Exterior wall for dog house

[ziggyboy]

Planned to build an insulated dog house for my 2 dogs complete with wall+underfloor+ceiling insulation and magnetic dog door.

I'm also an amateur on wood works. The most complex project I've built is a chicken run with a walk in gate. LOL. No experience on exterior materials. There's cement sheeting, weatherboard planks and good 'ol plywood available in Bunnings. Where should I start? Can't find a website that explains the differences and pros/cons for each.

My 2 requirements are for it to be fairly weatherproof and offer good insulation. Can someone suggest the best material for my purpose? Ideally not something that'll break my budget.

Also, is it easy to work with fibre cement? Can I just use a normal circular saw on them?

[blackjaffa]

Whats the temp in winter at your location. That's one thing to consider for insulation.

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[tonzeyd]

Hi Ziggyboy,

I could be wrong but i feel that this may be a waste of effort, as in if you were to seal it enough to the point where the insulation actually does anything you run the risk of suffocating your dog.

IMO probably better off giving the dog some blankets or a rug.

If you were to build a dog house i'd probably just stick to plain old wood as that has its own insulative properties without the need of adding additional insulation

[FenceFurniture]

There's cement sheeting, weatherboard planks and good 'ol plywood available in Bunnings. Where should I start? Can't find a website that explains the differences and pros/cons for each.

My 2 requirements are for it to be fairly weatherproof and offer good insulation. Can someone suggest the best material for my purpose? Ideally not something that'll break my budget.Well you need something that will withstand the elements. Normal plywood is no good. Form ply would be ok for a while, and marine ply ($$$) would be better still. I'm assuming you will paint it with at least 2 coats of exterior paint.

The weatherboards sound like the go to me. They could look quite good. If they are pre-primed in pale blue primer, be aware that many tradies reckon it's rubbish, paint won't stick, peels off the timber, etc. It may need a good sanding before painting. Most of the exterior plastic paints sold these days are self priming anyway.

Another material worth considering is treated pine palings. Prepaint them with 2-3 coats before assembly and they will last a good long while. Cheaper than weatherboards, but for the quantity you'll need, cost is prolly not a consideration. Give them a good sanding with 40 or 60 grit before painting to get them smoother (plenty rough in the raw). Unless you are also going to paint the inside walls I would not use treated pine for them (and regular ply should be ok for that anyway). Don't want the doggies chomping on the Copper Chromium Arsenate (although I wouldn't mind if the yappers across the road from me chomped on some....or quite a bit.....)



Also, is it easy to work with fibre cement? Can I just use a normal circular saw on them?I think I'd be more inclined to use an angle grinder with self sacrificing cut-off disc, or one of the "cuts anything" long lasting discs. Cement is extremely abrasive and will probably even blunt the teeth on a TCT saw blade, as well as coat the inside of the saw with concrete dust. Beware of the dust during this operation - silicon P2 mask required, and blow yourself down with compressed air at the end, if you have it.

Better still, score it with a tile cutting knife (TCT) and snap it - nil dust to speak of.

HTH

[FenceFurniture]

Whats the temp in winter at your location. Cold as. There's only one perpetually warm building in Canberra.....

[blackjaffa]

I would be wary if treated pine depending on the treatment they can give off poisonous fumes.

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[blackjaffa]

Most kennels are not insulated but can be double skin. This acts as a barrier to the temp. In cold climates kennels often have straw for bedding which is goid insulator.

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[FenceFurniture]

I would be wary if treated pine depending on the treatment they can give off poisonous fumes.Yes, I certainly wouldn't leave it raw, but I would have thought painting would seal that off?


Most kennels are not insulated but can be double skin. This acts as a barrier to the temp. In cold climates kennels often have straw for bedding which is goid insulator.You could maybe also use the straw in the wall cavity as an insulator (although it might be a nice breeding ground for fleas?). It would breathe to an extent.

Perhaps the magnetic door needs some perforating to enable fresh air flow.

[rustynail]

Structural ply. Lasts for years. Make it so the top lifts off the floor section so it can be cleaned easily. Also makes a nice open bed for summer. Short treated pine legs in the corners to get it off the ground. I made one for our dog about 12years ago. On to the second dog and still going strong.
As for the insulation, I think it's better on the dog than in the house when it comes to winter. Summer is a different matter. Keeping the kennel cool is a good idea. Maybe a good option would be some roof insulation with the foil on one side placed on top of the ply roof and then screw corrugated iron sheets over that. Now all is weather proof.
You may wish to move in yourself.