Thread: Dog Run Roofing / Keeping Dog Run Cool

I would keep away from plastic sheeting as the light coming through will generate heat.Where I live we get temperatures bordering 50 degrees.I just use tin sheeting and wet the kennels down.A mist system is a good idea and have thought of it myself but water is scarce out here.If you are concerned just fix 2 lots of sheeting.Put first sheets over and then teck four by twos on top and sheet over that again.The top sheets will take the heat and the gap will allow for airflow and the bottom sheets will stay cool.Hope that gives you an option.

Ah okay, great idea. Thanks.

I'll see what I can do, if I can even can

Would you get the tin sheeting from a place like bunnings? Or somewhere else?

You can get it anywhere.Have a look in the paper for secondhand corrugated iron.Just silicone up the old holes or if you are lucky you can get some left over that is new and unused for half the price.Thats where I got most of mine from.Someone builds a shed and has some left over and doesnt need it.

Tack hessian bags to the enclosure and set up a sprinkler system. If u have corrugated roof u can put the hessian bags on that and have a guttering system to collect the water into a drum with a pump which constantly recycles the water. Make sure you have a large capacity drum to make sure it doesnt run dry due to the evaporation. You in effect have developed an evaporative cooler.
Attach the pump to a thermostat to kick in once the temp goes over say 30 degrees and you have climate control

I would speak to your next door neighbours and ask if you can attach a sail to their house, then to your house, give the shade clothe more distance from the run.
You might find the neighbours enjoy a cooler wall and you get better shade. I would put a wooden platform in there to get off hot cerment(heats up without sun),and on it you can put a water cooler matteress or try putting water in air beds,tough ones. Gives the dog a place to go to when hot.
The shade cloth needs to be up off the run for better air flow and with my avaries If to close the cages heat up instead.
I live where it get over 50 in summer,so heat is something I know about and many animals to protect from it......
From what I see as a problem to me if your run where mine would be the concrete getting hot still, and I would watch air flow on hot days,sometimes it's too still..

Get rid of the plastic roofing ,corrugated iron is the only way to go,

Thank you for all of your input, I have decided to initially try putting a spacer on the current roof & then putting some corrugated iron on top of that. It will then provide shade as well as a air space between the top roof and the 2nd roof, hopefully keeping the kennel area cool.

I will also be putting shade cloth around the top half of the kennel to lower the amount of direct sunlight into the kennel from the sides.

I've had a temperature monitor inside the kennel for the past few days and the temperature at roof level is 38 degrees and the temp inside the kennel is 30 and I would assume even lower at ground level.

I'll keep an eye on the kennel and will endeavor to make it a comfortable place for my dog for the long term.