Weekend Warriors



Photo Courtesy of Justin Baeder via Flickr

Welcome to today's episode of  "Weekend Warriors,"

where we tackle the world of D.I.Y

one weekend at a time.

I'm your host, Bobbie the Builder

and you all remember my cohort in crime, Handy Mandy.

In this week's installment, Mandy and I are dedicating our weekend to help out man's best friend.

The Winter months are coming up and poor Gus and Jane need a warm place to sleep.

So begins the time-honored weekend tradition of building a dog house.

Let's get started!

 We begin with a basic floorplan for a dog house, which can be found online on any number of sites. Since our house must fit two dogs, however, we must alter the plans slightly.

After the materials have been gathered and cut to size, we can start assembling.

Up first, the base.

Because the plywood would split if screwed together, a base made out of 2x4s is necessary.

This will be the same case for the sides and roof as well, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

We are using our own orange and black power screwdriver, but any device you have already on hand should work as well. Also we are using 1 5/8 in. screws.

*Note- As we learned during our shopping endeavor, some stores do not carry 1 1/2 in. screws, so you might need to plan accordingly. If you are local, don't worry. There is a very friendly man stationed in the Hardware Department who would be happy to help.  

Now that the base is assembled, we can move onto the sides.

 We simply attach the sides to the base and each side to a reinforcing block of 2x4.

Now that the sides and roof are attached, we have one more step before we can call this house a home.

Shingles.

It is neccessary that you attach shingles to the roof of a dog house because, just like our houses, when it rains, the water warps and rots the wood.

You certainly don't want to go through the work of building a house, just to replace it next Winter.

We had leftover shingle paper from a previous "Weekend Warrior" project, but if you need some I'm sure the helpful hardware man from before could point you in the right direction.

In true Weekend Warrior fashion, the final step is a community effort.

Moms, dads, uncles and aunts can all pitch in to lay the shingles properly.

Remember: never underestimate the power of an outdoor project to bring people together.

A successful project anyway.

Both Mandy and I have both been involved in a few projects that force people apart "for some air" as they always say. But that is a whole other segment.

Starting from the bottom, nail the shingle strips to the roof with flaps overlapping.
This allows water, as well as other debris, to slide off the roof and away from the structure.

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for......
the unveiling

There you have it folks! All it takes is some material, a little hardwork and a weekend
and you, too can build your furry friend a cozy abode.

That's all the time we have today.
I hope you all picked up some helpful hints and a little inspiration for your own weekend project.
See you next time.

Weekend Warriors Away!