Building a grooming room
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What a great thing for you guys to do...(I think your hubby is a rea keeper!!!!  )
If I were building a grooming room, I would see if I could get a walk in dryer like a the self dog wash I go to...actually, Laurie the owner of Wagnwash knows that if she ever closes, I get first dibs on it!!!! It's a box with plexiglass sliding doors, 2 fans in the box and a forced air system that vents to the outside like your dryer--it maintains the perfect temp for drying...It is big enough for 2 of mine at one time so they also have some 'bonding' time...  ... Pearl (and Heart and Cos )willingly climb in it and lay down and sleep for about an hour and when they comes out, they hop on the grooming table and I brush..
I would also make sure you have a great plasm TV and a great sound system (for you!!!) ---maybe a wet bar so you can have a cocktail while Winston is 'drying'....
(can I come visit???? when it is all done?????) pleassssseeee???? |
| Val; I think you might be my hero.
Awet bar and the sound system for the dog wash; I'd have never have though of that, and its perfect! 
Sneakysheepie; I am so jealous of your opportunity to build this!!!! Adam and I are house hunting, and one of the things we want is a home with an area to put some grooming stuff in, especially a wash station. But to build it from scratch, to your specifications? Thats such a cool thing to be able to do!!! You say the floor is concrete; is it too late to put a drain in? And I'd either throw down that rubberized tiling with the good griping surface, or just paint it with the texturized stuff that the doggie daycares use. I was just reading this, and find the idea of Bamboo intriguing as well (at the bottom) http://www.doityourself.com/stry/petfriendlyfloor But I'm sure other folks have already done this, and would have better suggestions than I! I'm just so thrilled for you!!!! |
Quote: Awet bar and the sound system for the dog wash; I'd have never have though of that, and its perfect!
I have always been told as long as mom is happy.........  |
Val - you are invited anytime - - bring your sheepies and we can brush them out over a good bottle of wine or martinis! 
Thanks for the idea about the tv and sound system - it would make it much nicer. I will look into the dryer you talked about - I have seen them before. Good idea. We are doing central vac in the house and my sister suggested I put that in the grooming room too. Any ideas for lighting/storage? Darth Snuggle - thank you for the idea about the floor. I agree we need something to keep it from being slippery. I will look into what you suggested. They are pouring concrete floor tommorow so I will be able to add the drain - Thanks! |
| Storage: the more the better. Closet is best (says she who hates dusting and clutter, not necessarily in that order) Wait till you start stock piling 400 towels and trying every shampoo and conditioner known to man and you'll understand why.
Ideally, a sink. Some people even have separate washers & dryers for their dogs stuff, but that's kind of excessive for a dog or two. TV is a must (for you to watch while you brush). Wet bar, sheesh, I never thought of that - how brilliant - trust Val <snicker> and a drain in the floor, ah, that would be awesome. Central vac, one can but dream... Ventilation is huge to keep moisture levels down and ceiling fans can be helpful but will need constant cleaning as all dust and flying hair will settle on them. Good lighting! It's a utility type room so fluorescents will look fine. Washable walls for when they get out of the bathtub, bolt and you have to chase them around, spraying everything they pass.
If you have the space and think you may end up fostering for rescue, leave enough room to someday maybe put a couple of kennel runs in there. Not crates, but good sized indoor runs. That way you have a safe & secure place to leave dogs you don't know without having to crate them while you're gone. You can just throw some big dog beds down and they're easy to clean. Also a nice place to let your own dogs dry off if they come in sopping wet but you're not ready to bathe. Depending on the layout of the house, a friend has dutch doors. That way she can check on them and they on her when they're in there, but she doesn't have to mess with gates. Wow. What an exciting project. Very envious!!! Kristine |
| I have floursent lighting in mine, also a linoleum floor, easyy to go over with swiffer wet jet when done grooming. I also have a t.v, and dvd player. My husband built my room for me and it is my favorite room in the house. Also the most used with 4 sheepies to bathe. I would like to get another Speedy dryer though My table is a hydralic one, where you pump the petal to adjust height, And I love it, it is the 48'' one so there is plenty of room on it. |
| We actually are in the process (hopefully finishing tomorrow and I'll take pictures) of finishing up a dog room right now. We didn't add a tub simply because the room is two steps from our main tub and it just seemed like a lot of work when things were fine the way they were. However, if I was starting from scratch, I definitely would get a gigantic grooming tub that would accommodate even Bear! You're so lucky to be able to do that!
