This doghouse is designed with the
beginner in mind. It might even be a good project to involve the kids.
The entire project requires only one sheet of
plywood, two 2"x4"s and one 2"x2". All of these
materials are available at your local hardware store. We have prepared
a cut list on page 2 to assist you in cutting and assembling the
doghouse.
Supplies:
1PC - 4'x8' Exterior Grade Plywood Sheathing (5/8" thick)
2PC - 2"x4"x8' Pressure Treated
1PC - 2"x2"x8' Untreated
1 Box - 16d nails
1 Box - 1-5/8" Galvanized Deck Screws
1 Quart - Exterior Grade Paint
Construction
This doghouse plan is very easy to build and requires a minimum number
of tools. Most beginners should be able to finish the project in a
day. The only tools required are:
· Tape measure
· Circular saw or table saw
· Drill - with drill bit and screw driver bit
· Spade Bit (3/4" or larger)
· Hammer
· Paint Brush
· Pencil
· Safety Glasses
· Carpenters Square
There are a couple of important considerations when building and
designing a doghouse. Please keep these in mind if you plan to modify
the plans to fit your needs.
1. Don't use pressure treated wood on any parts the dog may chew.
2. The doghouse should be raised from the ground to keep out moisture
and help insulate the dog from the cold.
3. The doghouse should be large enough for the dog to comfortably turn
around but small enough to retain the dog's body heat.
Shingles
We decided to cover the roof of this doghouse with cedar shingles. A
simpler, less expensive option is to paint the top of the doghouse or
use asphalt shingles. Plywood
The doghouse should be built from an exterior grade plywood. Most of
the plywood you will find at your local hardware store is not exterior
grade. Exterior grade plywoods have special glues that prevent the
layers from coming apart when they get wet. Do not use Pressure
Treated (PT) plywood, it contains preservatives that can be toxic to
your dog. The best
material to use is an exterior plywood sheathing. This wood is designed
to be used on the outside of a home. It has a "rough cut"
surface with grooves cut into the surface for decoration. We used
exterior grade sheathing that has the grooves 4" apart. You can
also get the plywood with grooves 6" apart. The edges of exterior
grade sheathing are "tongue-n-groove". This means that there
is a little lip on one edge that fits in the groove on the opposite
side of an adjoining piece of plywood. We do not need these parts and
will cut them off of the plywood sheet. You might want to ask a
salesperson at the hardware store to do this for you before you leave.
All
plywood parts of the doghouse are assembled using 1-5/8"
decking screws.
Foundation
Because the foundation of the doghouse will sit on the ground we used
pressure treated 2"x4"s. It is unlikely that the dog will
chew these boards however if you think your dog may gnaw on them you
may want to use untreated wood and paint it. We also drilled 1"
holes in all sides of the base to allow ground moisture to evaporate
and prevent rotting. The foundation is nailed together using 16d
nails. Roof
The roof to this doghouse is designed to be removable. This will allow
for easy cleaning of the interior areas. Front Porch
The front porch is a nice touch to this design. Our dogs love to hang
out on the porch in the shade. If you prefer you can easily leave this
part off. Porch Posts
The porch posts are made from untreated 2"x2"s. NEXT
PAGE
Page 1 - Introduction
Page 2 - Assembling the Doghouse
Back to Top
|
