I need some dog housing, help and advice PLEASE!

I have recently bought quite a large wooden Shire Shed at B&Q. I was confused because on researching this shed on the net it seemed to be twice the price from Shire or their other suppliers, that at B&Q? so naturally I bought from B&Q.

During my research into which shed/kennel to buy, All Shire Sheds were referred to as being pressure treated to give the building a long term protection  against rot! giving it an especially  long shelf life! providing it was then maintained every approx five years.

Having purchased taken my shed home, I realised that this shed was NOT TREATED? So I contacted B&Q who were not sure, and could not give me a definite Yes or NO answer. So i then contacted Shire Sheds direct. questioning the high price difference, and preservative issue?

Shire Sheds  told me that this shed from B&Q was not pressure treated? which was why there was such a big price difference,  between buying it from B&Q rather that buying from them, even though the shed was  identical to the shed that could be bought from them direct,  mine was specially produced by them for B&Q and only had a base coat that only offered protection against mold, and only during production! Fine, I have no problem with that I thought, now I know where I stand! and what I need to do next.

However still a little confused, but once it was explained to me, I now realised that before I erect the shed, and  convert it into 2 kennels and add 2 runs I want to make sure that I treat it with some form of wood protecting paint? preservative? or whatever? that is not dangerous to animals. but gives be good long term protection in wet and windy West Wales! 

BUT WHAT TREATMENT?  should I use that is safe for dogs in general, nursing mothers? and young pups in particular! easy I thought, just do a web search!

NOT SO EASY!!! All companies to a man/woman, say that their kennels have all been treated with a "Pet Friendly Wood Preservative????" but what is a Pet Friendly Wood Preservative?  I found a company that sold pet products, and wooden kennels and "Cuprinol" , I also looked at a pet care forum, where they recommended something called  "Cuprinol sp"? fine I thought, I'll email "Cuprinol" and ask them to recommend one of their products SIMPILSSS!!

Imagine my surprise, when they email me back to say that, NONE OF THEIR PRODUCTS WERE SAFE TO USE???

So now I am baffled!! and have got nowhere on the net ! and have also failed to get clarification on the term "Pet Friendly Wood Preservative"

Although I have owned, showed, worked, trained dogs since the late 1960's and even living for most of my life in Norway, (lots of wood!) I have just by pure chance never before used a wooden kennel building!

So being a Wooden kennel building Virgin? if thats the right terminology lol!  I throw myself at your mercy and beg for any  (dare I add sensible?) advice. on how do preserve my shed/kennel ? especially in those hard to reach places, that tend to rot  because to cannot get at them to repaint every year or even every five years. I'm open to all and any advice you can give me!!!  What do the good residents of "Champ-dogs" advise that I use? no generic terms please, I am already pulling my hair out over Pet Friendly Wood Preservative!!!!!

I have always used the shed and fence treatments that have the waxes in.  I would paint all the sections before assembling, as I did for the old kennel when I dismantled it for friends, mine was erected by the makers so I couldn't do it.

I re-do mine about every three years and the kennel I have shows no sign of the wood deteriorating (other than the odd chew make) in Bristol, and is now 11 years old.

I always do at least 3 coats allowing time for each to dry.

I painted the floor with bitumen paint the gloss paint used on metal downpipes etc.

Diolch

Bitumen paint? is that on the underside of the floor for protection? or the floor to protect against any accidents?

I have always used cuprinol and never had a problem although i don't whelp my bitches in the kennells,they are in the house.
I found that the preservative they were treated with by producers was water based and pretty useless.

I cuprinol every other year.

To waterproof floor against accidents ;)

Totally off topic I guess as to paint but I often wonder how dogs cope in wooden buildings in the warm weather.  I am a summer house in one corner of my garden and the heat in it is awful during the summer months, even at night time. I am guessing the don't get lock in?? Just wondered. 

