An insulated dog house can help protect your pets from winter's bite.
Wintertime can be very uncomfortable for humans and dogs alike. Snow, ice and wind can make winter even more difficult on your dog if it lives outside any portion of the day. Insulating its living quarters, however, can make a difference in the weather conditions and will allow it to life much more comfortably in adverse weather conditions.
Instructions
1. Start with a dog house that is large enough to add onto. If you have an unfinished dog house, your addition and insulation will be much easier, but you can insulate just about any type of dog house.
2. Choose an insulation that is easy to work with and simple to install. Rolled insulation is easiest to trim and install, but the type you choose is up to you. Be sure you choose according to weather conditions in your area to ensure that the insulation is effective.
3. Measure the floor of your dog house. Insulation in the wintertime is especially important on the floor area, which is where the majority of your dog's body heat will be lost. If the floor on your dog house is removable, then move it aside to place your insulation.
4. Mark your floor measurements on your section of plywood if your dog house floor is not removable. Trim the plywood section according to the marks so that it will fit over the existing floor of the dog house once the insulation is laid down.
5. Trim your insulation to fit the floor of your dog house. Be sure that the section is big enough to fit over every area of your floor and secure the insulation with three or four nails to hold it while you install your upper flooring.
6. Install the plywood section over the top of your insulation, making sure that the insulation fits well between the two flooring sections. Push it down firmly and nail it to secure the two sections together.
7. Continue your insulation installation by lifting each wall of your dog house and placing insulation between the wall sections. If your dog house does not have removable walls, measure and trim sections of plywood to fit the walls and install the insulation and wall sections just as you did for the floor sections.
8. Caulk the edges of your walls and flooring sections. A sufficient amount of caulk will keep drafts and moisture out of your dog house and will ensure that your insulation stays dry and in working order. Allow the caulk to dry completely before letting your dog back into the dog house.
9. Sand down any rough edges of wood and be sure they are smooth and free of damaging ends. Check for any loose or protruding nails to avoid injury to your dog. Replace its bedding and any other accessories that you had to remove from the dog house so that your dog can enjoy the most warmth and comfort in its newly insulated dog house.
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