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Rotten roof on Welfare Hutch

anaqi

Warren Scout
Hi!

Does anyone have any tips on making a new roof for a rabbit hutch?

Three years ago I invested in a 6ft hutch from Welfare Hutch Company. It was the best built hutch I could get for the money and I paid extra for preservative treatment and premium roof felt. Me and my rabbits loved it. Last summer I painted it a lovely sage green. It was the pride of my garden until this winter.

I know we've had a lot of bad weather but I was shocked to see mould growing on the inside of the roof. I cleaned it up and found the roof was rotting! Water had somehow got in and the ply roof was wet and soft all along the back of the hutch. I was so disappointed. I went online to find the company details so I could complain but I read that they've closed down.

I am so disappointed. I have really looked after the hutch and I expected it to last longer than 3 years. I'm even more disappointed that it's going to cost at least £70 to get all the bits to repair it. I can't just replace the ply because of the way it's constructed. I will have to build a whole new roof and frame.

Clair
 
Is there a local joiner/shed manufacturer you could ask for a quote?

I can't afford to pay someone to do it. My dad is going to help me but neither of us have done this before. I figured out how the roof is put together. I can't just replace the ply wood as its sandwiched between two frames which have been nailed together and can't easily be taken apart. That means I have to buy new ply, roofing felt and timber, as well as felt nails and ordinary nails and varnish. It's a big job that I didn't expect to have to do after 3 years. Everyone told me Welfare Hutch Company were good quality.
 
Hi, I’ve had a similar problem (I’m sure mine is a welfare hutch but I can’t rember where I got it from) I found all this mould on the roof of the bed area that I had previously missed with cleaning. I’ve wiped it off and luckily the wood isn’t rotten but I think the hutch roof will need re covering or a tarpaulin placed over the top. Mine seems to have springy floors though so I’m expecting to have to replace those at some point. I don’t know how though!!
 
Have an alternative housing arrangement in place in case it takes longer than you expect! Doesn't need to be for long, just a shelter for a few days.

Use marine ply rather than the normal stuff: my normal ply has lasted 3yrs with poor treatment but not as a roof and it's starting to go now.

You coula always strip the bad plywood out and build a new, different style of roof on top, rather than sandwiching it. This might be easier and more effective at getting rid of water. Soemtimes replacing a bad design with a better one will fix the problem longer term :)
 
This thread has made me look at my hutches today - they are Welfare hutches and I’ve had them since mid 2015. Thankfully they are fine but I’ve had mine covered with both Scratch and Newton insulation layers and the water resistant covers. I’ve taken them off to check today and amazingly the hutches look almost new on the outside with no sign of water ingress inside. I guess I recommend them then to cover over hutches - I never really thought about them protecting the hutches just keeping my babies warm and dry inside.

Sorry to hear you are having problems - I found Welfare Hutches as a company amazing to deal with and am really sorry they are not in business anymore.
 
My own welfare hutch is several years old and has a cover on and is still in fab condition, the rescue is in a field so very exposed to the elements, they were a really god company and always nice to deal with we used to recommend them to adoptees
 
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