Building a simple dog house
Building a dog house is one of thos projects that show you care a lot about your favorite pet.
In addition, if you use proper plans and quality materials you could get the job done properly and save a significant amount of money. From our experience, a person with basic woodworking skills can build a averaged-sized dog shelter in just one afternoon.
The first step of the project is to choose the right desig, shape and size of the wooden house. Generally speaking, your pet should have enough room to turn around and to rest, so make sure you pay enough attention to these preliminary steps. The plans you choose should have to be detailed and include a list with all the materials needed for the job. Go to the local lumberyard and buy all the materials, after making sure the components are in great condittion (the lumber has to be perfectly straight and without chips, dents or other visible flaws).
Use a good circular saw to make the cuts and smooth the cut edges with medium-grit sandpaper. Drill pilot holes trough the components before driving in teh galvanized screws, to prevent the wood from splitting.Align all the components and check if the corners are right angled, if you wnat to get a professional result.
Build the floor of the dog house out of 2x4 lumber and attach a 3/4'' plywood sheet to the joists. Build the wall frames and install them to the floor with 3'' wood screws. Afterwards, fit the raftres and the exterior walls, made out of 3/4'' plywood. In order to waterproof the dog house, you should cover the roofing sheets with felt and asphalt shingles. Moreover, you shoudl pay attention when cutting out the door opening, as the pet should have enough room to enter into the shelter.
If you want to add character to the wooden box, we recommend you to fit trims to the ends of the rafters and around the corner edges. Check one last time if the screws are inserted properly, as their head should be level with the surface of the wall. In addition, we recommend you to apply several coats of paint or stain to the wooden components, to protect them from bad weather.
A good planning would prevent many costly mistakes and keep the expenditure under control. That is why, we cannot emphasize enough on the importance of choosing the plans and materials for the job.
In addition, if you use proper plans and quality materials you could get the job done properly and save a significant amount of money. From our experience, a person with basic woodworking skills can build a averaged-sized dog shelter in just one afternoon.
The first step of the project is to choose the right desig, shape and size of the wooden house. Generally speaking, your pet should have enough room to turn around and to rest, so make sure you pay enough attention to these preliminary steps. The plans you choose should have to be detailed and include a list with all the materials needed for the job. Go to the local lumberyard and buy all the materials, after making sure the components are in great condittion (the lumber has to be perfectly straight and without chips, dents or other visible flaws).
Use a good circular saw to make the cuts and smooth the cut edges with medium-grit sandpaper. Drill pilot holes trough the components before driving in teh galvanized screws, to prevent the wood from splitting.Align all the components and check if the corners are right angled, if you wnat to get a professional result.
Build the floor of the dog house out of 2x4 lumber and attach a 3/4'' plywood sheet to the joists. Build the wall frames and install them to the floor with 3'' wood screws. Afterwards, fit the raftres and the exterior walls, made out of 3/4'' plywood. In order to waterproof the dog house, you should cover the roofing sheets with felt and asphalt shingles. Moreover, you shoudl pay attention when cutting out the door opening, as the pet should have enough room to enter into the shelter.
If you want to add character to the wooden box, we recommend you to fit trims to the ends of the rafters and around the corner edges. Check one last time if the screws are inserted properly, as their head should be level with the surface of the wall. In addition, we recommend you to apply several coats of paint or stain to the wooden components, to protect them from bad weather.
A good planning would prevent many costly mistakes and keep the expenditure under control. That is why, we cannot emphasize enough on the importance of choosing the plans and materials for the job.