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Featured Dog House 6: Dad Demonstrates Dog Domicile Dexterity
Location: New York, USA
Builder: Steve
The house is 38" wide, 44" deep and 49" tall excluding the 4x4 stringers. I constructed it without plans and made it up as I went along with only a basic idea of what I wanted. I had been planning to make the house but didn't have the guts until I saw the Dog House web page.
Materials consisted of : - pressure treated 4x4's and 2x4's - regular 2x4's - 1x6 tongue and groove pine boards - asphalt shingles - Tar paper - 2 1/2" and 3" decking screws - Polyurethane stain - and various wood trim - Thompson's wood seal - 1 sheet 3/8" exterior plywood - 10 sacks of marble chips
The bottom frame is made of 4x4 posts (which I cut back at each end to allow for easier movement of the finished house if necessary, and it's good that I did because my wife had me move it about 100' after it was completed) and 2x4's, these are the only pressure treated pieces used, as I didn't want Poppy (the dog, a Golden / Labrador Retriever and maybe part Wolf Mutt) coming into contact with toxins.
Next, I laid a tongue and groove floor for the rest of the structure to rest on. Before building on the platform I treated it with sealant.
Next, I assembled four frames out of 2x4's for the walls and assembled them onto the platform after making sure it was sitting level. I used decking screws for all attachments, my two year old son is seen with a hammer, as he wanted to help, and I had him "tap" all the appropriate places away from where I was using a drill and power driver. All screws were set into predrilled holes to avoid splitting.
The next step after making sure all the walls were true and putting in additional studs, was to cut and assemble the rafters. Again by eye I cut 2x4's with 45% miters and long enough to go beyond the walls and then sum, to be cut to final length after installing the roof sheathing. The first picture with the roof in place was prior to cutting the notches required to fit the roof to the walls.
This was then the time to move the structure into the backyard as it would not fit through the gate fully assembled.
The roof was then screwed in place and it was time to begin assembling the tongue and groove walls from the back to the sides leaving the front for after the roof was put in place. I placed the boards horizontally on all but the front as it was the easiest and I liked the look of vertical slats on the front. It also made it easier to frame the opening. (no picture - sorry) I then cut the plywood to for the roof sheathing with 45% angles at the top and bottom so that it met well with the fore and aft beam and made a good drip edge under the shingles.
The almost final picture shows the house after the roof is in place, corner and edge moulding in place and three coats of staining polyurethane have been applied. I set the house on a foundation of marble chips in order to provide a good foundation and keep the area around the house mud free. I still have not installed the carpeting or made the sign so that Poppy knows that he can go into the house, he has not been in it since the above picture was taken.
The house cost too much, about $200, took a long time to complete, about 15 hours and the dog doesn't use it, even in the cold rain, and I don't regret a minute that I spent with my son, who now thinks DaDa can build a house.
Steve, New York
Entire website © 2000 Mike Strong.