A concrete floor for a dog kennel will be 3-1/2” thick aggregate mix, and when finished the concrete will have 1-5/8” diameter galvanized posts along the outer edge for the kennel fencing and a gate.
Begin by preparing the ground area where the concrete floor will be placed. Remove all grasses, shrubs and any large boulders from the area under the building pad. Smooth the area to a uniform grade.
Stake out the area using 12” long wood stakes and a string line. Set the stakes at the (4) corners of the floor area. Measure the length and width between the string line and be sure the string lines are the dimension of the concrete floor plus 1-1/2” each way. This additional 1-1/2” will account for the width of the form lumber. Tighten the string line and drive additional 12” long wood stakes every 36” apart along both sides and ends of the floor area.
Next use a builders’ level to establish a zero point at the top of the soil pad and then make marks on the stakes to establish the elevation of the top of the concrete floor. This elevation should be 3-1/2’ above the soil pad.
Attach 2” x 4” form lumber to the inside face of the stakes using #6” duplex form nails, nailed through the stake and into the 2”x 4”. Use a sledge hammer or heavy mallet as a back up when nailing. This is done by simply holding the face of the mallet against the face of the form lumber when driving the nails through the stakes and this measure assures the stakes remain firm in the soil.
Fill any voids between the bottom of the forms and the soil pad using loose dirt. Wet the forms and the pad moderately to seat the fill dirt and stakes.
Mark the top edges of the forms for gate posts and fence posts. Fence posts should be no more than 8’ apart and a standard gate for a kennel is 36” wide. Be sure to allow additional width for the gate hinges. Dig a 12” deep x 4” diameter hole inside the forms and 2” from the edge of the form at each of the post locations. Have the gate and fence posts ready to install after the concrete has been poured. The posts should be a minimum of 8’ in length and 1-5/8” in diameter.
Next, place 3# steel rebar reinforcement on the pad in a 16” x 16” grid configuration. Place concrete spacer blocks under the rebar grid to ensure the steel does not contact the soil. Wet the pad and place the concrete while the area and forms are still moist. Float the fresh concrete with a long handle wood trowel.
Make a mark at 12” from the end of each of the fence and gate posts. Install the fence and gate posts using a block of wood to protect the top of the posts and a mallet to drive them in place to the mark. Trowel and finish the concrete to a light broom texture to guard against slipping and still allow for easy wash down.