How to Build With Cement & Chicken Wire
Homeowners often shy away from small home-building projects because they feel overwhelmed with the demands of even the simplest project. Many people pay large sums of money to buy ready-made, small enclosures, frequently for small animals, so that they will not need to construct such an enclosure. A homeowner can avoid this financial outlay by building the structure efficiently with some tools, a bit of chicken wire and cement, and a few hours of patient work. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Wooden stakes (approximately 2 inches in diameter and 4 inches in height)
- Six wooden fence posts (approximately 2 inches in diameter; height will be the planned height of the dog pen)
- Chicken wire (enough to stretch along the perimeter of the enclosure)
- Wire cutters
- Wood screws
- Screw gun
- Hinge assembly
- Door hinges
- Cement powder
- Water
- Shovel
Instructions
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1
Measure the planned enclosure area. Mark off the area. Note the designated corner locations with metal or wooden stakes as well as the designated spots for the enclosure gate. If the enclosure will house a small animal, such as a rabbit, the enclosure will not need a large space. Similarly, if the animal or animals in the enclosure will have time to leave the pen each day and move around, the enclosure needs less square footage than if the animal or animals stay in the pen permanently. To keep costs down, don't build a pen that takes more space than necessary.
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2
Dig four holes measuring 2 feet deep and approximately 3 inches by 3 inches in diameter for the enclosure's corners. Dig two additional holes for the enclosure's gate.
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3
Pour prepared cement mixture into these holes. Mix the water with cement powder according to the directions as written on the cement bag. Buy cement mixture at hardware stores or home centers.
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4
Insert the wooden fence and gate posts into the corner holes while the cement is still wet. Precut wooden fence or gate posts sell at lumber yards, home centers or hardware stores. These posts serve as the enclosure's corners. The posts' height should meet height requirements of the planned enclosure. Constructing an enclosure for a small animal demands a lower height, so consider the animal's needs when deciding on the enclosure's height.
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5
Allow the cement to dry overnight. Spray water on the cement several times as it dries.
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6
Roll chicken wire upright along the enclosure's perimeter. Place bricks on the bottom of the chicken wire to hold it down. Swing the chicken wire around the gate posts and staple the chicken wire to the corner and gate posts, using a staple gun. Leave an opening for the gate.
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7
Screw two hinge assemblies onto one of the enclosure's gate posts. Note the exact spots where the hinges will hang on the posts and match them to the gate hinge locations. Place the hinge assemblies in place by screwing the hinge assemblies to the post with wood screws. Make sure that the gate will reach the ground to prevent an animal from slipping out from underneath the gate.
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8
Screw the matching hinges onto the gate. Note where the hinge assemblies hang on the gate post and make sure that the matching hinges have the same measurements on the gate.
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9
Slide the gate hinges into the enclosure post's hinge assemblies.
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10
Attach a latch to the gate post with the matching latch attachment to the gate.
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Tips & Warnings
If an animal will spend time inside the enclosure, build it in a shady spot, sheltered from the weather's elements.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit chicken image by Sergey Goruppa from Fotolia.com
