How to make a dog kennel

With 6 timber frames to build, you can make this job easier by having most timber pre-cut at your local Bunnings. You'll need to use a mitre saw or box to make further cuts later on. Here's our cut list.

70mm x 35mm pine:

• 205mm x 2 
• 250mm x 1 
• 530mm x 5 
• 580mm x 2 
• 620mm x 4 
• 625mm x 2 
• 660mm x 3 
• 800mm x 4
• 805mm x 2 (with 10-degree mitred edges)
• 930mm x 4 
• 1130mm x 3 
• 1320mm x 2  

50mm x 25mm pine:

• 930mm x 2 (roof battens)
• 695mm x 2 (stops)

90mm x 19mm decking boards:

• 800mm x 13 

12mm x 150mm cladding palings:

• 750mm x 5
• 1200mm x 2
• 805mm x 10
• 250mm x 6
• 750mm x 2

Start this project by laying out the treated pine for the front frame of the kennel. The top of the frame is the 660mm timber. The 4 studs are 620mm. The 2 x bottom pieces are 205mm and the door head is 250mm. Just make sure the gap for the door is high enough for your dog to get into the kennel. Mark at the top of the frame where the two internal studs will go. For our project, we marked 205mm from the ends.

Once you've laid out the front of the frame, use the nail gun to fix it in place.

The roof for our kennel will have a 10-degree pitch, so you'll need to cut the side frame studs at a 10-degree angle. Set the circular saw to 10 degrees and cut 2 x 530mm, 2 x 580mm and 2 x 625mm studs on this angle.

For each side frame, you'll need an 800mm length and an 805mm length. Make sure the studs are placed in order of tallest to smallest so that the kennel roof is pitched.

After you've laid out the side frames, use the nail gun to assemble them. To make the back frame of the kennel, you'll need to repeat the steps you did to create the side frame, without mitre cutting the studs. For this, you'll need 2 x 660mm lengths and 3 x 530mm lengths for the studs.

Lay out the base for the dog kennel. The 2 x 800mm pieces of treated pine are for the sides. The 3 x 1130mm pieces are for the studs. Once you've laid the base out, use the nail gun to assemble it.

Lay the 13 x 800mm timber lengths on top of the base frame you've created. Leave an even 7mm gap between each board. This will allow the timber to expand and contract during winter and summer, and keep the kennel well ventilated.

Once you've laid the floorboards on the base and have the right spacing, pre-drill 2 holes near the end of each board with the 3.5mm drill bit. Then use the drill and 50mm screws to fix the boards to the base.

Place the back frame at the back of the base and use the nail gun to fix it down. Then attach the side frames next to the base frame with the nail gun. Place the front frame in place and fix it with the nail gun. Then fix all the frames together with the nail gun so it's securely in place.

The 4 stops go in each corner of the kennel, and are what the cladding will be nailed to. Hold the timber for the stops against each corner of the kennel frame and mark the height.

Set the circular saw to 10-degrees and cut the stops to the height you've marked.

Use the nail gun to fix the stops to the frame and you're ready to clad the kennel. 

You'll need to make a cut-out for the cladding at the bottom of the kennel. To do this, take the measurement from the stop at the back of the kennel to the stop at the front. Then measure the height from the bottom of the kennel to the bottom of the stop at the front. Transfer these measurements onto a piece of cladding for your cut-out.

Clamp the cladding to the workbench. Use a circular saw to cut the piece of timber so it fits under the stop. You'll also need to measure and cut another piece of cladding for the other side of the kennel.

Once you've cut out the two pieces of cladding for the bottom of the kennel, secure them to the frame with a nail gun.

Take the second piece of cladding and overlap it 20mm over the bottom piece of cladding. Secure it into place. The overlap will help keep the kennel waterproof and it looks really good. Keep installing the cladding on each side of the kennel with the 20mm overlap until you almost reach the top of the kennel. 

You'll also need to cut cladding to match the pitched roof of the kennel. At the front and back of the kennel, measure the distance from the cladding you've already installed to the roof and transfer these measurements onto a piece of cladding. You'll need to do this for both sides of the kennel and for the kennel door at the front.

Clamp the top lengths of cladding to the workbench and cut them to size with the circular saw.

Hold the cladding in place and use the nail gun to fix it to the frame. Continue cladding each side of the kennel until all of the walls are done.

Use the nail gun to fix two of the 930mm support lengths of timber to the front and back of the kennel.

Once the front and back supports are in place, lay the 2 x 1320mm pieces of wood on top of the kennel so there's a 400mm overhang at the front. Use the nail gun to secure them to the supports. Now take the other 2 x pieces of 930mm timber and fix them to the front and back of the roof timbers. 

Measure the length of your roof and transfer these measurements onto the mini orb sheets.

Clamp the corrugated sheeting to the workbench and use an angle grinder to cut it to length.

Put the mini orb sheeting on top of the kennel. Place two treated pine timber battens at the front and back of the sheeting and secure them down with a nail gun.

Now that you've built the kennel, it's time to add the finishing touches. You can stain or varnish the kennel depending on the look you want. We're painting ours to add a splash of colour to the backyard.