I have an outside kennel with a gravel floor that I would like to make hard surfaced. The area that it is in I can't get a concrete truck in. I thought about a wooden deck or square stepping stones. Can anyone think of a reason why either of these would or would not work, or any other solution. Thanks

-- steve lawson (steve.lawson@milliken.com), April 01, 2002

Answers

Can you get the concrete truck close? You could wheelbarrow the concrete to the form- not a lot of fun, but...

Oh, don't use wood! It absorbs odors and is near impossible to disinfect.

-- shakeytails in KY (shakeytails@yahoo.com), April 01, 2002.

Steve, be careful if you decide to go with any kind stepping stone or even field stone laid side by side. We have a dog that has had his toenails ripped out a few times by catching them in our laid-stone sidewalk. We ended up having to pull up the stones, separate them by an inch or more, thus ending the problem. We filled the gaps with pea gravel... fine for a walkway, but I don't think that would work for a kennel.

-- Marge (mboyc73@yahoo.com), April 01, 2002.

How about just using redi-mix and mixing it right at the site?? How big an area are you talking about?? For sure not wood, it really holds oders.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 01, 2002.

Another option would be to remove the gravel and put down strips of rolled roofing; hose it off when it needs cleaning. The stuff should last for years if in a shady spot.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 01, 2002.

concrete, and seal it! You should be able to move it with a wheelbarrow, as suggested. A bit of effort at the outset, but it will pay off in years to come.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), April 01, 2002.

If a truck can't get that's not a problem if you have a pumper come with the truck. A pumper is a guy that holds onto a long hose that pumps the concrete into the site from the truck. Yes it costs a bit more but well worth it as concrete can be easily hosed off as opposed to cement block pavers or wood.

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), April 01, 2002.

We use patio block in our outside runs. Took a couple of years for them to settle in. We like the fact that water (and urine) doesn't pool on them,it can soak into the ground, makes cleaning and washing the runs much easier.

-- Scotsirish (notreal@anywhere.net), April 01, 2002.

Paving stones work OK. Never heard of a toenail getting caught, until now! Live and learn. We built a dog run for a customer and just wheeled the concrete back from the front to back yard. About 400 feet away. 4x16x4" thick. Took an afternoon but wasn't bad. I'd use Peagravel over patio stones, but poured concrete is best of all.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), April 01, 2002.

I use pea gravel,I had cement at my other house but it maded my dog smell because there is nowhere for the urine to go.I use a hay fork for picking up the feces that way I don`t loose the gravel as it slips thru the fork.

-- Steven (homestead@110.net), April 01, 2002.

We used a load of gravel fines from the quarry and it's worked great. It packs down hard but urine and water don't pool up on it.

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), April 01, 2002.

I just poured a large concrete pad in a place inaccesible to truck. You can rent something called a "concrete buggy", which is essentially a gas powered wheel barrow with a hydraulic dump. Worked Great! Concrete truck parked at street, and it took me about 30 minutes to move 4 yards of concrete approximately 100 yards away. The rental cost was about 60 dollars and well worth it good luck.

-- Richie Flowers (softhackle@charter.net), April 28, 2002.