Article by Richard Hobbs

If you're planning on building your own dog house, it's really important to look for insulated dog house plans.

That's because your dog is going to need some protection from the elements in both cold and hot weather. If the dog house is well insulated, it'll keep him warm in winter. Just as importantly, it'll help keep him cool in summer.

If your plans have good insulation, and the house is a good size for your dog, that's probably all you're going to need to keep him at a comfortable temperature, unless you live somewhere really freezing, in which case you'll need to give him access to some protected area of your house in any case (such as the garage or basement).

So, how does it work? Insulation works on the same principle as your dog's coat - trapped air. Heat and cold travel more slowly through air than through solids, so little pockets of air create insulation.

Good natural wood is itself insulating, because it's less dense than metal or most plastics. However, it's a good idea to build extra insulation into your dog house. Good dog house plans will include instructions for that.

Basically, you'll be building your walls in two pieces: usually a thicker outer wall, made from solid natural wood, and a thinner inner wall, perhaps plywood or hardboard (but never pressure-treated wood, as this is toxic). You join them to the floor and roof in such a way that there's a small gap between them. The air between them is trapped, and this creates insulation.

That may well be enough insulation for your climate, but if you want more, you can put a layer of insulating material between the two pieces of wall. This could be foam board, foam spray, or some kind of improvised material like old carpeting or rags. Do make sure the cavity is well sealed, or you'll end up with soggy insulation!

The simplest way to create your double layer of wall is usually to start by making a strong frame for the dog house, from 2"x2" or similar, and then attach one layer to the outside of the frame, and the other to the inside.

When you're looking for dog house plans, check that they state clearly that they allow for insulation. But there's one more kind of insulation which is important, and which you might not think to look for - and that's the floor.

I'm not talking about putting insulating material in the floor (though of course you can if you want), but rather about raising the dog house up off the ground. Good plans should include this feature. The air underneath the floor acts as insulation, and stops the cold seeping into the house from the earth. It also helps prevent rot, and stops water pouring in through the door when it's wet.

You can raise a dog house off the floor with some bricks at the corners - but really good plans will have the raise built in, as part of the frame.

About the Author

Richard Hobbs has been a dog lover all his life, and a keen DIYer for over 25 years. For more great information on insulated dog house plans, visit www.makeadoghouse.com.

Article by Burke Morris

Building your own shed can save you a lot of money. Furthermore if you're convenient with tools, creating your own shed may be a great deal of fun. You are able to get the family members to participate in on the fun. It provides a feeling of pride having built your own sheds, right?

But do you truly want the free plans?

Nicely, you will find lots of free shed blueprints you can find on the internet. I've checked out several but I've not discovered one that is complete. Possibly you could find a good one in case you look tough enough?

Nonetheless, it's much better having a blueprint than having to draw your own design from scratch. Or is it not? In my opinion, it depends upon how good the free plan is. Naturally some are better than others. Some just have the basic drawing while others might have more guides like cut chart and material list.

Cut chart is particularly essential as it tells you precisely where to cut so that you do not waste lumber cutting the incorrect size and having to buy more lumber to replace the scrapped ones. In the identical sense, a material list assits you to buy exactly what you need to build your personal shed to ensure that you do not buy what you don't need and save time when you do not have to keep going to the house improvement store to buy items needed for the build.

Even though you can find free shed blueprints on-line, you might be far better off save some time by spending several bucks on professionally designed blueprints. You know, discovering issues on-line might be a challenge, you are going to get easily distracted by various fascinating things.

Paid shed blueprints can cost anywhere between 5 bucks to over twenty dollars a piece, perhaps more. Nonetheless, do you know that you can acquire a collection of thousands of blueprints developed by the specialists for pennies on the dollar? The collection contains not just shed plans but any woodworking plan it is possible to imagine like garage plans, table plans, dog house plans, potting shed plans, log cabin plan - to name several. That really should keep you occupied for years to come!

You'll be able to get some free sample blueprints from the collection suppliers too. Maybe the sample is sufficient for your will need?

Why not have a look?

Free shed blueprints might be great but why waste time trying to find a free one if you can get thousands of them for pennies on the dollar?

About the Author

Constructing your own shed will save you a whole lot of money. Furthermore if you are convenient with tools, building your own shed might be a great deal of fun.

Building your own shed can save you a lot of money. Furthermore if you are handy with tools, building your own shed can be a lot of fun. You can get the family to join in on the fun. It adds a sense of pride having built your own sheds, right?
But do you really need the free plans?
Well, there are plenty of free shed blueprints you can find online. I've looked at a few but I have not found one that is complete. Maybe you could find a good one if you look hard enough?
However, it is better having a blueprint than having to draw your own design from scratch. Or is it not? In my opinion, it depends on how good the free plan is. Of course some are better than others. Some just have the basic drawing while others may have more guides like cut chart and material list. 
Cut chart is particularly important as it shows you exactly where to cut so that you don't waste lumber cutting the wrong size and having to buy more lumber to replace the scrapped ones. In the same sense, a material list enables you to buy exactly what you need to build your own shed so that you don't buy what you don't need and save time when you do not have to keep going to the home improvement store to buy things necessary for the build.
While you can find free shed blueprints online, you may be better off save some time by spending a few bucks on professionally designed blueprints. You know, finding things online can be a challenge, you will get easily distracted by different interesting things. 
Paid shed blueprints can cost anywhere between 5 dollars to over 20 dollars a piece, maybe more. However, do you know that you can buy a collection of thousands of blueprints designed by the professionals for pennies on the dollar? The collection contains not just shed plans but any woodworking plan you can imagine like garage plans, table plans, dog house plans, potting shed plans, log cabin plan - to name a few. That should keep you occupied for years to come!
You can get some free sample blueprints from the collection suppliers too. Maybe the sample is enough for your need? Why not have a look?

Free shed blueprints may be good but why waste time looking for a free one when you can get thousands of them for pennies on the dollar? Head over to http://www.build-your-own.info to learn more.