would work I guess, the stuff they use for cavivity wall insulation would do the trick. Or you could carefuly cut up sections of the floor then lay jabalite all depends whether you have a void and how big it is?

It's 6 am in the morning and I'm going on about sheds! I must be an anorak


Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

[Rickeezee]

I have found a reputable shed manufacturer that has produced over 30,000 timber buildings. They deliver for free and erect for free.

I was going to self build from scratch but their prices are very good and there is not much in it, self built costs / let them do it costs.

I will do all the insulation, electrics etc myself.


They will also manufacture to any specification you want, am going to visit them today, time allowing. may be a quicker / cheaper option in the long run. Might have to have a verandah on it to keep Mrs Rick happy so it looks summery and tarty etc. Hey I could mesh up the verandah and have daylight pens! heheehhehehehe. Seriously though I could mesh up half of it, how cool, a few big plants and off we go! A free roaming area!


Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

[Scott W]

I use two sheds and one brick building. The wooden sheds are insulated with 50mm polystrene on the walls and ceiling and the floor has a couple of layers of foam 'laminate floor insulation'. If I had the space I would of used 50mm polystrene.

Whichever insulation, I then put another wooden floor over the top, this is sealed with varnish.

The insulation is great, I have just a few heat pads a small fan heater in one shed (which only comes on for a few seconds per go). The only down side is in the summer I need an air con running 24hrs. The shed does get the full mid day sun.


The brick reptile room only has insulation in the ceiling, NOT the walls or floor. If I could change this now I would concentrate on the floor, again perhaps 50mm polystrene with a concrete screed over the top. Due to the animals I keep my biggest problem is TOO MUCH HEAT, I have an air con running year round in there just to keep the ambient down to 24c.
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Rickeezee]

Cooling was my main concern, heating is not so much of a problem and probably easier to monitor and control. I will think deeply about the advice in the above posts before it get anywhere near being built so I have a better chance of it being right from the start. Thanks guys.

If I do get to visit the manufacturer today I will ask them about ventilation, cooling heating etc. Thye must have been asked this before at some point, might be worth seeing what they have to say on the subject.

They also manufacture home office type sheds so they must be insulated heated etc.

Rick
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk