Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:39:04 -0500, wrote:

Do you have any place to get some used or scrap sheet tin? Just cover
the roof with tin, and it will never leak again. Otherwise, see if
some roofer or anyone has some left over shingles, and just nail them
on as per the instructions on the package.



I can just buy some shingles but I thought that I needed to paper it
first. It's a (3 foot square) flat roof.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Oct 12, 3:31*pm, dgk wrote:
Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

Call a local roofer or 2 and ask them if you can stop by their next
job (or 2) and grab the cut-offs/leftovers of roofing felt. They often
have short lengths that aren't worth their time to lay down.

I don't know that I'd use flashing cement...I just staple it down.

I bought open bundles of shingles at Lowes for $10 a bundle. Roofed a
8 x 10 shed for under $50 bucks!

I once built a 2 room dog house with a removable roof to make cleaning
it easier. I figured I'd shingle the roof to make it last. Damn roof
was so heavy it took two of us to remove it when we wanted to clean.

Dog never did like the house much anyway.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Oct 12, 2:31*pm, dgk wrote:
Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

Is the roof sloped? I'm wondering why it leaks, when my doghouse,
with similar construction, does not. The doghouse roof is one piece of
painted plywood that is sloped just enough to shed water and overlaps
the walls about 2 or 3 inches all around, and the house stays dry.
Does it have a floor? Maybe the water is coming in at the bottom
somehow? All that being said, as others have said see if you can beg
a scrap of tarpaper, or just put the shingles on without it. If it's
close enough to the house, you can test it with the hose. -- H

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Oct 12, 12:31*pm, dgk wrote:
Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

If you're unwilling to use tar paper, how about actual tar, and then
put down shingles? Easy, way cheap.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Oct 12, 12:31*pm, dgk wrote:
Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

Oh, and if you're REALLY cheap, how about a $5 tarp from the BORG?

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

dgk wrote:
On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:39:04 -0500, wrote:

Do you have any place to get some used or scrap sheet tin? Just
cover the roof with tin, and it will never leak again. Otherwise,
see if some roofer or anyone has some left over shingles, and just
nail them on as per the instructions on the package.



I can just buy some shingles but I thought that I needed to paper it
first. It's a (3 foot square) flat roof.

1st thing. Tilt it or something to get rid of the flat roof.

You could try a deck stain on it.

Tar paper alone would do it for a year or 2.

A scrap of roll roofing would do better. Shingle won't work on a roof with
insuficient slope.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

The roof needs some slope (others have mentioned).

Blue tarp? Or maybe green tarp? Larger than the cathouse. Nail or
staple along the side, use a razor knife to cut the tarp to shape.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"dgk" wrote in message
...
Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On 10/12/2010 2:31 PM, dgk wrote:
Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

I built one back when I was a kid, same problem. I used old window
shades that I pulled off the rollers, then stapled onto the roof and
walls of the house. You could do the same with an inexpensive plastic
tarp.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Oct 13, 7:33*am, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 10/12/2010 2:31 PM, dgk wrote:

Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

I built one back when I was a kid, same problem. I used old window
shades that I pulled off the rollers, then stapled onto the roof and
walls of the house. You could do the same with an inexpensive plastic
tarp.

The OP said it had a flat roof, in his second posting, very bad design
to start with.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:19:14 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

The roof needs some slope (others have mentioned).

Blue tarp? Or maybe green tarp? Larger than the cathouse. Nail or
staple along the side, use a razor knife to cut the tarp to shape.

That's likey what I'm going to do. Probably brown to blend in with the
location. Staple it. It doesn't get much easier than that.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:43:00 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

On Oct 13, 7:33*am, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 10/12/2010 2:31 PM, dgk wrote:

Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

I built one back when I was a kid, same problem. I used old window
shades that I pulled off the rollers, then stapled onto the roof and
walls of the house. You could do the same with an inexpensive plastic
tarp.

The OP said it had a flat roof, in his second posting, very bad design
to start with.

The problem is that the OP (me) is incompetent at cutting boards at
other than a right angle, likely because I don't have the equiptment
to do so. I can get the plywood cut at Home Despot but only right
angles. Damn, an old friend's father had a whole woodworking setup in
his basement and could have done this stuff blindfolded. He died a few
years back and my friend rented a truck and took all the machines
cross country and put them into his basement. Maybe if I drew up some
plans I could get him to...

Come to think of it, my roof is pretty much a flat roof and yes, it is
a pain every five years or so. I can't wrap the whole house in a tarp
though. Actually, after those tornadoes just tore through New York
City a few weeks back, lots of homes near me are covered in blue tarp.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:38:50 -0500, wrote:

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:43:00 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

walls of the house. You could do the same with an inexpensive plastic
tarp.

The OP said it had a flat roof, in his second posting, very bad design
to start with.

Thats weird, I never got that second posting.

He can only use tin. Get some barn siding tin and use neoprene washer
screws to afix it. That stuff is sold 38" wide (36" coverage). I
recall he said the roof is 3 feet. This stuff sells for about $2.50 a
running foot. That roof should cost $10 with the screws. A rural
lumberyard may have a bent or dented sheet with a usable portion of
the sheet remaining.

Worth a check, I'll check the local lumber yards.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:02:41 -0700 (PDT), Joe wrote:

On Oct 12, 2:31*pm, dgk wrote:
Last year I had a 4*8 outdoor plywood board (pressure treated I think)
cut into appropriate pieces at the local Home Despot and put together
a little house for a few feral cats. I used some polyurethane stain,
caulked the seams, and figured it was pretty waterproof. Yet every
heavy rain the inside was soaked.

I figured that I'd get some of that roofing tarpaper, use the flashing
cement to attach it to the wood, and put some shingles on it. However
I can only buy the tarpaper in large rolls, which is far more than I
would ever need.

So, what's a good way to waterproof a pet house?

It might be easier to redesign the project. Consider using concrete
blocks for walls, plus a sloping piece of Ondura roofing. Anchor
together any way convenient and it should last for years. And zero
maintenance.

Joe

A local guy is doing a workshop on Saturday on how to create a feral
cat house out of styrofoam fish boxes. They only last a year but are
supposed to be warmer than wood and far easier to deal with. Of
course, they need to be screwed onto a wood base or they blow away.

So I got to thinking about just getting one of those 4'*8' foam boards
from Home Despot and slapping one together. But if the tarp works on
the wood then it's even easier.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:38:50 -0500, jw wrote:
He can only use tin. Get some barn siding tin and use neoprene washer
screws to afix it. That stuff is sold 38" wide (36" coverage). I
recall he said the roof is 3 feet. This stuff sells for about $2.50 a
running foot. That roof should cost $10 with the screws. A rural
lumberyard may have a bent or dented sheet with a usable portion of the
sheet remaining.

To be honest, I'd say find a big ol' fridge at a junkyard (or via
freecycle) and cut down one of the flat side panels.

Or put an angled roof on the thing...

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

I have a cat that live outside that heend a house for the cat to keep her warom

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 16 Jun 2020 22:48:43 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I have a cat that live outside that heend a house for the cat to keep her warom

I will not cooperate in the operation of a cathouse.

Waterproof a plywood cathouse?
 

On Thu, 18 Jun 2020 03:32:34 -0400, micky posted for all of us
to digest...


In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 16 Jun 2020 22:48:43 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I have a cat that live outside that heend a house for the cat to keep her warom

I will not cooperate in the operation of a cathouse.

But will you patronize one?

--
Tekkie