Beware! All cedar is not created equal.
Western Red Cedar (WRC) trees contain tannins that naturally preserve the wood from decay and insect attack. Additionally the wood is thermal coefficient with low density which enhances its insulation value because it contains a high proportion of cell cavities filled with air, one of the best known thermal insulators. Therefore Western red cedar wood stays cool to the touch in hot summer sun and warmer in winter. This characteristic combined with WRC's centuries of proven performance make it the preferred choice for building outdoor structures as our dog house and our cats house.
The wood boasts a rich textured grain in a wide range of warm color tones creating a unique appearance, plus the mild natural red cedar aroma is non toxic and has relaxing therapeutic effects which can be calming for your pet.
Besides being a totally renewable resource, the most unique characteristic about natural unfinished WRC wood is that it does "not" require painting! The inherent tannin oils saturated throughout the lumber naturally protect it outdoors for many years. The darker red tones are derived from the center of the tree called the heartwood where the tannin oils are most concentrated.
We are partial to building with premium Western red cedar because most other woods including the cheaper more plentiful yellow and white cedar wood "do not" possess these protective oils. Whereas they will require regular maintenance for outdoor use to prevent the start of fungus and decay which can quickly spread once it gets into the wood, especially where it comes in continuous ground contact (as will any untreated wood except Teak). That is why all of our Western red cedar dog houses include a eco friendly lifetime treated wood base attached beneath our tongue-n-groove red cedar dog house raised floors.
Left in its natural unfinished state, WRC ages gracefully to a silvery gray color blending harmoniously with its environment as will the eco-friendly, lifetime treated wood base also. Graying does not affect the integrity of the wood. But if you prefer "not" to let it gray naturally with age, we recommend that you apply a waterproof clear wood protector like Thompson's to your pet house exterior only. Additionally since WRC does not contain a sticky oozing sap like pine wood, colorful finishing stains will easily adhere to our cedar wood pet houses. (See customer submitted doghouse photo for example.)
Ref: WRCLA Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Check out why our pet houses are Earth Friendly.
MANUFACTURING FACTS & FEATURES:
Wood Chuck is a pioneer and innovator in the dog house construction business. Every component used in association with his unique custom dog houses are his own original innovations dating back to 1989. So desirable are his cat and dog house designs that inferior imitations are now appearing in the online marketplace today by competitors. Quite a compliment don't you think? Except Wood Chuck is on the cutting edge of technology and design because he's an innovator not an imitator!
We use only natural unfinished, clear grain, solid premium Western red cedar wood for the exterior of our dog houses because it is a natural insulator, lasts decades, "does not" require painting and "does not" contain volatile finishing compounds that can cause allergic chemical reactions with your pet.
You get what you pay for from us. Our top grade clear Western red cedar wood beveled siding is overlayed for strength, double nailed onto our smaller pet houses and triple nailed onto our larger dog houses. Some competitors use lower grade siding which can only be attached with screws to keep it from curling, and pressure from the screws make it susceptible to splitting and cracking over time. While others have tongue-and-groove exteriors that can eventually let rain seep in causing mold and mildew buildup inside the walls.
In our solid dog house construction framework, we use only full dimensional spruce lumber with 2"x2" interior framing and angle braced joists which adds stability. Additionally the base of the doghouse is weighted construction so it won't blow over or get tipped over by your active dog. Other manufacturers eliminate these steps altogether so their walls and floors weaken from outdoor exposure and collapse.
Some manufacturers produce a molded plastic dog house that can literally bake your dog in summer since it causes extreme interior overheating. Besides panting, dogs need relief from extreme heat conditions or they can quickly become dehydrated causing a life threatening situation for your pet. Our natural unfinished wood dog houses stay cool to the touch even in hot sun. They also provide under eave ventilation for better air circulation. Note: Unless a dog house air conditioner is installed it is highly recommended that you open, remove or tie back any dog house door during warm weather.
