A New Dog House

[Barnyard]

About three years ago a friend of our's and her sisters decided to tear down their old house and build a new, more modern one. Carol told me that I could have anything I wanted from the house as long as I got it before the demo team got to it. I jumped at the opportunity to haul several truck loads of stuff to the barn where it would sit with all the other junk I will probably never use.

The windows were in excellent shape and I figured I could put them to use on my back porch some day. I went to work with a sawsall, pry bar and hammer. after a few hours I had all eight smaller windows and a large bay window loaded on the truck. These sat in the barn until just before Thanksgiving when I finally found time to put them to use.

Our porch had been screened and I wanted to enclose it so the dogs would have a warmer place in the winter. Right now they sleep in the barn guarding the Cubs and they seem pretty content at that. We have tried to get them to stay in the house on cold nights, but they head straight to the barn as soon as they get a chance. With the windows and a doggy door they would have their choice of which to use and when.

Step 1: I started by ripping out all the screens the dogs hadn't already destroyed along with the old framing and measured everything a dozen times to make sure it went right. After another dozen measurements I was on a role.


Step 2: The bay window is a bit taller than the opening between the eave and the brick wall so I got my buddy in the concrete business to drop by with his concrete saw. It didn't take him but ten minutes to make a few cuts where I needed them.


Step 3: I then started framing in the openings for the windows. Some spots required manual labor, but most of the framing was done with my trusty air nailer. Those babies are about as safe as an unguarded buzz saw on the back of a Cub.




Step 4: I test fit a couple windows to make sure things were on track and was happy to see that my basic measuring skills were paying off. Note that a project this size may require plenty of adult beverages. I was prepared for this by placing a cooler at each end of the job site. Warning: Over use of adult beverages may cause additional measurements to be required (see step 1 above).


Step 5: Once I was happy that the windows were fitting as planned I installed the remainder of the smaller ones along with the trim and doors. The bay window will require more people than just me to install. With the holidays, as well as the nasty weather, here that will have to wait.

Finale: As soon as we get a little better conditions where I can get to the barn, I will bring the window out and get a few of my buddies to help set it in place, I think the dogs will like it.

[Bill E Bob]

Is there anything you CAN'T do That's plumb spiffy AND (considering adult beverages) quite remarkable

[John(videodoc)]

excellent job, significant improvement.;

[Gary Dotson]

Way to go, Bill! I know you've been wanting to get that job done, it's looking good! I did a few carpentry projects this Fall, primarily door replacements. I did one overhead, two walk in's and two French storm doors. While I wouldn't want to do carpentry as a vocation, I do enjoy the occasional project.

[Don McCombs]

Looks good, Bill! It's nice to see materials being re-used, instead of going to the landfill.

[Bill Hudson]

Looks good, Bill.

Bill

[Rudi]

Bill:

Very well done The dogs are really going to love it as will their masters methinks It really looks nice and airy

I am a firm believer in Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as well as keeping my pocket book a little above empty.. Recycling does that. Most of the time what is one man's trash is another man's treasure .. and we see that more and more as the message gets out. I could never have done the pole barn project without being able to access used materials for nothing and the same goes for the driveway project. If it wasn't for the fact that recycling is now mandatory when it comes to airports/roadways etc., I would still have tailings as my driveway surface. I am a real fan of recycling.

I guess ifn we think about it... we all are. Having a Cub is really recycling at it's best.

[Barnyard]

At the time the owner had asked if I wanted anything, I was planning to add on to one of the lofts in the barn. I was also wanting to add steps to it and get rid of the old straight up 1x4 ladder that was nailed to the wall. The basement steps in the house being torn down were well built and the exact height as my loft.

Needless to say, I grabbed those pretty quick.

[Rudi]

Nice looking stairs Bill. The fit perfectly in the new loft The beauty of recycled material Hope you continue to be lucky and get enough material to do all the projects that you would like to in BOB.

I always am on the lookout for construction sites. Their cast-offs can often be a great source of material. Same when it comes to demolition projects. My pole barn is almost all insulated now thanks to a demolition project that saw a strip mall torn down to make way for a street alignment project. Their loss = my gain. I like recycling a lot.

[danovercash]

Very nice job Bill! Rudi, I'm with you and the 4 R's. Wife just doesn't understand, but I understand why she feels that way. I like to reuse concrete pipe and sidewalks. Some of my favorite toys came from the "transfer station" that the wife calls the Dump! Latest things were a Brinley-Hardy spike aereator and 5 wire display racks. Two of them made a nice 74" tall 6 shelve storage tower in the pantry. Bill if you are ever in the area, I have windows to install in the metal carport. You can have the leftover ones If you help!

[Bob McCarty]

Nice job Bill. Are you going to put a bed out there for those nights that you're in the doghouse?

Bob

[Barnyard]

Nice job Bill. Are you going to put a bed out there for those nights that you're in the doghouse?

Bob

I am hopeful that the dogs will be grateful for what I have done for them and will allow me to share quartes with them when the occassion arises.

[Bill E Bob]

Nice job Bill. Are you going to put a bed out there for those nights that you're in the doghouse?

Bob

I am hopeful that the dogs will be grateful for what I have done for them and will allow me to share quartes with them when the occassion arises.

You need to have enough dogs for those "Three Dog Nights" you will surely encounter

[Barnyard]

It was a balmy 31 degrees in the barnyard today so with the help of Rosie, Mel and her boyfriend Nick (I got it right this time) we got the bay window in. I don't know why Rosie wanted that since we don't have a bay to look at, but at least it's in.

A little more caulking, some insulation and inside trim and I can call this one comeplete.



The Christmas lights come down next week.

[Bob McCarty]

Bill, A bay window isn't for you to look out at the Bay through, it's for the dogs to bay at the moon.

Bob