Insulating a Bunny Playhouse/Shed

My new 5 x 5 bunny playhouse is in the process of being built as I type.

My concern is insulation. My bunnies have been used to a carpet/tarp on top of their current 2 storey hutch when rainy/windy and, if the temperature dropped below zero, I would fit a carpet to the front of their hutch.

I am torn between insulating and not insulating. My rabbits are quite hardy but I am more concerned about how hot the playhouse will get in the summer rather than the coldness of the winter, so, I would rather do the insulation now before the playhouse is kitted out. It will have 2 windows and a stable door so will have plenty of meshed areas for ventilation in the summer months. I have ordered a new white tarp for use on the top of the playhouse when we have driving rain/when sunny as a reflector.

First of all, do I need to do the whole of the playhouse (floor, walls and roof) and, if so, what is best to use? Do I need to line the playhouse with a membrane of any kind and how much and where do I need to put ventilation in order to stop the playhouse from filling up in the gap between the insulation and the outside walls and rotting the playhouse from the outside in.

Also, what do you use on the floor of the shed/playhouse? I was considering carpet tiles as I though lino would be a bit cold on their feet as they are used to having a fleece dog blanket to sit on.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated as I don't want their new playhouse to get any unnecessary damage and to last for as many years as possible.

Bumping this up for you - I don't insulate my sheds and playhouses.

tonibun said:

Bumping this up for you - I don't insulate my sheds and playhouses.

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Thanks for bumping it. How many buns do you have in a shed/playhouse? I was sure I wasn't going to insulate as, after all, they are rabbits and my two have lived outdoors without any pampering for 8 years. How do these playhouses bear up in the warmer months? Do they get very hot?

I'm also having the same problem... I have read through the housing shed thread and I'm still struggling to decide wether I should even bother insulating... My rabbits have been in a hutch with only tarp to cover in the rain/winter and tonnes of hay. So I imagine the shed would be no different and they can snuggle in the dog crate with loads of straw if need be... Same for the guineas who are living in the od rabbit hutch, in the shed...

I'm also still not sure.

If it were me I would be tempted to not insulate but to put a very solid snuggle box in their I could stuff with hay or straw, something like a dog kennel, so that they would have somewhere to snuggle if they were feeling the cold.

I'd also prob want to set up some way of blocking drafts out, so windows covered ect, not sure if your playhouse will already have that covered though!

i_am_tre said:

I'm also having the same problem... I have read through the housing shed thread and I'm still struggling to decide wether I should even bother insulating... My rabbits have been in a hutch with only tarp to cover in the rain/winter and tonnes of hay. So I imagine the shed would be no different and they can snuggle in the dog crate with loads of straw if need be... Same for the guineas who are living in the od rabbit hutch, in the shed...

I'm also still not sure.

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It's a big decision, isn't it!! I think I have come to the conclusion that I won't insulate for now and see how they bear up during the winter and then into the warmer months - it isn't cheap to insulate (not that that is a problem) and would seem a shame to spend the money if they can survive quite happily without it. I could always spend the money on other sruff for their new home. During the winter, in their current set up they have hay and straw in their dark side where they pee and poo but only go in their to have a nibble of hay or to pee or poo and normally sit very content in their day side which has fleece dog blanket in all weather.

Hele said:

If it were me I would be tempted to not insulate but to put a very solid snuggle box in their I could stuff with hay or straw, something like a dog kennel, so that they would have somewhere to snuggle if they were feeling the cold.

I'd also prob want to set up some way of blocking drafts out, so windows covered ect, not sure if your playhouse will already have that covered though!

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I think I will have a snuggle box as you say inside so that they have the choice whether to be cosy and warmer or not. I am now looking for ideas - any advice welcome on that one.

The playhouse is coming with mesh to the windows but what I did for their current hutch was to buy a cheap frameless plastic photo frame from Wilkinsons and it was put into a wooden frame and clips into the mesh on their hutch door (with ventilation holes) so will do that for the playhouse. Think I will also invest in a good tarpaulin - probably white so that it can be used as heat reflection in the summer months.

I've heard that filling jam jars with hot water works well through the winter at keeping the hutch nice and warm! I am yet to try this myself, however. But will be when the cold really hits!

I also have a hessian backed carpet with wood across the top and bottom of it and it fits onto screws on the front of the hutch and stays on with wing nuts so I may do this to the new playhouse too - especially handy when it is really cold, bonfire night/new year's eve to stop the flashes from the fireworks. I have also just purchased two Snugglesafe heat pads - a bargain at Zooplus, only £12.50 each.

Thermawrap from bnq £11 with plastic sheeting if used outside

I havent insulated my playhouse, in winter they have plenty of warm enclosed areas to be in and Ive got snugglesafes too. In summer I found reflective car window things which I put over the playhouse roof and it seemed to help a bit, with the tunnel allowing fresh air flow too, and left the door open as much as possible. I need to make an internal mesh door for them for summer next year I think so they can have it open more.

My new 7x5 shed is arriving next week and I too was wondering how you manage to insulate the windows.... Do you reckon putting clear bubble wrap will stop heat loss?.

I was in my other shed this morning to get their hay and inside the shed was frozen , however, under their run and in the hutch outside which had been covered by two layers of thick polythene sheeting and a layer of tarpaulin was much warmer and the water hadnt frozen. In the shed it had...

I am intending to put the whole hutch in the shed and allow them to choose to use it and other boxes etc to snuggle in...

I hope it works, its to be -6 next Tuesday apparantly.

I am putting foam playmats on the floor with lino underneath to stop any seepages of pee! Hope it works