If you love your dog but you really dislike the hair he or she leaves behind or you simply think they would enjoy being outdoors during the summer or in general, making them a dog house may be a good solution for your needs. You can’t simply do that without preparations however, so you would do well to look toward figuring out your plan and what you want to do with it. Building a dog house doesn’t require anything too complicated, so you won’t need to worry about brick work, roofing, plastering and any specific home extensions, so you will not need builders, instead dealing with this by yourself with a bit of work. The following tips will get you started:
- You need to decide what you’ll be using the base for. Some dogs have different needs from each other, but all of them will need a good, insulated and dry space they can call their own, keeping them safe from the elements.
- Consider the insulation of your dog house and remember that the foundation it has will be equally important, making sure you have a layer of air between the floor and the ground to act as a natural insulation of sorts. A home without a base will be quite a problem during summer and winter due to its poor temperature differences.
- You will need to consider some elements of the dog house that are affected by the environment outside. If you have frequent rains in your area, you would do well to have a water-resistant material for your base and more so no flooding or mold will develop in time.
- Using a pencil and a framing square will let you create a diagram for the dog house itself. You can cut a few 2×4 boards into four pieces with at least two of them with a length of 22 ½ inches and another two with a 23 inch length for a usual, medium-size dog.
- Place the side pieces inside the front and back ones and make a rectangle with a 2 inch side that will be on the ground when you’re done. You can use a countersink drill to make pilot holes and then attach the base pieces with galvanized screws on each end.
- Transfer the floor plans with a pencil and framing square onto a sheet of plywood, then use galvanized screws and attack it to the base by drilling into its corners.
- Use plywood for the sides of the house with 26 inches length and 16 inches width, with the front side being 24 and 16 with a 12×24 triangle on top of the rectangle. Cut these shapes out and make sure you remember to leave an opening for your dog, possibly making a rounded arch to allow freedom of movement.
- You will also need eight pieces of framing as well. You can 2x2s of cedar or fir, making use of them to secure the roof and walls. You will also need to have some corner framings about 15 inches long and another four at 13 inches.
- Fasten them with wood screws to each side and then place the side panels around the perimeter. Once you’re done with that you will have a chance to attach the back and front panels with galvanized wood screws.
- Make sure you build a traditional sloping, triangular roof to allow snow and rain to slide of it, but also allowing it more breathing room for your dog. Much like the previous example you will need to use galvanized screws to make it happen. Contact expert builders Islington for more roofing and building ideas.
