Bitumen.........hutch treatment.

I have been advised that a non toxic bitumen based product (water tank paint) is the best to use on the inside of my new hutches to prevent the wood from rotting. Does anyone else use this? :roll:

I have only used bitumen based products on the roof of a hutch to make good leaks, I would be reluctant to put any thing like bitumen inside a hutch.

If you are looking at preserving a hutch you would be better to use something like roofing felt on the roof, back and sides. It is better to prevent the water entering the hutch rather than protecting it once it has got inside and started to rot the wood, or coat it with a preservative or varnish. You can help protect the base from rotting if you use a marine varnish on it when it is perfectly dry. Having the hutch riased off the ground will protect the bottom from rotting as well.

Janice

Hiya,

My boyf is a roofer, but I can not imagine bitumen would be good for inside. He's clothes are always covered in the stuff and it's a nightmare to get out. I will ask him for some bitumen details in a bit and see if he knows anything. However he's never suggested putting it on my hutches and he would if he thought it would help. At the moment we've roofing sinstallation over the tops and backs of ours.

I just spoke to him and he said don't put bitumen on your hutches. He said it's still toxic as it's made up of, in his words "all the s**t from oil".

Bitumen's carcinogenic - horrible! If you're worried about their wee rotting the wood you could lay vinyl in the hutch, but fix batons around the edges or they'll get it up and eat it - also not very healthy, but what do they care :roll:

They chew the wood inside the hutch so it's best not to paint it unless you have very good bunnies - just patch it up and replace bits as needed.

I have only used it to cover nail holes which are letting in water.

Janice

I covered the inside of our hutch with sticky back plastic so stop urine seeping into the wood. It's worked a treat so far!

yes I've used that in my piggie hutches, and Maa seems OK with it, but Benny is a chewer so I wouldn't put it in his hutch - some rabbits don't chew, and some will eat everything - he's almost eaten a hole in the tongue and groove hutch walls :roll: