How to close the entrance to the booth in winter. Insulating a doghouse for cold weather is a feasible mission. How wide is the hole?


The dog should not suffer because the owner made a booth that is impossible to live in (by dog ​​standards). When making and insulating a kennel, it would be nice to look at it from a dog’s point of view, or rather, by understanding its sense of smell.

A doghouse should have:

  • normal sizes - not cramped, but not too spacious inside;
  • normal materials - not irritating, not poisonous and leading to illness... A dog's sense of smell is many, many times more acute than a person's.

Insulation of a doghouse may be necessary in different situations, For example:

  • the kennel is available, but it is flimsy, drafty, the dog does not want to be in it - it needs to be repaired...;
  • you need to make an insulated dog house from scratch with your own hands;
  • you need to order a booth, what to pay attention to;
  • manufacture doghouse as simply and quickly as possible, from what is at hand.

Let's consider these points, but first, the basic principles of insulating a dog house.

How should a dog kennel be insulated?

The dog wears the insulation on himself. And the best thing is that the air in the undercoat creates an effective thermal barrier around its body. Such that a dog can survive the winter without any kennel, if it has the opportunity to find a quiet refuge for itself.

The dog does not like the wind, which can blow air through the fur.
The second danger is water, humidity, which can wet the undercoat...

Therefore, the priorities for insulation are as follows:

  • The dog kennel should not be blown through. Drafts are not allowed. Sufficient air exchange is ensured through the opening.
  • It should be dry inside; precipitation should not get in or be blown inside. It is not permissible to use materials that can hold a lot of water - wet bedding, for example...
  • The hole must be protected from direct wind, or at least placed on the leeward side.
  • The booth should be placed on stands to prevent flooding and the body getting wet.
  • It is better to place the kennel in a slightly shaded place (but not humid) so that it does not overheat in the sun. There should also be a completely shaded place nearby where the dog can hide from the heat.
  • The dog's home must be insulated. There must be a thermal break in the floor. To do this, a continuous layer of effective insulation, preferably 1 cm thick, is installed between the base and the floor covering. A little thermal insulation of the walls and roof is also desirable.

Temperature, insulation thickness

It makes no sense to significantly insulate a doghouse (use a large thickness of insulation), since energy losses and the temperature inside will be almost entirely determined by air exchange through an opening that cannot be closed.

If the dog requires more heat than usual, then:

  • first of all, you need to take care of the curtain for the manhole (industrial-made ones are sold);
  • apply slightly more significant thermal insulation - 3.5 - 5 cm of effective insulation.
  • provide heating - it is better not home-made, but a special electric one for the kennel, or a heating pipe diverted from the house heating system with regulation (preferred option).

As a rule, long-haired yard dogs do not require elevated temperature inside the kennel, they winter well in a properly insulated kennel.

Designs can be varied. If possible, it is worth taking a closer look at booths with a covered threshold. They have a greater degree of protection from wind and the introduction of moisture and dirt into the sleeping area.

Dog kennel quickly, cheaply, from scrap materials

A sufficiently insulated dog house can be made from what is usually found in the yard - a few boards, a couple of boxes, pieces of plywood from old furniture, for example.

Foamed polyethylene with a thickness of 3 mm or 6 mm can be purchased “for pennies” at any hardware store.

And the work of making the cheapest and most insulated booth, with some skills, can take only a few hours.
So, the dog house quickly...


The structure is installed on bricks, and in this form it can serve for more than one year, and the yard dog, as a rule, remains very pleased with its windproof warm home. It is important that nails and screws do not stick out inside...

Thermal insulation of an old dog house

It is not difficult to insulate an existing old dog house according to the above principle.

First, it is advisable to clean and disinfect the old wooden booth, but only with drugs in accordance with the recommendations of veterinary services, and not with any others.


Materials for production


  • Plywood of any kind cannot be used inside the booth due to the release of toxic substances, incl. and formaldehyde. But it can be used outside, provided it is protected from the internal space by a vapor barrier (foamed polyethylene...), for example.
  • Polyurethane foam is not used - it is unreliable, quickly breaks down when damp, “suspicious” chemical. compound.
  • It is also unacceptable to use any “chemicals” in the manufacture of the booth, incl. and adhesives, impregnations... except for those recommended by veterinarians.

Making a regular warm booth

To make a booth from wooden beams and boards, you need to master the “hammer and nail” to a greater extent than in previous versions.

When making a good quality, well-insulated booth, the principle is still the same. On the continuous solid foundation the frame and internal upholstery are fixed. Then the insulation is laid and the top is covered with exterior finishing. The roof should be sloping, possibly gable.

An example of a design (very simple) with dimensions is shown in the figure. The thickness of the beams must be selected according to the thickness of the insulation so that it is pressed tightly against the seal on the inner upholstery and there is no air blowing in this place. It is advisable to tighten the insulation to the interior trim with screws and washers.


Owners country houses make a lot of efforts to winter period their rooms were warm and comfortable. A good owner tries to provide the same conditions for his pets so that they do not freeze in the cold. For this reason, it is important to properly insulate the dog house for the winter. But first you need to figure out which material is best suited for this.

When insulating a doghouse for the winter, it is worth considering the breed of the pet. Short-haired animals need warmth more than their long-haired relatives. Kennels where pets live often freeze, leak, and leak wind. To keep your pet warmer in the winter cold, When arranging his home, you need to take into account the following nuances:

  • the entrance to the kennel is located where wind movement is minimal;
  • the structure is assembled from natural wood;
  • when it rains, water should not leak inside, so the kennel is placed either on a hill or has good waterproofing;
  • the booth should be made in accordance with the size of the pet; it should not be cramped, but space is also undesirable.

Thermal insulation must provide protection from wind, moisture and frost. If the dog house can be easily dismantled, then you should give preference to internal insulation. When the structure is completely assembled and it is impossible to disassemble it, it is necessary to pay attention to the external insulation. In the latter case, finishing cladding will be needed, otherwise the house will look unattractive and spoil appearance plot.

Material selection

Since the animal’s home is being insulated, some requirements must be taken into account during installation. The walls of the booth must be insulated with a material that should not be easily damaged, otherwise it will quickly become unusable. In addition, it is advisable to use natural heat insulators that do not emit harmful compounds and cannot harm the health of the pet.

It is also worth reliably and efficiently insulating inner part structures, otherwise some materials may irritate respiratory organs animal. That is why you should take the choice of insulation seriously. It is worth considering the most common materials and finding out the features of each of them.

Mineral wool

This material is considered one of the most popular. It is used not only for insulating residential premises, but also for thermal insulation of a dog house. In the latter case, it must be used with special care, since an animal can damage the mineral wool, resulting in the loss of its original properties. technical characteristics. In addition, it can harm your health pet.

Working with mineral wool is quite difficult due to the small area of ​​the kennel. But if you still choose this material, then you need to apply it correctly:

  • It is strictly forbidden to use glass wool as insulation;
  • The thermal insulation layer must be waterproofed.

In addition, it is worth thinking in advance about the external and internal cladding, since this type of material should be left in pure form it is forbidden.

Foam sheets

Foam plastic is considered an excellent insulation material for a doghouse; it has much better thermal insulation characteristics than mineral wool. In addition, it is not so exposed to external influences, so there is no need to additionally waterproof it. There are several types of material, which are ideal for arranging a kennel:

  • penoplex;
  • expanded polystyrene.

Both options meet the specified parameters, and the sheets are installed quickly and easily, so installation will not take much time. To increase its service life, it is recommended to cover the foam with a durable facing material so that the dog does not chew or scratch it.

Roll type heat insulators

A roll insulator suitable for insulating a booth is polyethylene film. This material can be easily fixed to the walls and ceiling of the structure using a conventional construction stapler. In addition, there are roll insulators that already have an adhesive backing.

Another option is penofol. It also has good thermal insulation characteristics, but requires additional cladding, as it is susceptible to mechanical impact, as a result of which any damage can degrade its technical qualities.

Application of felt

This fabric of natural origin is well suited for insulating a booth. Felt has an increased level of safety and is affordable, so it is an ideal solution for a dog kennel.

Due to its vapor-tight properties, the material does not allow moisture to pass through, which means that the inside of the dog’s home will always be dry and warm. It is not blown by the wind and does not need to be covered with additional layers of protection. Regular nails with small heads are suitable for fixation.

Once the insulation has been selected and purchased, installation can begin. The event is divided into three stages; it is worth familiarizing yourself with each of them in more detail.

Bottom and floor covering

At the very beginning, it is worth taking care of insulating the floors and protecting the bottom of the structure. To do this, you need to turn the booth upside down. After this, you need to clean the wood from debris and treat the surface with a special antiseptic which will help protect the tree from destruction. Then you need to cover the bottom with roofing felt. At this point, the external protection of the floor covering is considered complete.

After this, the frame is returned to its original position and interior decoration begins. A waterproofing film is laid on the floor; you can use the same roofing material for this. During installation, it should be taken into account that the material should be laid with a slight overlap, in this case you can avoid the appearance of gaps and cracks that cause drafts. A mounting stapler can be used as a fastener.

The final floor is assembled last; it can be made from any old boards, plywood or OSB boards. After this, you should begin to add additional insulation, which will protect the kennel from the cold in winter.

Insulation is done in the place where the frame will be installed. To do this, you need to dig a hole 20-30 cm deep. A layer of expanded clay or gravel is poured into it, creating a kind of pillow, a sheet of roofing felt is laid on top, and then a booth is installed. This design will protect the kennel from possible freezing of the floor or moisture flowing inside.

Wall construction

Each insulation is installed in its own way; the exact diagram is always described in the instructions attached to the material. But in any case, the following activities are always carried out:

  • they begin to work by preparing the surface of the walls, they are cleaned and then treated with special compounds;
  • if necessary, lay a layer of waterproofing;
  • produce sheathing with insulation;
  • fix the vapor barrier material;
  • perform cladding.

When thermally insulating a doghouse, it is necessary to take into account that there should be no blown areas in the design. To do this, when covering the frame, all cracks and gaps are sealed.

Ceiling and roof

If the booth is installed in a special enclosure with a canopy, then you can make any roof and not even think about insulation. In all other cases, it is best to install a pitched version of a removable or collapsible roof.

The upper ceiling is insulated according to the same scheme as the floor. At the very beginning, a polyethylene film is fixed, which will serve as a waterproofing layer, then the insulation is laid. But in this place there is no need to further protect it, since the dog will not be able to damage it. It is advisable to line the internal slopes around the perimeter with good insulating material.

Curtain installation

After the booth is completely insulated, you need to equip it with a curtain that will maintain the optimal temperature inside. Suitable fabrics for making curtains:

  1. Tarpaulin. This material is highly durable. During production, its base is treated with a special compound that prevents fire. Distinctive feature This fabric is elastic, so the curtain can be easily adjusted according to the size of the entrance itself.
  2. Felt fabric. It is made on an artificial basis, so it perfectly retains heat inside the kennel. Felt can be easily cut into the required pieces, and there is no fear that the edges of the material will begin to crumble or tear.
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Very often, a dog is a family guard who lives on the street and serves all year round. There are all kinds of frosts and even the most shaggy dog ​​may need additional heating. How to insulate it in winter with your own hands so that it is not afraid of any cold - we will soon find out!

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Choosing insulation

Most breeders agree that it is still necessary to insulate your dog’s home. Even though some of the heat will always escape through the hole in the booth, an insulated house is better. Only some dog breeds are not at all afraid of winter and frost, these are northern Huskies, Malamutes and shaggy Caucasians. But if you have a short-haired guard living at home, like the Doberman, then you definitely need to make him a warm house.

When choosing insulation for your dog’s booth, the main condition is safety and non-toxicity. Remember that a dog’s nose is a hypersensitive organ, so he may completely refuse to enter a house that is insulated but has a strong smell for him.

The most common materials for insulating a doghouse are:

  1. Wood shavings or sawdust. The safest and most environmentally friendly material. Sawdust is simply poured into the inter-wall space of the booth. The downside is that the wood material is exposed to moisture and quickly settles. Therefore, literally in a year you can observe a situation where your insulation will sag significantly.
  2. Styrofoam. Controversial material for insulating a doghouse. Some people talk about its harmfulness, others about its safety, but our houses are insulated with it quite actively. Its advantage is that it does not rot and is not afraid of moisture. In any case, when insulating with polystyrene foam with your own hands, remember that it must be reliably insulated and protected from the dog’s paws. She is unlikely to understand its purpose and may simply scratch it.
  3. Mineral wool. Also a material with questionable safety for dogs. However, its thermal insulation characteristics are very good. When insulating with mineral wool, just like polystyrene foam, it must be securely “hidden” in the space between the walls. Because of this, the thickness of the walls of the booth can be very large, which is not always good.
  4. Penoplex. This is a relatively new thermal insulation material, considered non-toxic, a good option for protecting a dog house in winter. Available in the form of slabs of various thicknesses.
  5. Felt. It is considered almost an ideal option for a dog house. The walls and roof of the booth are simply lined with felt from the inside. At the same time, the procedure of insulating with felt with your own hands will take a minimum of time and will be safe for your pet.
  6. Roll insulation. It is also quite convenient, and allows you to increase the temperature in the booth with a heating layer thickness of only a few millimeters.

Let's warm ourselves!

In addition to the fact that the owner chooses the insulation option at his discretion, he must also think about how to cover the hole through which the lion's share of the heat escapes. To do this, you need to make a curtain from felt, tarpaulin or other dense protective fabric (even from an old thin rug). The curtain is attached using self-tapping screws and wooden plank, and it is cut into equal strips so that the dog can go inside the house. Some owners advise making an attached vestibule to the booth with their own hands, this way they can retain most of the heat inside the home.

Remember that everything needs to be insulated: floor, walls, roof.

You can lay hay or sawdust on the floor of the booth; this bedding is changed regularly. Someone lays rags or rugs on the floor, but remember that the animal does not always understand the purpose of the rug and can simply tear it apart. It is better to replace the rug with burlap or coarse cloth stretched over a wooden frame.

In addition, any insulation must be reliably protected with inside booths To do this, the interior of the booth is lined with clapboard, plywood, chipboard and OSB.

The video below will tell you how to make the floor of the booth warmer using ordinary hay!

Insulating a doghouse with felt

Let's consider in more detail the option of how to insulate the house of your four-legged guard with artificial felt.

Tools and materials

  1. Roll of artificial felt.
  2. Sharp knife.
  3. Nails with wide heads.

Step-by-step instruction

Note that insulating a booth with felt with your own hands is the simplest and most cheap option. In addition, felt, as we have already noted, is considered safe for your pet and does not need to be “hidden” from the dog.

So, in order to insulate the booth with felt you need:

  1. Cut the felt into pieces equal in size to the walls using a sharp utility knife.
  2. Attach the felt pieces to the walls using nails with wide heads. You can also sheath the inside of the roof and floor.
  3. Felt does not have to be sheathed on top with wood or plywood. By the way, felt protects well from wind and moisture.

Don't forget to lay a warm rug on the floor!

Insulation with mineral wool

Insulating a booth with mineral wool with your own hands is a more labor-intensive process than the previous option. However, it should theoretically provide higher thermal insulation if done correctly.

Tools and materials

  1. Mineral wool;
  2. Wooden blocks;
  3. Knife, nails, stapler;
  4. Vapor barrier;
  5. Plywood, chipboard or OSB.

Step-by-step instruction

  1. First, the roof of the booth is removed, and its walls are covered with a vapor barrier, which is secured with a stapler.
  2. Next, all the walls are covered with a sheathing of beams.
  3. Using a knife, “mats” of cotton wool are cut to the size of the sheathing and placed in it.
  4. Next, the cotton wool is again covered with a layer of vapor barrier.
  5. This entire “sandwich” is tightly sheathed on top with wood, plywood, chipboard or OSB so that the dog cannot disturb the insulating structure.

As a result, the walls insulated with mineral wool turn out to be quite thick. Using a similar principle, you can make insulation with polystyrene foam. A rug on the floor will make your home more comfortable.

Can heaters be used?

A modern kennel may well be equipped with electric heating and even a heated mat if you can provide a power source. At the same time, no insulation can compare with constant heating, which will also ensure dryness in the dog house.

You can choose the following types of heaters for your pet’s booth:

  1. Panel heater. It looks like a metal panel 2 cm wide. It is attached to any wall of the booth using self-tapping screws and provides heating up to 45-50 degrees. It is advisable to hide the heater under the inner lining of the booth.
  2. Film heater. This type of heating works on the basis of infrared radiation and heats up to 60 degrees. The film heater is very thin, mounted under the casing, and its infrared radiation as close as possible to the natural radiation of the dog’s body. It can be placed under the floor and a rug placed on top.

There are craftsmen who can make a heater with their own hands. For example, like this: an ordinary incandescent light bulb is placed in a tin can, like a lampshade. This lampshade, in turn, is placed in an asbestos-cement pipe. This design should warm up your dog quite well.

Video “How to insulate a dog house”

Below you will find a video with useful tips on how to keep your pet's kennel heated!

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If the issue of insulating a dog house is urgent and you need to quickly take some measures, then you can . But this is just a temporary measure; in order for the kennel to be really warm, you need to use one of the well-known insulation materials of natural or artificial origin, and also eliminate heat loss through the manhole.

How to insulate a booth manhole

The entrance to the vestibule and the booth are located from different sides.

Even the best insulation of a dog house will be useless if the hole through which the animal enters its apartment is open. All retained heat in this case will quickly evaporate. Therefore, the first thing to do is to reduce heat loss through the hole and prevent precipitation from getting into the kennel. Insulating the opening of a dog house can be done in two ways:

  • hang a curtain;
  • build a vestibule.

Hanging a curtain is the easiest way. To do this, you need to take thick fabric or thick polyethylene and secure it over the entrance hole to the kennel.

The curtain consists of two or more segments, which should overlap each other and be larger in size than the opening.

However, this method has some disadvantages. It happens that the curtain does not close tightly after the dog has entered or left the kennel. There are dog breeds, for example, german shepherds who don’t like curtains at all. You can insulate a dog house by building a vestibule - this is a much more effective method. It is important that the entrance holes in the kennel and vestibule are on different sides. This will prevent the wind from blowing into the booth and prevent snow or rain from entering.

Naturally, a dog needs bedding. Many people use old blankets or jackets, but often the dog drags them out into the street or tears them to pieces. In addition, the litter needs to be constantly changed, so practice has proven that the best option- This is hay or straw. If there is a vestibule and a thick layer of scrap, then in a warm winter you can do without additional insulation of the dog house.

If there is a vestibule, the problem arises of how to change the bedding. To make the process as convenient as possible, you can make the roof of the booth openable or leave the vestibule attached without rigid fixation. It should also be taken into account that the temperature in the kennel is affected by its size. The smaller the booth, the warmer it is for the dog.

Materials for insulating the booth

Mineral wool can be used to insulate a dog's kennel. The main thing is to close access to thermal insulation with interior decoration.

The enclosing structures of the kennel (walls and floor) can be single-layer or double-layer, similar to a frame house. If you do not plan any finishing when insulating single-layer walls, then it is better to attach the thermal insulation from the outside. In this case, it is better to use polystyrene foam. Two-layer structures can be insulated with anything.

How to insulate a dog house with your own hands:

  • mineral wool;
  • Styrofoam;
  • Polinor;
  • natural insulation materials.

Many people say that it is impossible to insulate a dog house with mineral wool, arguing that . We devoted a separate article to this topic; residential buildings are insulated with mineral wool and everything is fine, but here is a dog kennel.

Warming the booth with mineral wool

Even taking into account the fact that you choose the cheapest, dustiest and prickly mineral wool, there are still methods on how to insulate a dog house for the winter so that the health of the animal is not threatened. The main thing is to lay a vapor barrier and waterproofing. The films will prevent small particles of insulation from leaving the insulating pie. Layers from the inside:

  • inner wall;
  • vapor barrier polymer film;
  • mineral wool;
  • diffusion membrane with the advertising facing outwards and the fleecy side inwards;
  • outer wall.

When insulating the floor, the layers are arranged in the same way.

Polystyrene foam for insulating a dog kennel

Peoplast is an excellent insulation for a booth.

Polystyrene foam, unlike mineral wool, does not generate dust and does not shrink. It can be laid on single-layer walls and floors even without finishing. In this case, it is better if it is from the outside, since the dog from the inside can damage the thermal insulation. The foam is attached using foam adhesive, which has excellent adhesion to any surface. It must be taken into account that polystyrene foam is afraid sun rays, from them it is destroyed. So you need to at least paint it.

Double-layer walls are insulated with foam plastic according to the same principle as mineral wool. Thermal insulation is simply laid in the space between the walls; no additional films are needed. A do-it-yourself insulated dog house will create comfortable conditions at any time of the year. It will be warm in winter and cool in summer. In addition to different densities, there are three modifications of foam:

  • in sheets;
  • chit;
  • extruded polystyrene foam.

Liquid insulation Polinor

- This is a one-component polyurethane foam, which is sold in cylinders. In appearance it looks like polyurethane foam, and the same gun is used when applying it. To install, just screw the cylinder onto the gun, point its nozzle at the work surface and pull the trigger. The layer should be about 5 cm, but keep in mind that during polymerization the composition increases in volume.

Polinor is insulated exclusively for finishing, so it can only be used for insulating two-layer enclosing structures. Polinor has high characteristics, thanks to which the dog house will be warm:

  • thermal conductivity lambda 0.025 W/m*K;
  • does not allow steam and moisture to pass through;
  • refers to normally flammable materials;
  • does not shrink;
  • service life more than 30 years.

Polinor is an analogue of polyurethane foam, but its use does not require special equipment, which is very convenient for insulating small areas.

Natural insulation materials

The opening roof makes cleaning easier.

The use of natural materials for insulating a dog house has two benefits:

  • environmental friendliness;
  • low cost.

The fact that there are no harmful substances in the insulation of natural origin is good, but what’s more pleasing is the price. Sometimes you can get insulation absolutely free. Possible options:

  • expanded clay;
  • a mixture of clay and straw;
  • pure straw;
  • sawdust.

There is an opinion that it is better not to insulate a kennel with hay or straw, since fleas can settle in this material, which subsequently haunt the dog. It is optimal to use expanded clay or sawdust. How to make an insulated dog house using loose thermal insulation:

  • build double-layer walls and floors;
  • cover the outer wall with waterproofing so that it is in contact with the thermal insulation. The membrane will also serve as a wind barrier;
  • fill in the insulation.

Please note that it is better not to compact sawdust and expanded clay too tightly; this will negatively affect the thermal resistance of the enclosing structure.

The yard dog is constantly on the street. Its health, activity and appearance are very dependent on the conditions of detention. Maintenance vitality Keeping a pet in the cold season is possible only with proper organization of the temperature regime inside the kennel. Let's look at simple and affordable options for how to insulate a dog house for the winter with your own hands, and also offer the most effective and economical solutions for additional heating of the enclosure.

Do I need to insulate a doghouse for the winter?

Many owners of four-legged pets wonder whether the dog’s kennel is cold in winter. There is no definite answer to the question - it all depends on the climatic characteristics of the region and the breed of the dog.

Dog handlers agree that long-haired, wire-haired and short-haired dogs with thick undercoat can withstand frosts down to -40°C. Some breeds, such as Huskies, Leonbergs, Moscow Watchdogs and Bernese Mountain Dogs, prefer to sleep in the snow and stay outside even when it gets cold.

Warm home for a dog

However, whether a dog freezes in a kennel in winter depends not only on the breed, but also on the conditions in which the pet grew up. If he previously lived in an apartment, it will be difficult for him to spend the winter in a kennel without insulation. In a warm room, dogs shed more and lose their warming undercoat. It is necessary to adapt the animal's body to new living conditions gradually.

If the region is dominated by cold winters with long periods of sub-zero temperatures, then it is better not to risk the pet’s health and set up a warm dog house.

The need for thermal insulation of a dog house

Following a number of rules will help create an insulated kennel and reduce heat loss from the structure:

  1. It is better to locate the entrance to the pet’s home in a place where the likelihood of drafts is minimal.
  2. It is advisable to use wood for the construction of walls - the material has low thermal conductivity.
  3. The dog house should not be placed on bare ground. The structure must be placed on bricks or wooden beams. The air gap will protect the bottom from freezing.
  4. A draft is worse than frost for dogs. Therefore, the hole must be curtained with a thick canopy. The material should be dense and weighted so as not to sway in the wind.
  5. It is important to maintain the optimal size. The dog can warm the compact booth with his breath. However, in a structure that is too cramped, the animal's movements will be limited.

Calculation optimal sizes dog kennel

It is necessary to prevent leaks in the winter hut - eliminate all cracks in the roof and take care of waterproofing the roof even before insulation.

How to insulate a dog house with your own hands

Thermal insulation of a dog kennel is carried out using standard technology for insulating a living space. The method of installing insulation depends on the type of booth structure: collapsible or solid.

Wall insulation - choice of material and instructions

The walls of a collapsible model can be covered with a heat insulator from the inside or outside. If, when building a solid booth, you do not take care of insulation in advance, then the only option for improving the microclimate is external cladding.

The most popular “internal” insulation for a dog house:

  1. Mineral wool. Weak side insulation – susceptibility to moisture and low strength. Before sheathing the booth with mineral wool, it is necessary to cover the walls with film waterproofing. The insulation must be covered with a sheet of OSB or plywood on top so that the dog, while playing, does not destroy the insulation.
  2. Felt is a natural, breathable, safe and affordable material. To insulate a doghouse with felt, you will need regular nails with heads. The heat insulator does not require additional finishing.
  3. Roll insulation. Foamed polyethylene, polyethylene foam or penofol are fastened without sheathing.

To insulate a dog house with outside, you will need polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam.

Technology for insulating a doghouse with polystyrene foam:

  1. Use wooden blocks to fill the sheathing around the perimeter of the kennel.
  2. Cut the foam. The canvases should be 5-10 mm wider than the prepared cells - this will ensure tight fixation.
  3. Install insulation into the frame.
  4. Cover the foam with polyethylene. The protective layer will protect you from drafts, and the insulation will protect you from getting wet.
  5. Finish with board. There is no point in postponing the work, as the foam is susceptible to UV rays and moisture.

Insulating a doghouse polyurethane foam- rather an additional, rather than the main method. Foam is perfect for “blowing out” cracks and holes from the outside of the structure.

Floor insulation options

Installing a heated floor in a dog house involves laying insulation and bedding. Often, owners use only bedding material. This option is acceptable in warm regions, provided that the building is raised above the ground.

The procedure for insulating the bottom and floor with your own hands:

  1. Turn the kennel upside down and treat it with an antiseptic impregnation to prevent the appearance of rot.
  2. Cover the bottom with roofing felt.
  3. Turn the booth over and line the floor with glassine. Lay the insulating material overlapping, forming sides about 10 cm high around the perimeter.
  4. Before installing the insulation, it is advisable to install logs from bars.
  5. Place mineral wool, penofol, expanded polystyrene or other heat insulator into the cells.
  6. Use OSB boards or slabs as the finished floor.

Floor insulation with polyurethane foam

Be sure to lay bedding on top. There are many options for what to put in your dog’s kennel in winter to ensure warmth and dryness.

Hay and straw. The easiest method is to put hay in the dog's kennel. This bedding will have to be shaken up and changed weekly, otherwise the hay will begin to cake and become damp.

Using straw bedding

Mattresses and fabric bedding. A removable cover that can be washed can be sewn onto a warm blanket or pillow. The bedding is made from natural, dense fabrics - optimally wool. The disadvantage of the insulation method is the need for frequent drying.

It is better to choose sawdust for a dog’s kennel from cedar or pine. The material is soft, absorbs moisture well and repels fleas. You can partially replace sawdust.

Using a heated mat in a doghouse requires a 220V power supply. The heating temperature is adjustable in the range of 30-70 °C. Bedding is made from moisture-resistant fabric or PVC film.

Heated mat is more suitable for pets

Insulation and insulation of the entrance

The final stage of insulation is closing the hole. It is the entrance that is the main source of heat leakage. Without high-quality protection of this structural element, all previous actions are meaningless.

How to close the entrance to a doghouse for the winter? To solve this issue, curtains and curtains made of tarpaulin, rubber and thick woven materials are usually used.

For self-made curtains for the manhole you will need:

  • cut thick fabric(worn flannelette blanket, felt);
  • wooden slats;
  • nails or screws;
  • scissors;
  • hammer.

Curtain made of tarpaulin strips

Sequencing:

  1. Cut two identical elements from fabric rectangular shape. The length of each cut should be equal to the length of the entrance hole plus 5 cm, and the width should be equal to the height of the hole.
  2. Attach the first piece of fabric, folded in half lengthwise, to the wooden slats. The ends of the cut should be at the edge of the crossbar.
  3. In a similar way, fix the second part of the entrance with an overlap at the junction with the mating half of 4 cm.
  4. Using self-tapping screws, screw the double curtain rail to the top of the opening and connect the ends of the curtain to the corresponding sides of the entrance. To reduce the likelihood of gaps, it is better to nail the curtain on the sides through a wooden batten.
  5. Hanging doors should be made heavier by adding a two-layer edging at the bottom. soft fabric. Insert valves will close the gap formed between the curtain and the threshold, providing insulation.

Homemade curtain from a warm blanket

To improve the windproof and thermal insulation qualities of the canopy, instead of two layers of fabric, you can use four. An alternative way to increase the effectiveness of the curtain is to install weights. This can be a steel rod or a set of metal plates sewn into the bottom edge of the product.

Among ready-made solutions For insulation, silicone blinds with a thickness of 0.5-1 mm have proven themselves well. The material is not afraid of cold, does not harden in the cold and is unpretentious in use. The curtain elements easily bend, opening the passage inside. An additional plus is the affordable cost of silicone canopy.

Silicone canopy

Heating a dog house

Heaters that provide high-quality and safe heating for a dog house must meet a number of requirements: quiet operation, durability, low-temperature operation and heating efficiency. To a certain extent, panel heaters, film thermal insulation and cable heated floors have the declared parameters.

Panel heater

The most popular and easiest to implement DIY heating method is installing a panel heater. Electric infrared panels allow you to maintain optimal temperatures inside a dog’s home without special expenses for electricity and insulation.

Distinctive features Using a panel heater in a dog house:

  • quiet operation;
  • compactness of the equipment - the standard thickness of the heating model is 2 cm;
  • heating temperature no more than +50 °C - thanks to moderate heating, the air is not “burned” and there is no need to cover the device with a protective wooden grille;
  • ease of installation - the panel is fixed to the surface with self-tapping screws;
  • resistance to wet environments – degree of moisture protection IP66;
  • The presence of fire-fighting characteristics allows the heater to be operated around the clock without monitoring the kennel.

Heating panel for heating the booth

An infrared heater for insulating a doghouse operates according to the principle thermal radiation– first, objects are heated, which in turn transfer heat to the air.

High-tech models are equipped with a thermostat placed inside a protective metal box with a lock.

Film thermal insulation

Infrared film is an ultra-thin heater whose operation is based on the radiation of infrared waves. The heating element distributes heat evenly, preventing the animal from overheating.

A low-temperature film heater, regardless of the manufacturer, consists of three elements:

  1. Heating element – ​​converts electrical energy into thermal energy.
  2. Foil – promotes uniform distribution of heat over the entire surface to be covered.
  3. Laminated double-sided PET film - provides insulation and protects internal system components from mechanical damage.

A warm heated dog house made from IR film has a number of advantages:

  • economical energy consumption;
  • “healthy heating” - the length of the infrared radiation of the film coincides with the wavelength emitted by animals, which increases the immune functions of the animal’s body;
  • high level heat transfer – thanks to the uniform distribution of energy, there are no “cold zones”;
  • Heating foil for dog houses does not change the air humidity.

Infrared film for installation on ceilings or walls

The main disadvantages of the systems: the high cost of insulation and the complexity of installation. The installation technology involves covering the film heater with a protective coating.

The entire DIY installation process can be divided into several stages:

  1. Surface preparation. It is necessary to level the wall - this important condition uniform heating and uninterrupted operation. It is advisable to insulate the surface before installing the IR film to reduce heat loss.
  2. Film preparation. Cut the material. The incision is made strictly along the marked lines. Subsequently, the sections will be combined into a single “warm carpet”.
  3. Installation of film heat insulator:
  • plan the layout taking into account that the copper bars are directed towards the rough surface;
  • remove 1 cm of insulation from the supply wires and attach the terminal;
  • attach the films with tape to the wall, connect and crimp the contacts with pliers;
  • Cover the joints of the wires with insulation.

Joining individual IR film sheets

After installing the thermostat and temperature sensor, cover the walls with plasterboard or OSB boards.

Cable heated floor

Interesting option creating a heater with your own hands - laying heating cables.

Ready-made purchased “warm floor” system

To create a homemade heating and insulation system you need to prepare:

  • thick plywood;
  • wooden beams;
  • thermostat;
  • heating wire (power 80 W);
  • silicone sealant;
  • steel wire;
  • scotch;
  • sand.

Example of a cable heated floor

The following tools will be useful: a jigsaw, a drill, self-tapping screws, nails and a hammer.

"Heated floor" assembly technology:



  1. Seal all joints between the bottom of the frame and the bars with tape.
  2. Fill the box with sand and check the functionality of the system.
  3. At positive result– cover the box with a plywood lid.

The "warm floor" system is connected late autumn

Place the finished structure in the dog’s home, connect the cable and lay a rug for the pet.

Alternative heating

Looking for alternative way When heating and insulating with their own hands, some owners resort to bold measures, but not always effective methods:

  1. Heating a doghouse with a light bulb. An IR heating lamp is able to raise the temperature to the desired level. However, the animal runs the risk of overheating or being burned by a hot device. The minimum distance from the lamp to the dog should be 50 cm, but with the standard dimensions of the kennel this is difficult to achieve.
  2. Autonomous booth heater. As a rule, devices operate on batteries. Some models are heating pads with filling that retains heat for a long time. In order for the heater to work and accumulate heat, it is preheated. A battery-powered heating pad can be used in a dog house as an addition to the main heating system.

If you want to carry out insulation and organize heating for your beloved pet’s booth, you can do it yourself, spending a minimum of money on the work. Technologies various methods are quite simple and can be implemented within one or two days.