Anyway, we ended up using vinyl plank flooring and it turned out awesome! It's waterproof and looks fantastic plus it's pretty non slip. We installed a ceiling fan with spot lights so I could aim them as I groom and I have a separate lamp for ambient light. I think my favorite part is that we got pegboard and ran it like a stripe midway up the wall and around the room so I can hang all my grooming tools on it. It's within my arms reach and I can keep everything off the floor and convenient but without all kinds of cabinets or other storage units. It's not a giant room so I wanted to maximize the space I had. We still have to put up shelves, which will also run around the room. The room already has at least one electric outlet on every wall so I just replaced all the covers with stainless steel for a more functional look. I also added a sleeper sofa to match the room (in case the puppy gets fussy or James gets in trouble and needs a place to sleep ) and I'm still searching for a LCD TV for the wall. And, of course, we still have to make room for the crate and the table.
I guess I'll find out how well designed my room is once I start using it but I'm really excited to finally have it finished! |
| Stephanie, for the central vac, be sure you get a big enough unit. I did a lot of research before we replaced the vaccum/canister unit. If your house is 4,000 sq ft, you need a unit or units rated for 8,000 sq ft. A separate unit for upstairs is great idea.
We got th quietest one on the market when we replaced the motor/canister, but the dogs still hate it. Think about having an outlet in the hall, just outside the grooming room and one that you can use a broom to sweep the contents in. Either tile or Corian around the tub. I love Corian for the repairabilty of it. If you drop something on it or bang into it, it can easily be replaced. And it cleans easily (I have it in my shower) It is awesome that you get to do this. Pictures please as it gets built. |
| That is very cool!
I love all the ideas. One of my basset rescue friends is also a groomer. She converted the garage in her home (it is a rambler w/ an attached double garage) into her shop. It is the nicest setup - it works so well. She has the raised tub, grooming table, stand and hand dryers. They did the floor in that treatment with the paint and then the sprinkles. It looks great and provides traction. It also is easy to clean. She has a waterproof wallboard on the walls for easy cleanup and disinfection. They also have a separate AC unit mounted through the wall to cool just that space. She has tether hooks on the wall and also crates for the dogs. The back door of the garage goes out directly into her fenced back yard. She also does daycare for dogs and they are always free to go in and out while she is grooming - the dogs love it! |
| I am so incredibly jealous! I bathe Charlie in the family bathtub. I was so excited to get a showerhead that had a hose on it with adjustable head! I can't even imagine having my own room!!! I tried using the blow drying on him one day--he HATED it! Of course, it was the "girls'" dryer--nothing offically for dogs. Someday... I'd like to get a grooming table at least to brush him out. Right now, we sit on the floor. Someday... For me, I would definitely go for a Diet Coke Lime dispenser and plenty of peanut M&Ms. (Nectar and food of the Gods and absolutely essential for all stressful tasks!) Stephanie, make sure you post pictures when you get your amazing room done. It sounds amazing! I'd love to see other setups you all have. I need ideas of what's used by other sheepie owners. We're still new to all of this. |
I'm really jealous, Steph! I've been in the design phase of my grooming room for quite some time now. I thouht I was going to get to start building it about a month ago, but alas, I'm still stalled. 
