flooring for outdoor concrete run - Page 2

Why would you need to keep the Dog off the concrete, Dogs in Outside Pens do not roam about all day long, No matter how big the pen is

 The Dog will only use a small part of  the pen , If they do roam about then they are bored

 An Outside Kennel and Run is a home for the Dog,

It cannot supplement normal excersise and Training Time , So a concrete base is perfectly okay

i have kept Dogs living outside in Kennels with Runs with Concrete base for over 50 years Not one had any leg problem or any other problem if that is what are worried about that

At the Present Time my Two Dogs have as always have a concrete base in there runs, both are very fit and healthy see photos elswhere on this forum of the Pen and Living Quarters plus Concrete Base of my dogs

Steve

TSC had them for sale for $32 this weekend.  I was thinking of getting some, but never had the time. 

I'm gonna see if they'll give me the price today.

*** one good idea to do if using the horse stall mats, is to buy a tube of silicon.   When installing the mats, put a good bead of it all along the seam where the two mats will meet.  You want it to ooze out of the top and whipe it away.  With doing this, you will get a perfect seal and no urine can slip between the mats and sit under them. 

Kuranda dog beds are virtually indestructible--really!  The dogs love to lie on them.  All parts are replaceable, should a dog chew the pvc leg.  I recommend the heaviest duty fabric and aluminum framework for outside pens.  I have had a dozen in hard use for over a year.  The only damages are slightly knawed pvc legs, and that does not impact functionality.  The Kuranda company offers a significant discount for 12+ beds, mix/match sizes are OK.

The downside to the stall mats are that they are heavy and collect nasty stuff underneath that can only be properly cleaned by moving the entire mat system and power washing.  The summer heat--even with shaded runs--can make the kennels dangerously hot, and the heat continues to radiate back in the evening from the black surface.

Gayle Kirkwood

We have always used heavy plywood. We make a base and put the plywood ontop. We usually make them 2x6 but u can make them any size.

They have held up now for 10 yrs to daily cleaning and are easy to lift to clean underneath.

We use a water based poli once a yr. Also the dogs havent chewed on them but we do provide the dogs with plenty to chew on if they get bored.

You could do the same with decking.

As for bedding, the beds someone mentioned are a good choice. I know someone who made a short wooden square and puts straw in it but u have to change it all the time. An eglo with straw inside would work well also.

I'm buliding a run in my garage. Have gone back and forth for weeks between tile and the rubber mats from TSC. Bought 2 of the rubber mats today. Sealed the seam with silicone and think I'm going to be satisfied with them. I'm going to put cedar chips on top. 

I read the posts about how heavy they are and all the way to TSC, I'm thinking "how heavy can a 6 X 4 rubber mat be". I can now tell you now that they can be real damn heavy. 

Best, Rik 

the rubber stall mats can get hot when in direct sun, but every kennel should have shade- when in shade, the mats don't get dangerously hot.  Concrete doesn't need mats, I have concrete runs in my kennel but the concrete is smoothed out.  One outside run is concrete but not smooth - any running or pacing the dog does wears down their pads to nearly bloody in no time.  So I don't use that run at all, will use it once I put the rubber stall mats in.  As long as the base is properly sloped, hosing down the mats will allow drainage underneath them as well.  Nothing pees like a horse, and the mats have grooves underneath to allow drainage.  You have to put the grooves in a way that moisture will drain toward the slope of the  kennel, though.

The mats are extremely heavy, but I can struggle them off the truck and to the kennels by myself, if I bend them in the middle and hold them that way, it is hard but not impossible to move them alone.  Bulky more than anything.  Much easier with two people or a tractor :)

molly

Oh they are heavy a duty without a doubt! ........ At the local tractor supply a guy test driving a cart hit into the pile and mats never moved but it dented the cart!

yup, we have used the stall mats from tsc also.  work great.

pjp