Although WRC possesses inherently strong qualities, it would normally still rot out attracting termites and mold beginning the first year under continuous ground contact. Whereby we have solved that problem by using a revolutionary, non toxic earth-friendly lifetime treated wood as the base beneath our cat dog houses. Other unfinished wood dog house manufacturers do not contend with this important detail, which means their pet houses will begin to self destruct within the first year.
All of our dog houses feature a Western red cedar wood roof. (Beware plastic & asphalt shingles can cause interior overheating.) Our dog house rooves are strong, weighted and designed for dual purpose. Both roof sides, and top center ridge cap can be optionally screwed down permanently into place otherwise, only one side can be screwed down while the other side with the ridge cap attached will rest snugly on top of its own framework. Thereby it can be easily lifted off/on at anytime without a tool. This method works best for cleaning and puppy observation. (Excludes our Large Dog Kennel House which has a weighted one-panel lift off roof with no screw assembly.)
We build a reinforced raised tongue-n-groove solid floor. Other dog house builders on the market ship their large dog house floors in halves which can split or collapse under your dog's weight once assembled.
We offer dog house insulation as an option saving you money if you don't want it or don't need it. Whereas we don't fool you into buying a higher priced pet house that already includes it.
We offer a patented Seal Safe™ custom dog house door option to eliminate drafts and provide more efficient use of our dog house air conditioner or heated dog bed.
We offer an optional Western red cedar custom built cat dog house foundation that is moveable and provides a raised platform for your cat dog house and a relaxing dog deck for your pet to lounge on and place a water bowl.
So you see, we have implemented important details which can only come from years of experience in the pet house building industry and customer interaction. Therefore it is not unrealistic to say that our cat and dog house will last your pet's lifetime.
Our cat dog house construction process is produced the old fashioned way, one step at a time by hand from cutting to assembling with no automatic machines.
QUALITY CONTROL:
Our quality control is unsurpassed. Chuck our master craftsman and cat dog house designer performs the final inspection on all products before leaving the facility. Look for his personal signature inside your cat dog house for verification and authenticity!
The wood boasts a rich textured grain in a wide range of warm color tones creating a unique appearance, plus the mild natural red cedar aroma is non toxic and has relaxing therapeutic effects which can be calming for your pet.
Besides being a totally renewable resource, the most unique characteristic about natural unfinished WRC wood is that it does "not" require painting! The inherent tannin oils saturated throughout the lumber naturally protect it outdoors for many years. The darker red tones are derived from the center of the tree called the heartwood where the tannin oils are most concentrated.
We are partial to building with premium Western red cedar because most other woods including the cheaper more plentiful yellow and white cedar wood "do not" possess these protective oils. Whereas they will require regular maintenance for outdoor use to prevent the start of fungus and decay which can quickly spread once it gets into the wood, especially where it comes in continuous ground contact (as will any untreated wood except Teak). That is why all of our Western red cedar dog houses include a eco friendly lifetime treated wood base attached beneath our tongue-n-groove red cedar dog house raised floors.
Left in its natural unfinished state, WRC ages gracefully to a silvery gray color blending harmoniously with its environment as will the eco-friendly, lifetime treated wood base also. Graying does not affect the integrity of the wood. But if you prefer "not" to let it gray naturally with age, we recommend that you apply a waterproof clear wood protector like Thompson's to your pet house exterior only. Additionally since WRC does not contain a sticky oozing sap like pine wood, colorful finishing stains will easily adhere to our cedar wood pet houses. (See customer submitted doghouse photo for example.)
Ref: WRCLA Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Check out why our pet houses are Earth Friendly.
MANUFACTURING FACTS & FEATURES:
Wood Chuck is a pioneer and innovator in the dog house construction business. Every component used in association with his unique custom dog houses are his own original innovations dating back to 1989. So desirable are his cat and dog house designs that inferior imitations are now appearing in the online marketplace today by competitors. Quite a compliment don't you think? Except Wood Chuck is on the cutting edge of technology and design because he's an innovator not an imitator!
