Remodeling : Outdoor Structures : Build a Doghouse : Home & Garden Television

Take care of that other member of the family--your dog--by building a quality doghouse.

Although the dog is often considered to be man's best friend, we don't always treat him that way. Show how much you love him by building him a house the neighbors--or the neighbors' dogs--would envy. Here's how:

Equipment list:

hammer
shingle utility knife
roofing nails
nails
pressure-treated lumber
plywood
roofing shingles
table or circular saw
tape measure
pen or pencil

Constructing the Base

1. To determine the overall size of the doghouse, first assess the dog's size and decide how much space he'll need.
2. Once this measurement is determined, create a square base frame using four 2x6 boards nailed together at the ends (figure A).
3. Cut a 1/2" thick plywood flooring sheet to fit over the frame, making sure it is flush with the frame's edges (figure B). To make things simpler, you might want to prepaint your plywood sheet.
4. Nail the plywood to the frame along each side to complete the base.
5. For best results, use a power nailer to secure all sections of the doghouse.
6. Construct the walls with 2x4 studs and 1/2" thick plywood sheets.

7. First, cut all studs to size, then form the three square frames--each of these will have a center stud. On the back wall, the center stud should be about two inches off-center to allow easy access for securing the roof strut (figure C).
8. Nail the 1/2" thick plywood sheets to the outside of the frames, making sure each is flush with the edges of its frame (figure D).
9. Stand each wall upright on the base in its position, nail into place through the bottom of the wall frame, and use nails to secure each corner (figure E).

Front Wall

1. Since the entrance of the doghouse is centered in the front panel, the frame of this wall has no center stud. The entrance should be cut large enough to allow plenty of room for the dog to pass through. In this example, a 1-1/2' x 2' opening was created to accommodate a large golden retriever (figure F).
2. Following the same procedure used for the side and back walls, attach the 1/2 inch plywood sheet to the outside of the frame, making sure it is flush with the frame 's edges (figure G).
3. Cut a sole plate to fit inside the bottom edge of the entrance.

Roof Construction

1. The struts, ridge board and rafters will be cut from 2x4s. The height of the roof struts will depend on the desired roof pitch. In this doghouse, the pitch was 45 degrees, which meant that the ends of all rafters were cut at 45 degrees as well.

2. Center the front roof strut on the top edge of the wall frame and nail into place from the underside of the frame. Toenail the strut for reinforcement (figure H).
3. Center the back roof strut on the top of the back wall frame and nail into place in the same manner.
4. Decide how much overhang is desired on the front and back and cut the top ridge board to the length of the doghouse's depth plus the overhang allowance.
5. Position it on the struts and nail into place (figure I).
6. 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 will meet the top of the wall frames--this will ensure they fit snugly over the top of each wall (figure J).

7. Simply trace the outline of the notches with a pencil, then cut out with a saw. For best results in attaching the rafters, hold each rafter even with the ridge board to determine the angle, then cut and nail into place.
8. Secure the bottom of each rafter to the wall where its notch meets the wall frame (figure K).

Overhang and Fascia:

1. Cut four 2x4s (two for each side) to fit horizontally between the rafters. These will serve as blocker boards that fill in the gaps between the overhang and side walls. Nail into place (figure L).
2. Cut the fascia boards that will define the bottom edges of the roof. These will be the same length as the ridge board.
3. Secure the fascia boards to the bottom ends of rafters with nails.
4. Cut the overhang rafters. These should be cut from pressure-treated wood since they will be exposed to the elements and should be prepainted.
5. Nail the overhang rafters to the ends of the ridge board and side fascia (figure M).
6. Cover the roof with half inch plywood sheets cut to size (figure N).
7. Fill in the front and back roof openings with triangular plywood sheets cut to fit the space.

Shingles:

Notes: Twelve-inch gray sheet shingles were used for this project. Gray absorbs less heat than darker shingles and helps keep the doghouse cool during the summer. When installing shingles, always start from the bottom and work up.

1. Mark a horizontal chalk line 11 inches from the bottom of the roof edge--the shingles are 12 inches in length and should hang over by one inch on the sides.
2. Measure from the front edge of the roof toward the back and make a vertical chalk line 35 inches from the front edge of the roof--the shingle sheets are 36 inches and should hang over one inch on the front.
3. Draw another vertical line 29 inches 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-inch mark, and even-numbered rows will start from the 29-inch mark.

4. The first (bottom) row of shingles should be double thickness. Turn the first layer upside down, so that the darker portion of the shingle sheet hangs over the edge (figure O).
5. The second layer should be positioned right side up, to match all subsequent rows.

6. Once all shingles are nailed in place (figure P), use a utility knife with a shingle-cutting blade (figure Q) to trim the sides even with the edges of the plywood roof (figure R).

7. Trim excess from the top of the roof (figure S).

8. To cover the exposed ridge board, cut shingle sheets into single shingles (figure T).

9. Place them sideways over the apex of the roof so they overlap (figure U).

10. Taper these single shingles narrow on the back end so that this black area doesn't "peek out" from under the shingle on top (figure V).

Finishing Touches:

To turn your doghouse into a dog home, try adding some of these details:

Cover all nail heads and edges with strips of molding to create a clean, finished look (figure W).
Paint the molding/trim a slightly darker color to add extra definition, then further 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 small rug to help your pup stay warm and comfortable.

Remodeling

Build a Doghouse

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Remodeling

Build a Doghouse

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