Structural ? ref: sunroom or indoor 'yard' (foundation, master bedroom, glass, lights)

[mrs1885]

We've got 3 land tortoises and possibly are getting a 4th. They're the third largest species in the world and don't hibernate, so when temps drop below 60 they need a warm place to stay. Right now we've got one room in the master bedroom suite designated for them and the birds. But honestly, it's a wreck every year. With nearly 200 pounds of tortoise - and if we get the 4th one we're looking at a combined total of over 300 pounds - we wind up with straw bedding everyplace. Not to mention they torment the birds, dragging their cages all over the room. They spend each night trying to pull open the bedroom door while we sleep. They climb on and in everything.

So we're trying to think of a way to bring the outdoors in, to have a safe room for them when the weather makes it impossible for them to be outside. I thought I was smart and got a 6x10 greenhouse, but after just 2 bumps against it, the largest one tore it down. So whatever we do has to be a permanent structure.

So we're thinking of either adding a sunroom that's an all glass enclosure, or setting up the basement with lights and a watering system for grass seed. Either way, whatever room we go with would have to have UVA/UVB lights, a watering system of some kind and grass and weeds for them to graze on. But I'm not sure if you can do that??

We'd have to pour a foundation just along the perimeter and put the walls on that. How wide does that footing need to be? Anyone ever seen anything like this or heard of it or know how we'd go about getting the information to the question?

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by mrs1885

We've got 3 land tortoises and possibly are getting a 4th. They're the third largest species in the world and don't hibernate, so when temps drop below 60 they need a warm place to stay. Right now we've got one room in the master bedroom suite designated for them and the birds. But honestly, it's a wreck every year. With nearly 200 pounds of tortoise - and if we get the 4th one we're looking at a combined total of over 300 pounds - we wind up with straw bedding everyplace. Not to mention they torment the birds, dragging their cages all over the room. They spend each night trying to pull open the bedroom door while we sleep. They climb on and in everything.

So we're trying to think of a way to bring the outdoors in, to have a safe room for them when the weather makes it impossible for them to be outside. I thought I was smart and got a 6x10 greenhouse, but after just 2 bumps against it, the largest one tore it down. So whatever we do has to be a permanent structure.

So we're thinking of either adding a sunroom that's an all glass enclosure, or setting up the basement with lights and a watering system for grass seed. Either way, whatever room we go with would have to have UVA/UVB lights, a watering system of some kind and grass and weeds for them to graze on. But I'm not sure if you can do that??

We'd have to pour a foundation just along the perimeter and put the walls on that. How wide does that footing need to be? Anyone ever seen anything like this or heard of it or know how we'd go about getting the information to the question?

you are going to have to see a structural engineer if you are having to use footings. I would not advise anything other than that. Changing the pressures on an already existing slab can cause the slab to crack or move, they are originally designed with loads already in mind.