|
|
Dogs are considered man's best friend, but we don't always treat them that way. Why not show your love by building a doghouse the neighbors (or at least the neighbors' dogs) would envy? Materials:
Hammer
Shingle utility knife
Roofing nails
Nails
Pressure-treated lumber
Plywood
Roofing shingles
Table or circular saw
Tape measure
Pen or pencil
- To determine the size of the doghouse, first assess the dog's size, and decide how much space he or she will need.
- Now create a square base frame, using four 2" by 6" boards nailed together at the ends (figure A).
- Cut 1/2" plywood to fit over the frame, making sure it's flush with the frame's edges (figure B). To make the job simpler, you might want to paint the plywood sheet now.
- To complete the base, nail the plywood to the frame along each side. For best results, use a power nailer to secure all sections of the doghouse.
- Construct the wall frames with 2" by 4" studs. Cut the studs to the appropriate length, and dry-fit the frames. When you're sure they're the right size, nail them together. The side and rear walls should have a center stud for the best support. On the rear wall, the center stud should be about 2" off-center to allow easy access for securing the roof strut (figure C).
- Nail the 1/2" plywood to the outside of the frames, making sure the edges are flush (figure D).
- Dry-fit the finished walls, and nail them in place through the bottom of the wall frame (figure E). Toenail each corner for added stability.
- Because the entrance to the doghouse is centered in the front panel, the frame of the front wall has no center stud. The entrance should be large enough to allow plenty of room for the dog to pass through (figure F).
- Now it's time to attach a roof. The struts, ridge board and rafters will be cut from 2" by 4" boards. The height of the roof struts will depend on the desired roof pitch. You might want to set your pitch at 45 degrees, which means the ends of all rafters are also cut at 45 degrees.
- Center the front roof strut on the top edge of the wall frame, and nail it in place from the underside of the frame. Toenail the strut for reinforcement (figure G).
- Center the rear roof strut on the top of the back wall frame, and nail it in place in the same manner.
- Decide how much overhang you want on the front and back. Cut the top ridge board to the length of the doghouse plus the amount added for overhang.
- Position the ridge board on the struts, and nail it in place (figure H).
- Cut six rafters (three for each side) to the needed length. The ends of the rafters will be mitered to the angle determined by the roof pitch. Use the corner of the doghouse as a template to mark notches on the rafters where they'll meet the top of the wall frames (figure I) to ensure that they fit snugly over the top of each wall.
- For best results in attaching the rafters, hold each rafter so it's even with the ridge board to determine the angle, then cut the boards and nail them in place.
- Secure the bottom of each rafter to the wall where its notch meets the wall frame (figure J).
- Cut four 2" by 4" boards (two for each side) to fit horizontally between the rafters, and nail them into place (figure K). These boards will fill in the gaps between the overhang and side walls.
- Cut 1/2" plywood fascia boards to match the overhang along the sides of the doghouse. Secure the fascia boards to the bottom ends of rafters with nails.
- Cut the overhang rafters. These should be cut from pressure-treated wood and painted because they'll be exposed to the elements. Nail the overhang rafters to the ends of the ridge board and side fascia (figure L).
- Cover the roof with 1/2" plywood cut to size (figure M).
- Fill in the front and back roof openings with triangular plywood sheets cut to fit the space.
- Attach shingles to the roof. Consider using 12" gray sheet shingles, which absorb less heat than darker shingles and thus help keep the doghouse cool in summer. When installing shingles, always start from the bottom and work up.
- Mark a horizontal chalk line 11" from the bottom of the roof edge: the shingles are 12" in length and should hang over by 1" on the sides.
- Make a vertical chalk line 35" from the front edge of the roof: the shingle sheets are 36" and should hang over 1" on the front.
- Draw another vertical line 29" back from the front edge. Having two vertical lines will establish two "starting points" for the shingle sheets to create offset rows: odd-numbered rows will start from the 35" mark, even-numbered rows from the 29" mark.
- The first (bottom) row should be two shingles thick. Turn the first layer upside down so the darker portion of the shingle sheet hangs over the edge (figure N). The second layer should be positioned right side up, to match all subsequent rows.
- Once all the shingles are nailed in place (figure O), use a utility knife fitted with a shingle-cutting blade to trim the sides even with the edges of the plywood roof .
- Trim any excess from the top of the roof (figure P). To cover the exposed ridge board, cut shingle sheets into single shingles (figure Q), and place them sideways over the apex of the roof so they overlap (figure R). Taper these single shingles on the back end so that this black area doesn't peek out from under the shingle on top (figure S).
- Cover all nail heads and edges with strips of molding to create a clean, finished look (figure T). Paint the molding/trim a slightly darker color to add extra definition, then customize the doghouse by adding a nameplate. To heat the doghouse in winter, mount a high-wattage bulb on the ceiling (it may be necessary to run an electric line for this purpose). Heat from the light will help combat the chill. Add a scrap piece of carpet or a small rug to help your dog stay warm and comfortable.
|
|
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
