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Whats the Best Insulation for Kennels?
So what is the best insulation for kennels for dog owners to choose? All dogs that live in an outdoor kennel need some form of insulation to keep fit and well. Historically many people used to just buy a wooden kennel and then put their dog in it thinking these were adequate.
Wood looks great, it’s a natural product that looks good in any setting and has good aesthetic qualities. Unfortunately there is a downside to wooden kennels, in the fact that once you buy a wood kennel your cost doesn’t just end there.
Wood requires maintenance and regular treatment which needs to be taken on board if you want it to last. Each year you need to treat this with some form of preservative as the wood will degrade quickly. I once bought a wooden shed and decided to treat this and it took me forever so I know the pain you need to go through
The main disadvantage of a wooden kennel is that you just can’t clean them and they harbour germs and other nasties. Any good kennel nowadays needs to be cleaned regularly to avoid disease so even if you have a wooden kennel this will require lining in some form of plastic or metal.
Certainly if you’re lining a kennel then this normally represents an opportunity not to be missed to insulate the kennel. The question is what are the best materials to use to insulate your kennel?
Many owners of working dogs just fill their cabins or kennels with straw or shredded paper which whilst this does offer some form of insulation it is incredibly messy as it tends to spill out and of course does need replacing regularly. Maybe if you’re on a farm it’s a good choice but for most home owners getting the bales is difficult and time consuming and there is also a lot of waste material to dispose of.
To line a kennel with a material and fill the void with insulation is a good choice as if done correctly should last and not require replacing. You can use a whole array of materials that offer varying degrees of protection and a lot will be determined by your budget.
I have seen kennels lined with cardboard and even old carpets but there are far better insulation for kennels available. Polystyrene sheets is a good choice and if you’re lucky you might find that a local packing company might have some as a waste product so its always worth seeing if any local businesses have any. If polystyrene sheets are not available then see if they have this in a chip form.
Normally to line a kennel they fix the lining material onto the framework of the kennel so this will leave a void which is an ideal space to fill with insulation.
If you want a warmer kennel, then you can try to obtain some foam or polyurethane but obviously this will incur a cost. If you think of this as an investment as it will make a significant difference to the temperatures of the kennel during cold nights. It also has the benefit of keeping your kennel cooler when its hot, so it is a very important, but worthwhile decision to take.
If youre looking for the best way to professionally insulate a kennel or if youre looking for the best new kennels , then take a look at our range of thermal dog kennels.
As dog owners we all have a duty to provide the best housing we can for our dogs and so we urge you whatever you choose make sure that it’s the whole kennel you insulate for maximum benefit. Make sure you insulate the walls floor and ceiling and your dog will love you for it.