My last wooden kennels were treated with B&Q shed paint on the outside, without any ill effects on the dogs, but inside I had them lined with  upvc - the sort which is often used as cladding on the outside of houses or for bathrooms.  IT is very lightweight and easy to fit, extremely easy to clean, makes the inside of the kennels very light because of the light reflection on white plastic, and never needs painting or treating at all, so low maintenance.   It is fairly cheap (certainly a lot less over the years than recoating with treatment) and easy to fit.  I put a thin layer of polystyrene in the gap between the wood and the upvc, and the kennels stayed warm in winter and kept cool(ish) in summer.  I was so impressed with the upvc that I had my next lot of kennels faced in upvc inside and out, and will do so with my new one when it eventually gets built, I have managed to find some of the cladding in a lovely soft shade of green for the outsides which will fit in with my fencing and potting shed beautifully.  We used aluminium channel for the door edges and around the pop holes, so no chance of damage by chewing.

Hi Blue,yes unfotunately wooden huts get very hot in the summer.Ours are insulated which helps a bit but we have very large runs on the kennels which are covered and at no time are they ever shut in the hut so they can lie out on the shaded concrete if they wish.

It's a very good point though and i would recommend anyone who gets a kennel to have a covered run to offer shade OUTSIDE of the hut.

> I often wonder how dogs cope in wooden buildings in the warm weather. 

Mine only use theirs at night, and I usually aim to have litters(only daytime users) in the cool weather.  My kennel also has windows that open and removable shutters covering weldmesh at floor level, so dogs can have half the front of the kennel (top and bottom) open and still be contained.

My dad buys a catering size drum of vegetable oil and oils his shed rather than using a preserver. It's an ordinary garden shed and has been in use for many, many years.

Interesting about heat, we have a large shed wich I have insulated with 50mm polystyrene sheets. It is very cool in the summer and very snug in the winter, although in the summer I do make sure it is well ventilated.
Jeff.

My dogs sleep in a 12' x 12' log cabin, I've treated that with Cuprinol Ducksback (with wax)  They are never locked in during the daytime because although the walls are thick, it does still get very warm in there.  We do have heating and an airconditioner in there too, plus  a large opening window, we have also put an internal door so the main door can also be left open if I have to shut them away for any reason.

As an aside one of our jobs was with RAF to paint the outside of their dog kennels, we do a paint that keeps the heat out by defelecting it back, its not shiny it had to be in camoflague colours. Its commercial use so not available for residential (its really really expensive) but if you could put a layer of insulated tin foil inside of the roof either under the felt or in the roof space that would work as well, it will stop the heat getting in and keep the warmth in in winter!
Just a thought.

Diolch, Thanks, Barbara thats very interesting, I was going to  cover the floor with lino, or even go the expensive route and cover the wooden floor with exterior ply, which works well when use it to make whelping boxes and maybe even a combination of both! I had never thought to try Bitumen Paint!
Pedr

Well it has lasted me 11 years.  It was a bit shiny for a while but has matted down nicely.

I tell you what Jeff, Egg Trays between the outer wall, and the inner skin works a treat, Its a trick we used,  for building Sound and Radio studios ect. in the 1960's, when nothing could be bought commercially. everything had to be invented from scavenged bits and bobs. GOOD TRAINING FOR LIFE!

I buy lots of eggs from my local farm for the dogs consumption as well as mine, so there are always plenty of egg trays lying around. "A Free Resource!"

The egg trays deaden the sound of barking from within, during the night! they also insulate the inside from the outside and visa versa i.e heat and cold. However,I always make sure to add extra ventilation to my kennels and make sure that runs are always provided with access at all times, apart from at night time, when the dogs are put to bed!

Take it from me, "EGG TRAYS"  work a treat, they are also a free resource of sorts? and its a great way to recycle, and give them a new lease of life.
Lots of great help from you all, keep it coming ! Diolch yn Fawr/Thank you very much.

I love the vegetable oil idea!!!! Used Oil, from the chip shop was it? again a great way not to waste resources, but to find new uses for them!
I wonder if the wood smells so nice to the dogs, that they may eat the Shed/Kennel lol , They will certainly get a shiny nose & coat lol.

Pedr