How to Build a Roof for a Dog House

All doghouses should have roofs to protect the dog from the sun, wind and rain. Building one will not take that much time if you prepare the items beforehand and have an idea of what the roof will look like. The most common type of roof for a doghouse is a pitched roof. This type of roof is ideal because snow and rain will not gather on the pitched roof like it can on a flat roof.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flat boards
• 2-by-4 boards
• Nails
• Hammer
• Saw
• Varnish
• Paintbrush
• Paint (optional)
• Tape measure
• Metal brackets for stabilizing

1. Decide what size of boards you are going to need to build the roof of the doghouse. The size will be dependent on the size of the doghouse. You will likely need to cut the flat boards and the 2-by-4 boards down to size.

2. Begin by building a frame for the doghouse roof with the 2-by-4 boards. Cut the boards using the saw so that there are four equal-sized pieces for each side of the roof.

3. Place four pieces on the ground or a work table so that they form a frame. Use the nails and hammer to join the pieces together so that the frame is stabilized. Place the board over one side of the frame and nail it in place. Do the same for the other side of the roof.

4. Join the two pieces together to form a "pitch" so that you can see what the roof will look like. You will need the metal brackets to the hold the pieces in place. Begin by nailing the brackets to the top of the roof, right inside the "V" portion of the roof. This is best done when one side of the roof is on the ground. When the bracket is in place on one side, add the other side to form the V and nail it to the bracket. You may need to nail about three brackets into the V portion of the roof to hold it together firmly. When you turn the roof over, you should have a perfect upside-down-V-shaped roof.

5. Place the roof on top of the house so that you know how it will fit, then use a pencil to mark the places where the brackets should go. These will be different brackets from the ones you used to secure the wooden boards together to form the roof. These brackets will actually hold the roof in place on top of the dog house. Nail the brackets to the inside of the roof first, then nail the brackets to the sides of the house.

6. Paint the roof, if you wish. If you don't want to paint it, you can simply add varnish to it so that the roof is protected from the elements and will last longer. If you decide to paint the roof, let the paint dry and then apply varnish to it so that the paint will be protected against sun and wind damage and will not be as prone to peeling.

Tips & Warnings

• Take measurements to ensure the roof will fit. Wear safety glasses when using a saw.