How to improve this D.I.Y. balcony dog potty?

[tryds]

Hello! We recently moved into an apartment for the first time with an 8 year old staffy x lab who has problems with her back legs and doesn't like going out in the rain.

The dog toilets available to buy were too small, so I ended up building one on our balcony. It has worked but and i'm a bit of an amateur so am hoping for some advice on building a better one

What I used for the current potty: 

- 6 x 1m pine for the frame (4 perimeter and 2 support underneath)

- 2 x smaller pieces of wood to prop up the middle (for drainage)

- piece of MDF on top of the support pieces 

- Grunt plastic wrap and tape over the MDF (attempted waterproofing) 

- 4 x metal feet 

- wood screws 

- drain (one side closed off)

- plastic tray (for drainage to go into)

- fake grass 

Issues/ needs improvement:

- the wood isn't sealed or waterproofed so it is starting to smell (unsure of best solution) 

- plastic may need to be regularly replaced (would prefer to just hose off regularly - not sure what to replace with)

- drain sometimes dribbles onto the balcony so probably needs to be more direct to the tray 

- Size probably needs to be updated to 1m x 1.5m or 2m

- would like a larger tray for run off but would need to lift it more, which might mean adding a little step since she has bad legs 

- I like that the wood is lifted so the run off is directed to the drain, am not sure of the drain will need to be moved to the middle if I extend the length 

Keen to just start from scratch so would appreciate advice 😊

 

[Akanksha]

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @tryds. We're delighted to have you join us and look forward to seeing and assisting you with your home improvement and garden projects.

Thanks for your question. I'm sure our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @MitchellMc will be happy to assist as soon as he can. Also calling upon our wonderful and helpful members @RubyCavoodle, @j450n74y and @LePallet for their thoughts.

Don't hesitate to let me know if you need a hand getting the most out of the site in the meantime.

Akanksha

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @tryds 

Sorry  about your aging staffyxLab  (sounds like a  great dog )  Very  glad you are supporting its life making it as comfortable as possible.

I like the toilet design I dont think you will  be rid of the smell as the artifiacal grass will be  effected mostly all you  can do is a weekly hose down.

The  plastic wont hold smell as long as it is intact its  golden.

If you like seal the wood for longer life on your mark 2.  

I might consider tapping a garden hose into your drain an have it run into the garden below  so the urine dosnt go off  smell extra bad with  posible bacteria build up.

Alternate design 

But you might be able to buy a second hand plastic pond base cheap and  cut a entery door space and make a little timber or plastic  grill  deck on it for urine  through put add  artifical turf over timber or plastic / grill if you dogs  like that too.  Add the  urine drain or wash out port to  below.  Faeces maybe water cut up or dissolved and also wash down a larger diameter hose too drain or  bin or garden

The low  walls of the pond 300mm at a guess will help your dog stand to do business if they wobbly in  later  years 

Hope you dog has many  more good years.

[MitchellMc]

Some great ideas there from @Jewelleryrescue, @tryds. As they've mentioned, regardless of the rest of the build, even synthetic turf by itself will start to pong after a while. Try exchanging as many timber materials for plastic as possible and get rid of the MDF; it's like a giant sponge.    

I'd recommend you take the turf off every few weeks and clean out the unit with Peerless JAL 5L Forever Deodoriser / Air Freshener Concentrate, which is great at controlling odours. In between you can use Tuff Turf 500ml Synthetic Grass Deodoriser to keep the smells down.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Mitchell