How to make a dog kennel

The first step is to make the bottom frame. Start by pre-drilling the holes in all the lengths of wood that you will later screw into place. That will prevent the wood from splitting. Make the frame as shown in the drawing using the 4 lengths of wood measuring 44×44 mm. Fix 4 blocks of wood under the frame at the corners to keep it off the ground.

Assemble the A-frames of the dog kennel in a triangular shape. Saw the underside of the triangle at an angle of 60° and the top side at an angle of 30°. Then fix the lower corners of the lengths of wood using galvanised (or stainless steel) screws.

Assemble the frame further by assembling the two A-frames together with the length of wood for the ridge of the roof, with a length of 120 cm, as shown in the drawing. Make sure the triangular A-frames are properly aligned. Use a spirit level to check that the A-frames are upright before you screw the ridge of the roof into place.

Saw out the openings for the uprights at the 4 corners of the floor panel. Lower the floor panel between the uprights and screw it into place. Then enlarge the pre-drilled holes in the floor panel with a countersinking drill so the countersunk screws are flush with the surface of the panel.

If you want to make the roof of the dog kennel 100% watertight, first of all apply thick plastic foil (for example pond-liner foil) over the A-frame and secure it in place with staples. The next step is the roof of the kennel.

Use overlapping planks measuring 165x22 mm. First screw a plank into place at the top. Then fix a spacer block under this plank so you can slide the roof panel under it. This will keep the panel firmly in place and prevent rain from entering the dog kennel. For the loose roof panel, make a frame from lengths of wood measuring 75x20 cm and screw the horizontal roof planks into place so they overlap like roofing tiles.

Fit the front and back walls separately by fixing groups of 6 planks together with tongue-and-groove joints. Make sure the planks fit tightly at each joint. Fix the planks together at an angle of 60° (following the shape of the A-frame) with 2 connecting pieces (B) for each wall. These connecting pieces have to fall within the A-frame, so you need to allow for the spacing. Screw the top plank into place separately.

Draw out the diagonal line for the roof from the centre point up to the top of the 6th plank. Use a circular saw to saw the back wall in the same triangular shape as the A-frame, and screw it into place.

Draw out the shape of the entrance in the front wall from the 1st to the 4th planks. Make sure the entrance to the dog kennel is in the middle. At the top, the shape of the entrance follows the line of the roof. This is at an angle of 60°. Pre-drill holes in the top corners; these will allow you to turn the jigsaw easily. Follow the line that you drew and saw out the rest of the opening. Screws a connecting pieces into place at the top and bottom above the middle to strengthen the front panel.

Assemble the dog kennel by putting the front and back walls in place and screw them to the bottom frame. Pre-drill the screw holes and use countersunk screws for a smooth surface. Finally, fix corners strips around the entrance for a neatly finished appearance.