We use only natural unfinished, clear grain, solid premium Western red cedar wood for the exterior of our dog houses because it is a natural insulator, lasts decades, "does not" require painting and "does not" contain volatile finishing compounds that can cause allergic chemical reactions with your pet.
You get what you pay for from us. Our top grade clear Western red cedar wood beveled siding is overlayed for strength, double nailed onto our smaller pet houses and triple nailed onto our larger dog houses. Some competitors use lower grade siding which can only be attached with screws to keep it from curling, and pressure from the screws make it susceptible to splitting and cracking over time. While others have tongue-and-groove exteriors that can eventually let rain seep in causing mold and mildew buildup inside the walls.
In our solid dog house construction framework, we use only full dimensional spruce lumber with 2"x2" interior framing and angle braced joists which adds stability. Additionally the base of the doghouse is weighted construction so it won't blow over or get tipped over by your active dog. Other manufacturers eliminate these steps altogether so their walls and floors weaken from outdoor exposure and collapse.
Some manufacturers produce a molded plastic dog house that can literally bake your dog in summer since it causes extreme interior overheating. Besides panting, dogs need relief from extreme heat conditions or they can quickly become dehydrated causing a life threatening situation for your pet. Our natural unfinished wood dog houses stay cool to the touch even in hot sun. They also provide under eave ventilation for better air circulation. Note: Unless a dog house air conditioner is installed it is highly recommended that you open, remove or tie back any dog house door during warm weather.
Although WRC possesses inherently strong qualities, it would normally still rot out attracting termites and mold beginning the first year under continuous ground contact. Whereby we have solved that problem by using a revolutionary, non toxic earth-friendly lifetime treated wood as the base beneath our cat dog houses. Other unfinished wood dog house manufacturers do not contend with this important detail, which means their pet houses will begin to self destruct within the first year.
All of our dog houses feature a Western red cedar wood roof. (Beware plastic & asphalt shingles can cause interior overheating.) Our dog house rooves are strong, weighted and designed for dual purpose. Both roof sides, and top center ridge cap can be optionally screwed down permanently into place otherwise, only one side can be screwed down while the other side with the ridge cap attached will rest snugly on top of its own framework. Thereby it can be easily lifted off/on at anytime without a tool. This method works best for cleaning and puppy observation. (Excludes our Large Dog Kennel House which has a weighted one-panel lift off roof with no screw assembly.)
We build a reinforced raised tongue-n-groove solid floor. Other dog house builders on the market ship their large dog house floors in halves which can split or collapse under your dog's weight once assembled.
We offer dog house insulation as an option saving you money if you don't want it or don't need it. Whereas we don't fool you into buying a higher priced pet house that already includes it.
We offer a patented Seal Safe™ custom dog house door option to eliminate drafts and provide more efficient use of our dog house air conditioner or heated dog bed.
We offer an optional Western red cedar custom built cat dog house foundation that is moveable and provides a raised platform for your cat dog house and a relaxing dog deck for your pet to lounge on and place a water bowl.
So you see, we have implemented important details which can only come from years of experience in the pet house building industry and customer interaction. Therefore it is not unrealistic to say that our cat and dog house will last your pet's lifetime.
Our cat dog house construction process is produced the old fashioned way, one step at a time by hand from cutting to assembling with no automatic machines.
QUALITY CONTROL:
Our quality control is unsurpassed. Chuck our master craftsman and cat dog house designer performs the final inspection on all products before leaving the facility. Look for his personal signature inside your cat dog house for verification and authenticity!
Copyright 1989-2010 All Natural Cedar Dog House (Wood Chuck's )TM
Our Western red cedar cat and dog houses naturally protect your pet year round, staying cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Plus it deters fleas, ticks and termites and resists decay.
cedar dog house resources outdoor cat house heated dog beds
