You want a nice place for your dog to come in out of the rain, but you don’t need to cut down a bunch of trees for building a doghouse. Use free building supplies, salvaged wood and cheap used materials for building a doghouse the greener way.
Introduction
You care enough to build a doghouse, but you’re smart enough to know it doesn’t need to be a dog mansion. Here are a few tips for making a cheap doghouse that uses salvaged wood, scrap lumber and other free or cheap supplies. You save some money. The forests save a tree.
Gather your tools
Lowe’s has handy instructions for building a doghouse. It's okay to use these even though you can make the whole doghouse without going to a Lowe’s store.
As noted in the Lowe’s instructions, a circular saw is the only power tool you need for the project. If you don’t have one, you can probably borrow one from a neighbor (you’ve already saved all the energy that goes into building a heavy-duty circular saw).
The other tools are basics such as a tape measure, hammer, square and safety gear.
Find your materials
All you need for the project is thick, heavy-duty plywood, a couple of 2x4s and nails.
First check Craigslist, FreeCycle and other local message boards for free or cheap lumber and plywood. You can also call a local builder or remodeling company and see if they have any wood remnants available. Your lumber pieces will be relatively short, so leftover scraps from a building project should work.
Another option is digging in the trash. Check around your neighborhood for Dumpsters that may have scrap lumber or other used building supplies. Somebody might have a garage sale sign painted on the back of a piece of plywood. It’s still usable wood. The Lowe’s plans call for two specific sizes of nails. Pretty much any extra nails around the garage will work.
Finish it
Finally, you’ll want some paint or outdoor wood stain to preserve Fido’s house. Small amounts of either item are usually available at Habitat for Humanity ReStore outlets and other building-supply thrift stores. Instead of throwing the rest of a paint or stain can down the drain, eco-conscious homeowners take the cans to such stores for reuse. Sometimes, you’ll find a couple of cans of paint in slightly different colors. Your dog can’t see colors very well anyway (but isn’t color-blind, according to recent research). So it doesn’t matter if the paint job is a little splotchy.