Want to go to make insulated dog house plans? The several things you must have in your mind. They are the size of your dog house, the materials you gonna use to make it, the proper steps to make an insulated dog house.
The size of your dog house is big enough to move & lay down easily. The materials you will use must be of high quality. And the measures you will take should be durable. Then you will say that you make a complete insulated dog house plans.
Table of Contents
Determine the size of the dog house
Before planning for an insulated dog house plans, you have to determine the size of the house. And it depends on your dog’s size. So that he can move and lay down easily in the house.
Materials
- For flooring- 36″ long 2×4 lumber ( 2 pieces) & 33″ long 2×4 lumber ( 4 pieces)
- Now For wall studs- 24” long 2×2 lumber (14 pieces) for insulated dog house plans
- For Wall pallets- 36” long 2×2 lumber (4 pieces) & 33” long 2×2 lumber (4 pieces)
- And For insulation- 1 1/2” thick (4 pieces), 3/4 x 24” (15 pieces), 1 piece 14 1/4 x 24”, and 4 pieces 15 1/2 x 22” for insulated dog house plans
- For interior walls- 2 pieces of 1/4” plywood 27 x 33”, 2 pieces of 1/4” plywood 27 x 32 1/2”
- Of course for exterior siding- 2 pieces of 5/8” siding 37 1/4 x 50”, 2 pieces of 5/8” siding 31 1/4 x 36” for insulated dog house plans
- For rafters- 10 pieces of 2×2 lumber, 26 1/4” long, cut at 45º at both ends
- Then for roofing sheets- 1 piece of 3/4” plywood 30 x 40 1/4”, 1 piece of 3/4” plywood 29 1/4 x 40 1/4”
- For trims- 20 ft of 1×2 or 2×2 lumber for insulated dog house plans
- Finally for asphalt shingles- 50 sq ft of asphalt shingles
Tools
The tools you need for insulated dog house plans are:
- circular saw, miter saw, screwdriver, sander, drill machinery
- hammer, Carpentry pencil, tape measure, spirit level, farming square
- Safety gloves, glasses
Time
For the insulated dog house plans, it takes a minimum of one weekend.
Steps
Here are the steps of insulated dog house plans. Try to follow these steps properly.
Floor plans
Building the base of the dog house is the first plan of the insulated dog house plans. In this method, build the joist properly. And using a screw, assemble the frame together. It will be better to use a weather-resistant screw. But before driving in the screw, you should do a little work. Just align the components at both ends.
If you want to prevent the wood from splitting, you have to pre-drilled the rim joist. Moreover, use a carpentry square and make sure the corners are right-angled. For better security of insulated dog house plans, you can attach plywood flooring with the joists. But remember one thing. The edges should flush with the joists. You can also set the insulation on the floor. As a result, you can easily move the house for traveling.
Attaching the flooring sheet
Now the time to build a plywood flooring that secures to the joist. You have to flush the edges of the sheet with the frame. To do this task quickly, use a circular saw with a fine blade. Now you can realize slowly how is going your insulated dog house plans.
Floor insulation
Insulate the floor for the insulated dog house plans is really a good thing. First, you have to fit the rigid insulation sheets to the frame of the dog. Then attach to the plywood floor. To secure the foam insulation board, you can use liquid nails.
Insulating the side walls
It is essential to build a frame on a level surface of the walls. Secure the wall studs from bottom to top plates. And of course, the corner should be right-angled. Now, drill the pilot holes through the plates and insert wood screws. You can keep your pet cool in the summer and warm in the winter. For this, you just do simple work to make insulated dog house plans.
In the wall cavities, install rigid foam insulation. In this case, you can use thick foam or glue-up layers. Now the time to cut them to fit. And also cover them with plywood. Do you want to complete this step more easily? Set the panel directly on the top of the foam. And then trace the shape as you need. The walls of the house should be secure to the floor.
Before plumbing the walls with a spirit level, you should place the wall and drive in screws in the flooring. Finally, secure the adjacent walls together. Always remember, For the side walls, cut the plywood according to the width of the insulated dog house plans. Don’t forget that make a mark on the measurement.
To draw a line, take a straight edge and line it up the two marks. If you wanna make both sides of the wall the same, Then you just trace the sidewall on the plywood and cut to make the other sidewall. Are you enjoying the insulated dog house plans? continue reading…
Installing the front wall of the insulated dog house
In the insulated dog house plans, it is one of the easiest work to install the front wall. Before cutting the wooden components for this, measure the distance between the side walls. But you have to leave enough space for the door opening of the dog house. To provide support to the exterior siding, double the walls suds around the opening.
