- 20
- Nov
This is not an advertisement for K-9 Kondos, since I’m not getting anything out of this blog. But I have to say, I love their dog houses; I have 5 of them. I got the barrel house (K-9 Kondo) about 15 years ago and it still looks great. A couple of years ago I replaced the plywood platform on the top, otherwise it is still as good as the day I got it. More recently I have purchased 4 of their Dog Dens. They are aesthetically appealing, well insulated, weather resistant and totally chew proof. The dogs love to lie on top and hang their paws over the edge. (This is an advantage over other manufactured dog houses.) Previously, I spent a ton of time planning and building a wooden dog house which was insulated, but the dogs proceeded to chew it to chips and in no time it looked terrible. The K-9 dog houses are well priced. They keep the dogs warm in the winter, cool in the summer and always look great.
December 18th, 2007 at 6:04 am
I notice the floor of your kennel is a wood. Why the wood deck as opposed to concrete? Are you happy with the wood deck as far as maintenance is concerned? I am planning to build my own kennel soon and like the look of yours.
December 18th, 2007 at 7:32 am
I chose wood for two reasons: first, I can move it to a different place for the summer (under a big shade tree with an eastern exposure) and in full southern sun for the winter. I think it makes it much more comfortable for the dogs. Plus, if I ever move I can take the whole thing with me. I started with this type of kennel floor when I was in college and moved more often and have stuck with it ever since. Here in Utah, where it’s pretty dry, if you treat the wood with stain every year, it will easily last 15 years.
The second reason I like it is that it tends to stay dry and is warm in the winter and cool in the summer for the dogs to lay on. I keep a stiff putty knife handy and it make clean up quick and easy.
I used 2×6’s for the joists and 1×6’s for the decking. If you buy 1×6’s that have one finished side and one rough side (put the rough side down) they are about 1/2 the cost fully finished lumber. Place the 1×6’s 1/2″ apart so the dogs can easily walk on them and toes don’t go between them, but water and urine can. You could scrape the poop between the planks and let it fall, but I like to bag it up to avoid odor. I then place the platform up on something (2×4 blocks, bricks, cinder blocks…) to keep it dry. This design has worked really well for me for almost 20 years now. My current floor for 5 kennels cost ~$350, looks sharp, it’s easy to clean and the dogs really like it.
No doubt concrete is nice, but it is expensive, and you can’t move it once it’s in place. - Chris