Rabbits are more temperature-sensitive than most people realize, and for the team at Romeo Rabbit Rescue, keeping their animals warm and healthy meant taking a hard look at their facilities. According to a recent feature in Spray Foam Magazine, Colony Insulation stepped up to fully encapsulate two barns at the rescue using closed-cell spray foam, ensuring a safe, warm, and moisture-free environment for the animals in their care.
Rabbits are especially vulnerable to cold and damp conditions. Because their fur doesn’t dry quickly, exposure to cold air can rapidly drop their body temperature to dangerous levels. A damp, chilly environment can trigger respiratory infections, hypothermia, frostbite, and arthritis, all of which can seriously impair an animal’s ability to eat, drink, and move around. This makes maintaining a stable thermal environment a top priority for rabbit rescues.
The rescue’s leadership worked with the insulation contractor to identify the right solution: closed-cell spray foam. It delivers a high R-value per inch, provides superior air sealing, and is mold resistant, a critical feature in animal shelter environments that tend to run humid. Unlike fibrous insulation products, closed-cell foam can be easily cleaned without absorbing moisture, making it an ideal choice where sanitation is also a priority.
For the first barn, the crew performed a full encapsulation — covering walls, roof, and decking — applying just over 2,000 square feet of Huntsman HEATLOK HFO High Lift closed-cell foam. Using a PMC PH-2 spray machine and a Carlisle ST1 gun, the team applied one and a half inches of foam over an existing layer of foam board in both the walls and ceiling, achieving a robust thermal assembly throughout the structure.
The second barn presented a new challenge. Originally planned for approximately 960 square feet of cellulose insulation, scheduling complications forced a change in course. With colder months already arriving, the rescue’s leadership made the call to switch to spray foam in order to keep the project on timeline. The entire two-barn project was completed in just two half-days.
This project demonstrates that high-performance building envelope solutions aren’t limited to homes and commercial buildings. Anywhere temperature, moisture, and air quality matter, whether for people or animals, the right insulation makes all the difference. Spray foam insulation continues to prove its versatility, its performance, and the craftsmanship of the contractors who install it.