Attaching the exterior siding
In the free insulated dog house plans, you can easily attach the exterior siding. First, take a sheet and draw the cut lines. Use a circular saw with a fine blade for this. Cut the lines to build the components to the right size. Then secure the pieces of the frame. Now take a jigsaw and cut the door opening. Start drilling the hole with a large drill bit. Finally, before attaching the siding, check the walls are a plumber. Using plywood for the task is a brilliant idea.
Build the front face of the dog house
You have to make a diagram first to build the front face of the dog house. Making the front face beautiful works for enhancing the look of your dog house. You can add a front deck with a simple pergola. You can build a frame for the deck. It reveals more beauty to the insulated dog house plans. Make the diagonals equal and corner square. Now attach the slats to the deck frame. But don’t miss to secure them with wood screws into place. If you want to obtain a neat appearance, then countersink the head of the screws.
Fitting the insulation sheets
Fit the rigid foam insulation sheet if you want to protect your dog from extreme cold. It is one of the most important things in insulated dog house plans. Fit it between the wooden studs. You can use a hand saw to cut the sheets to the right size. Now fill up the cavities by placing the studs. Try to use thick foam sheets to get the job properly done.
Interior walls for dog house plans
Plywood contributes here too. You can make the interior walls with plywood. Check the right dimension and cut the panels to the right using a diagram. In this case, you can use a table saw or circular saw. Just note that you can not damage the edges. To secure the plywood to the studs, fit the sheets into place. At this stage of insulated dog house plans, fitting the interior siding is so much essential. Because you will not get a chance to do it later.
Installing the interior walls
For installing the interior walls, first, you need to install the side panels. But don’t forget to measure the size. Now fit the plywood sheets into place and then secure them with the frame. Repeating the same steps, you have to install the front & back interior walls too. But the sheets should have in a good position along with the properly inserted nails.
The system saves your pet from being injured. In this case, you can use a table saw or circular saw. Just note that you can not damage the edges. To secure the plywood to the studs, fit the sheets into place. At this stage of insulated dog house plans, fitting the interior siding is so much essential. Because you will not get a chance to do it later.
Insulated dog house roof plans
For building a roof, you need to cut the ends of 45 degrees. Make sure that all the roofs have the same shape & size. Otherwise, the roof will lose its symmetrical look. For a better result, fit the rafters into place, align them thoroughly at both ends and lock them to the top plates with screws. Use drill machinery to pre-drill the roofs.
It also prevents the wood from splitting. It’s better to use several screws for joining the roofs together at the top. Try to leave an overhang to keep the rain away from the walls. Even if you want to clean the dog house easily, install a piano hinge on the back and roof.
Installing the roof insulation
Wanna do this like a professional? First, install the interior plywood panel, then fit the thick foam sheets between the roofs. To keep the construction well protected against the bad weather, roof insulation is essential for the insulated dog house plans. Don’t keep any gaps between the foam sheets and roof. Otherwise, the cold water will enter the house through the gap.
Attaching the roofing sheets of the insulated dog house
Before installing the roofing sheets, do this job. First, install the interior plywood panel, then fit the thick foam sheets between the roofs. To keep the construction well protected against the bad weather, roof insulation is essential for the insulated dog house plans. Now secure the sheets into place. You can use screws and plywood for that. One side of the roof should cover another one.
Installing the Shingles
We are doing a woodworking project, right? Use tar paper to cover roofing sheets. And use staples to secure it into place. Now install the asphalt shingles from the bottom-left part of the roof. Just make sure they cover the trim. You can also apply water-resistant felt paper and drip edge. Notice one thing. The nails should short enough. Otherwise, it pokes through the roof and can create danger for your pet. Interestingly, if you want to seal out moisture, apply a bead of roofing cement to the top edge. And this is the brilliant process of insulated dog house plans.
Fitting the front trims of the insulated dog house
To make the insulated dog house plans super cool, attach the trim to the front of the house. But you have to fit it before fitting the shingles.
Finishing touch
It’s time to give the insulated dog house plans a finishing touch. In this stage, you should double-check the whole house. If you find any holes, fill that with wood putty. Use a waterproof filter to seal the gaps. Then we let the house for some hours to dry. Then sand the surface with 120 sandpaper.
Tips
- To protect the walls, install vinyl siding, or paint the plywood.
- Use a self-heated bed instead of an electric heated mat.
- The material in the bed helps your dog to heat his own body.
- To prevent the cord from being chewed, you can use the Cover cord of the heated mat with PVC pipe.
- To prevent the doghouse from rotting, You can use pressure-treated lumber.
- But pressure-treated lumber contains chemicals that may be harmful to animals. So, it depends on you to use it or not.
Warnings
- At the time of using power tools, always use protective eye gear.
- Make sure extension cords are allowed by checking local cords.
- Use GFCI to prevent electrical shocks and fires.