All these suggestions sound great to me. My room is actually outside and adjcent to the house. It will open into the side yard for room to run and it's a great place for them to dry off before coming inside. Will work perfectly for my foster dogs. The floor is concrete and there is a drain in the floor. Of course, this is all in the plan.
Good luck with yours. I can't wait to see the pictures. |
| I wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions! Your ideas rock! I am excited to get to build something so cool for my Winston. If anyone is into coming to central Minnesota, you are invited up when we finish building. |
| sigh
I just finished washing both girls in my tiny little bathroom. I'm officially green with ENVY!!!!! |
| I loved reading all the ideas. You might also consider a dehumidifier. I
plug one in after I've bathed/dried a dog and it pulls out the excess moisture. Quote: I just finished washing both girls in my tiny little bathroom.
I bathed Kayt in the bathtub tonight too... |
sneakysheepie wrote: We are building a house and my husband has agreed to a grooming room. I have ordered a 60" stainless steel tub with ramp and a 48" grooming table ( I haven't dedided on the make yet). I already have a Speedy stand dryer - is there anything else big ticket you would suggest? My husband hasn't batted an eye at the cost - so I want to get it as perfect as I can. I have thought of some sort of air exchage system for the humidity - and right now the floor is concrete - any suggestions here? I only have Winston to bath right now - but I would eventually like to take care of rescue sheepies. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Stephanie, If you are open to "big ticket" items I recommend you consider getting a second dog dryer. It may sound like a bit of a luxury but there are some sound reasons for having two. First off of course is that 2 dryers will pretty much half the drying time which with a full coated Bobtail can be very significant. Second, having a two dryers gives you redundancy so if one does fail and needs repairs you can still "limp along" on the good one by itself. Yes I have two and would feel totally handicapped if I had to revert to only one dryer--- banish such a nightmare! Either way make sure you have a dedicate power circuit for each dryer that you have and just to give yourself a bit more of a power safety margin make it a 20 amp circuit. That won't cost much in the "grand scheme" of a purpose built grooming room, it is just the difference between 12 gauge wire instead of 14 gauge, a 20 amp breaker and a 20 amp plug instead of 15 amp ones. Depending on the layout of the room and ceiling height it may be advantagous to place these plugs in the ceiling to get the dryer cords out of the way during use. Dryer cords and any associated extention cords are such a pain when you have to roll the dryers around a bit to reposition them during drying. (I actually removed the casters on my dryers and replaced them with furniture/appliance "glide" feet. They are much less of a maintenance and wear hassle than the casters, don't wear down like casters when hair on their "axle" stops them from rolling around and they protect the floor from scratches much better. Oh and make sure you have a smooth easy clean floor such as an non-textured vinyl sheet or tile, laminate is also a decent option if you can be sure of preventing water splashes from the tub. I am in the process (very slowly) of building my own grooming room in the basement and am incorporating these suggestions so no you are not a "guinea pig" for these ideas. Do you really need a stainless bath tub? Honestly I don't think you will gain much for all the extra cost. Stainless will scratch much more easily than a ceramic coated steel tub and you have to be careful not to use cleaners with any chlorine in them (chlorine bleach is common in many cleaning products). Otherwise you will end up pitting the surface with chloride inclusions rendering the tub far less sanitary than you think it is. Also make sure you get a pressure compensated shower valve to ensure your dog doesn't get scalded or chilled when water is used anywhere else in the house. Even though I impose a "moratorium" on water use when one of my dogs is being bathed someone always needs a drink or to wash their hands or use the potty..... Finally make sure you get an extra long hose on a pulsing showerhead. You can find 84" hoses at most places with a good plumbing section (Home Depot, Lowes etc.,). The extra range this gives really helps get the "far end" of the dog without requiring that he/she is constantly turning in the tub. I assume that you will be mounting the tub on a raised platform to make the bathing process easier on your back and knees right? You have probably thought of most if not all of this but just in case. Anyway, we can "compare any other notes" if you want either on publlc forum or by PM. Just a few thoughts to consider. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
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