# Converting a shed into a vivarium



## seanf999 (May 5, 2019)

I have a good sized wooden shed in the garden, its current used for storage. 

I don't have enough room indoors to keep reptiles, my parents don't want them outside of my bedroom (which is tiny) but they're okay with them being in the shed.

So my plan would be to run power out to the shed (along by the fence, fed through piping and brought in to the shed and have the hole sealed up.

The shed is roughly 11x7x7ft, so I would plan on insulating a lot of the shed and keeping then using plywood to make the actual enclosure.

I would have a number of heat lamps, basking spot of course and just for ambient temp..

It's already water tight and is in pretty good nick.

I might have a staggered entrance so there's two doors to get in, just incase anything decides to make a run for it.

Does this sound feasible?


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

You need a proper electric supply - that sounds like an extension lead!

The amount of work needed and the cost of insulating it, in my opinion, is just not feasible. Having seen a rat chew through wooden floorboards, carpet gripper, carpet underlay and the carpet to get into our living room to eat parrot seed, I would be very wary. The next night it chewed through the concrete part of the extension floor where it abutted the wooden floorboards and the carpet, as the first access hole we had blocked off.


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## dcap (Sep 3, 2011)

There are custom shed build threads - worth a good look to see the work involved
Some of them will also mention the budget/costs - which is probably going to give you quite a shock

I think most of them tend to be custom _shed builds_ rather than conversions


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## s6t6nic6l (May 15, 2010)

As others have stated the cost of getting an electrician in to have a proper power supply installed, insulating, conversion, weather protection and fixtures will be phenomenal.
You say the bedroom is tiny but I bet if you got a carpenter in for an assessment you could have a purpose built unit for all your storage and enclosure (s) custom made along one side, floor to ceiling even, for a fraction of the shed plan cost or even just buying the right furniture for a similar layout would work as long as it is safely put together and fastened to the wall. May be worth getting a few (free) quotes in for some ideas at least (get planning:2thumb
I had a large fish tank and degu cages back in the day in a really tiny bedroom with still having a wardrobe and draws to use. It's just all about the layout you can utilise.


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## seanf999 (May 5, 2019)

Shellsfeathers&fur said:


> You need a proper electric supply - that sounds like an extension lead!
> 
> The amount of work needed and the cost of insulating it, in my opinion, is just not feasible. Having seen a rat chew through wooden floorboards, carpet gripper, carpet underlay and the carpet to get into our living room to eat parrot seed, I would be very wary. The next night it chewed through the concrete part of the extension floor where it abutted the wooden floorboards and the carpet, as the first access hole we had blocked off.


I'm an apprentice electrician so I'll be running a proper electric supply, an extension would just be to help me see as I set it up.

I'd be doing the work all myself, so I'll probably buy some kingspan insulation, and have at it.

We're lucky that we don't get rats, we had one and it ended up on the doorstep thanks to our two boxers!
The shed is on blocks so I'd be putting rat traps underneath anyway as a precaution.


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## seanf999 (May 5, 2019)

dcap said:


> There are custom shed build threads - worth a good look to see the work involved
> Some of them will also mention the budget/costs - which is probably going to give you quite a shock
> 
> I think most of them tend to be custom _shed builds_ rather than conversions


Thank you I'll have to check them out!


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## seanf999 (May 5, 2019)

s6t6nic6l said:


> As others have stated the cost of getting an electrician in to have a proper power supply installed, insulating, conversion, weather protection and fixtures will be phenomenal.
> You say the bedroom is tiny but I bet if you got a carpenter in for an assessment you could have a purpose built unit for all your storage and enclosure (s) custom made along one side, floor to ceiling even, for a fraction of the shed plan cost or even just buying the right furniture for a similar layout would work as long as it is safely put together and fastened to the wall. May be worth getting a few (free) quotes in for some ideas at least (get planning:2thumb
> I had a large fish tank and degu cages back in the day in a really tiny bedroom with still having a wardrobe and draws to use. It's just all about the layout you can utilise.


I'm an apprentice electrician so I've got that covered!

The cost would be in materials as I'd do the work myself.
So Kingspan insulation, tongue and groove boards, maybe some live bark boards. 
I'll be buying an old door to make the staggered entry, all the electrics will run from the staggered entry into the enclosure to keep it all out of harms way.

I've looked at all my options with my room.. basically there's a wardrobe a bed running down one side and a wardrobe at the end, that's the full length.
There's a window at the opposite end to the door, a wardrobe and a desk, granted the desk could be smaller but that'd mean I have less worktop space and still no room for an enclosure, the room is genuinely tiny!


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## dcap (Sep 3, 2011)

curious, what is a live bark board?
is that off-cuts of wood? 
... or pallet wood?


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