# Concrete slab for Dog Kennel??



## wackmaster (Jun 2, 2006)

Any tips for laying a concrete base floor for my soon to be lab pup kennel? Would I be better off have a contractor do it? Thanks for your input....


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## BIGSP (Sep 16, 2004)

wackmaster said:


> Any tips for laying a concrete base floor for my soon to be lab pup kennel? Would I be better off have a contractor do it? Thanks for your input....


I'm no expert but, here's a few other questions to be asked. 
How big?
How much slope do you want in it?
Have you thought about getting some type of sealant on it so it doesn't perpetually smell like pee?
Are you going to have the kennel walls cemented in?


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

wackmaster said:


> Any tips for laying a concrete base floor for my soon to be lab pup kennel? Would I be better off have a contractor do it? Thanks for your input....


We had one poured a loooong time ago, off the back of my garage. The back of the garage makes up the back "wall" of the kennel, the other 3 walls are 6x8 sections of framed chain-link fence with a door. The front "wall" is actuall over-lapped,, so I could make it bigger if I had to. I have a hole cut in the garage where my labs can walk into their house. 

I had them leave the surface rough, it toughens up their pads and you don't have to cut their nails. I've had labs all my life,, and have NEVER cut their nails. That cement keeps their nails perfect. 

The cement also makes easy clean up with the garden hose.


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## chewy (Mar 27, 2006)

don't forget a drain if u can.


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## BIGSP (Sep 16, 2004)

chewy said:


> don't forget a drain if u can.


A trough in the front, or a floor drain? Where does the drain go to?


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## Pointerguy (May 22, 2006)

I built my kennel about 6 years ago and poured the concrete myself. There is a landscape supply store near by that has u-haul pre mixed concrete pretty cheap. That was the first time I had ever did any concrete work and it turned ok pretty good. I pitched my slab a few inches over 14 ft. Its not rocket science, do a little research and save some dough and do it your self?


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## chewy (Mar 27, 2006)

BIGSP said:


> A trough in the front, or a floor drain? Where does the drain go to?


to my neighbors. my neighbor is a farm field. 

u can bury a tank. and make a septic system. drain goes to tank. or u can just shovel and spray the pee to absorb in the dirt about august it smells real sweet.


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## wackmaster (Jun 2, 2006)

any body try the modular type kennel flooring?


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## Mickey Finn (Jan 21, 2005)

Do you mean like this? I've thought about making an elevated kennel with flooring like this. Some like it better.

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...nt-ft1_poultry_fencing_flooring;pgha2215.html










I've had concrete for awhile now. It's a good floor for all the reasons mentioned above. If you go with it. Remember to have a 5 degree grade. So, urine and water don't pool so bad. Mine are surrounded by gravel drain fields. These work well.

ATB


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## fowlme (Jun 19, 2009)

I would use a trough either front or side which ever works better for your location. depending on trees a drain could become clogged then you would have a puddle. have the floor run to the trough and the trough run away from the kennel. yes you can do it yourself.


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Mickey Finn said:


> Do you mean like this? I've thought about making an elevated kennel with flooring like this. Some like it better.
> 
> http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...nt-ft1_poultry_fencing_flooring;pgha2215.html
> 
> ...


With flooring like this how does this effect the dogs paws?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Scott Berg (Feb 24, 2008)

Mickey Finn said:


> Do you mean like this? I've thought about making an elevated kennel with flooring like this. Some like it better.
> 
> http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...nt-ft1_poultry_fencing_flooring;pgha2215.html
> 
> ...


We have five kennels set-up with this tpye of floor for puppies but I would not recommend it for adults. For pups it's great because they are going to wrestle and they stay waaaay cleaner and are less prone to illness with this type of floor. Even the stools will drop through this type of grate until they are 10+ weeks old.

