A Dummy's Kennel Roof Design

Chain link kennel with roof

If they weren't so sad (and exasperating), some of the cockamamie posts freelancers threw up on eHow.com while trying to "answer" questions would be downright hilarious. We mean, really:  think about the havoc the average "communications degree" holder can wreak on even simple DIY instructions! In fact, you don't have to, because we have some for you to look at right now: give a warm Antisocial Network welcome to Cuteness.com's Melissa Smith and her attempt to tell some poor schmuck "How to Build a Roof on a Chain Link Dog Kennel."¹

The answer's... complicated. How you might add a roof depends a lot on the size of the kennel, your budget, your level of skill, and other factors. You could go whole-hog and put up a shingled gable roof. You could cheap it out and lay in some tarpaper-covered plywood. No matter what you do, though, if the kennel is big enough for anything larger than a Chihuahua, a solid roof needs to be supported to keep it from sagging...
...unless you're as clueless as Megan. Her "solution"?

"Purchase exterior grade plywood or corrugated tin roofing in sheets that match your measurements plus 2 to 3 inches of extra width to allow for an overhang. Drill holes every 6 inches along the edge of the plywood or tin roofing sheet... Run a zip tie or 10-inch piece of heavy-gauge wire through each hole. Position the plywood or tin roofing on the top of the chain link kennel. Attach the plywood or tin roofing to the chain link by closing the zip ties or wire through the fencing..."

If that weren't doofus enough, Smith embeds the following exhortation:

"Be sure the roof slopes downward so rain can run off and snow can slide off..."

The notion that you can just slap a sheet of plywood (or two) on top of the kennel frame is bad enough, but just how did Megan envision giving the plywood a slope? Anyone with a brain knows that 1) plywood laid on top of the kennel will form a flat surface, at least until 2) it sags in the middle. Idiot.

Doggy-doo for brains also suggested using lattice for the roof which, we'll admit, will reduce sag. Of course, since Megan told us that, "Direct sun, snow and rain can lead to health problems with your dog," we were curious about how a lattice would hold back rain and snow...
Smith cited three "references" for her post. Only one of the three mentioned a roof over a kennel, and that one was a ramada instead of solid. It might be where she got the notion for the "six inches" crap, though, since the blogger spaced wires several inches apart to allow vining plants to spread over the top.

As we often say, ask a Dumbass of the Day a question, and you'll get a Dumbass of the Day answer. Smith did nothing to disprove the saying.

¹ The original has been deleted by Leaf Group, but can still be accessed using the Wayback machine at archive.org. Its URL was   cuteness.com/article/build-roof-chain-dog-kennel

copyright © 2019-2021 scmrak

DDIY - PETS