When selecting flooring for dog kennels, decision makers need to keep in mind that different organizations may have different needs when it comes to flooring.
Dog daycares, kennels, animal training facilities and any other facility that regularly cares for, boards and trains dogs requires a floor made of materials that are durable and have a wide range of desirable properties, such as resistance to odors.
Floor Layout and Specifications for Indoor Dog Kennels
Indoor dog kennels are used to provide housing not only for pets, but also working dogs, such as assistance dogs for the disabled, police, guard and military dogs.
These animals deserve to have facilities that offer them a clean and well-maintained environment. Having the right flooring is a big part in a facility’s comprehensive health and safety plan, both for humans and the dogs they house.
While each facility will have a unique floor plan, there are some considerations that apply to all facilities that house a large number of dogs on an ongoing basis.
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Durable Materials
The entire facility should use materials that are durable enough to withstand the high amount of human and animal traffic it receives each day.
For public areas, such as offices, reception areas and entryways, the flooring materials and associated coverings used also need to take aesthetics into consideration, as this allows the organization to make a good first impression with visitors.
However, since animals will often be present together with human visitors in these areas, the materials will also need to have the right functional characteristics.
As for the areas where the dogs ordinarily live, play and train, the flooring materials used need to have a focus on health, safety and sanitation. Any porous grout lines, deep floor scratches, spaces between floor tiles and corners joining the floor and wall provide a perfect environment for microbes to flourish and should therefore be avoided.Most facilities will opt to use fluid-applied polymer resin flooring for these parts of their building. It is resistant to the type of damage commonly encountered in facilities that house animals, such as scratches from their nails, animal waste or fluids, as well as general wear caused by heavy traffic.
Polymer resin flooring also has the advantage of being almost completely seamless and has high resistance to the industrial cleaning and disinfection products that will be used on it on a regular basis.
Selecting the Most Appropriate Dog Kennel Flooring
Just like with any commercial or institutional flooring, selecting floor materials for a commercial kennel is something that management should get right the first time.
Repairing or replacing the floor later on can be very costly and disrupt the organization’s daily operations. Should there be any uncertainty as to which materials are ideal, receiving expert guidance and advice is always a wise move.
In general, professional animal care and boarding facilities will find that polymer flooring is the most suitable choice for them. It offers high durability, resistance to damage and wear, is easy to clean and maintain daily and meets all sanitation standards.
It can also be customized with ease, providing not only a choice of colors, but also the ability to incorporate branding and logos right in the facility’s floor.