Snake room in the basement?

[NetBSD]

So ive been livign int he new house for a few months now and have been thinkin of turning the basement into my snake room, i have 4 rooms in the basement and each one is ruffly 12'x12' but there isnt much headroom so im goign to have to dig down (dirt floor) a good 2-3' to make it a little easier for me to walk around (im 6'2").

but i have been thinking of a few down sides...

1. My furnace is down there (oil burner), its all the way in the front of the house but my snake room would be next to the room its in, id have to make sure no fumes or anything makes it way over incase something fails

2. Its a little damp down there, i dunno if this is bad or good, for one i know humidity wouldnt be a problem

3. I do have radiators in each room down there but it still stays a little chilly.

4. since ive been here i had one mouse in the basement and a few stray cats, i guess the PO didnt have the basement seald off to well. i dunno what the mouse/rat problems will be but neightbors report they dont have an issue


im sure i can cover every downside once i complete the snake room... walls. new floor (after digging down a little) and so on.

what do you guys think? it would prolly have to wait till after spring hits because im restoring my motorcycle in the basement right now.

[Snake lover 3-25]

neat idea def check the fuems before you start and maybe the temps too.... but then again you could always insulate the room.......

[infernalis]

I had several of my snakes in the basement, moved them upstairs.

Sounds like a challenging project. Use an area away from the utilities, seal it up so the animals are not breathing the bad air from the furnace, and you'd be set.

Are the foundation walls poured or stacked stone? is there ways in or out? (for escaped snakes)

Take pictures of the process start to finish

One day I'd like to go back down there, since our basement is 25 x 50 with an 8 foot ceiling, But I would like radiant heat, and to build a 12 x 12 enclosure / room for a burm.

Setting up a couple big livestock tanks, one for "wogs" and one for minnows. Basement is the best option, strongest floors.

[NetBSD]

I had several of my snakes in the basement, moved them upstairs.

Sounds like a challenging project. Use an area away from the utilities, seal it up so the animals are not breathing the bad air from the furnace, and you'd be set.

Are the foundation walls poured or stacked stone? is there ways in or out? (for escaped snakes)

Take pictures of the process start to finish

One day I'd like to go back down there, since our basement is 25 x 50 with an 8 foot ceiling, But I would like radiant heat, and to build a 12 x 12 enclosure / room for a burm.

Setting up a couple big livestock tanks, one for "wogs" and one for minnows. Basement is the best option, strongest floors.

this house was build int he 1900's so its stacked stone but i would ofcource seal this off with the new walls and flooring id be putting in. the way im planning it in my head is to knock the one wall out and have a 24x12' room for the snake room. the biggest part is gunna be digging down to make the room taller. i have no idea whats under the dirt floor yet, could be drainage pips only a few inches down for all i know.


only other idea i have for a snake room is to add on to my house but that would cost ALOT more, unless i wait 18 years and kick my daughter out and use her room, lol

[Lori P]

only other idea i have for a snake room is to add on to my house but that would cost ALOT more, unless i wait 18 years and kick my daughter out and use her room, lol

That could work. Ok, we'll wait. (humming to self patiently)

[count dewclaw]

What's the water table like in your area? If you dig down are you likely to hit water and then have a flooded basement? Also, before you knock out a wall make sure it is not a bearing wall. The previous owners of our house knocked out a bunch of supports they shouldn't have and we had to go back and fix them so the house wouldn't cave in....

Sorry, not meaning to put a wet blanket on your idea, it sounds like a fine idea. Just have to work through possible issues...which you have already thought of some, so it sounds like you're on the right track. Keep us posted on what you decide and the progress.

[Sid]

Your idea for the reptile room soung great, go for it. I do agree that you need to insure the wall you plan to remove is not load bearing. I fit is you will have to add additional supports in place of it.

[Snake lover 3-25]

wow now think of this..... how cool would it be to have a garter room with a frog/fish pond and grass........!!!!!!!!

[infernalis]

Thought of that and very doable.

[Snake lover 3-25]

wow.......omg DO IT!!!!!! lol i wanna see it!!!!!!