SRB


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## Bobby (Dec 21, 2002)

Review this site, call and talk.

http://www.tkproductsllc.com/


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## JYDOG (Aug 9, 2002)

If you make a drain system that goest ot a septic consider that if the area is not protected from the rain your septic will fill when it rains. I have my dogs on cement and have 75% of it covered. The house and the gate are arranged to encourage the the dog to use the uncovered are as the potty area. The sun and rain do a lot to sanatize the area. also I clean kennels daily when possible. Yes I do have to shovel snow in this area.


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## chewy (Mar 27, 2006)

the rain is ok it's all the leaves and dog bedding that fills them up. I think a normal septic is full and when u add water the top drains to the drain field


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## JYDOG (Aug 9, 2002)

chewy said:


> the rain is ok it's all the leaves and dog bedding that fills them up. I think a normal septic is full and when u add water the top drains to the drain field


I use two 30 gallon barrels hooked in series. once they are full of water you are done because it can take a while to leach off in rainey season. Also if it freezes soon after you have a concern.


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## ausable riverboat (May 10, 2010)

My kennels are backed up to the woods. I have a gutter across the front and down the side and have a hole there wash all of the poop and bedding into the hole. Clean it out a couple of times a year. Never had trouble with the smell. In the summer I have a fenced in area and mother nature takes care of most of it.


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## fisheater (Nov 14, 2010)

I was a concrete contractor for twenty years, and poured my own kennel floor with a trough drain, for my beagles. If you are going to have a tough drain you must have a roof, to prevent leaves, but you still may have trouble with kennel bedding. Truthfully, I never had a roof and the system was constantly plugged with debris. I have poured kennel floors that guys had me broom finish. They always stink more, the poop sticks more. I troweled mine smooth and never had to trim nails, of course running alot helps there also. Two percent pitch is approx. 1/4" per foot or 1" per four feet. If you can't pour concrete and not have puddles at 2% pitch you need someone to help you. As a man that poured concrete for 30 years I find 5% pitch or 5/8" per foot over the top. My apologies to the gentleman that suggested such, but that is my opinion based on my years of experience. I would pour a floor with 2% pitch, maybe a touch more, trowel it smooth. I would build 6 foot tall panels, with top and bottom rails. Once the corners are tied together it does not move, at least with beagles, and it is easy to reconfigure, if you have dogs of a different sex. Since you do have larger dogs it would be easy to use steel pipe strap and concrete screws (tapcons) to secure the bottom rail, and still reconfigure as things change. BTW when you trowel concrete, if you find you're leaving marks, just refinish it again when it gets harder. Two times around is what a good finisher usually does when hand finishing. If you need to sprinkle water it is time to stop. Good Luck


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## mkriep2006 (Mar 28, 2011)

I am an expert , have been in concrete for about 11 years now. If you do hire a contractor you will be paying way to much unless you are pouring a large kennel. However there is no substitute for know how. It all depends on how confident you are. And other things such as , can you get a truck to to site, and tools you will need. Your definitely need 2x4s for forms, you will need an extra 2x4 to "screed" or level the top of the concrete, a rake to spred it, some hand tools such as a float and a steel trowel, to finish/polish the concrete once it gets firm enough. If it is small I would say go at it yourself, by small i mean less than 320 sq feet, which would be 4 yards of concrete at 4 inches thick, you want to put 1/4" inch per foot of pitch on it in the direction you want it to flow or 1 inch of drop every 4 feet. as far as drainage, where you pitch the slab to dig a 18" deep trench fill it upwith pea gravel or good sand and that should alow any urine to wash down into the soil enough to be filtered naturally. Hope this helps in your decision.


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## mkriep2006 (Mar 28, 2011)

Oh one more piece of advice,, This is a very very secret piece of advice that my Grandmother gave to me. If your looking for a contractor, Go to the local bar when its busy, Ask if anyone does concrete, buy them a beer and ask what they would charge you to give you a hand. Probably get a much better price that way than hiring a company who has to pay employees and all that. Works for all types of contractors, LOL.. Grandma is so smart


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