How to Make a Ramp for Dogs to Get on the Couch

Most of the time, dogs aren't allowed on the furniture. But as your dog grows older and becomes a member of the family, those rules sometimes fall by the wayside. Age and injury, however, can make getting on and off of your furniture, such as a couch, difficult for your dog. For those that want to make things easier, building a ramp is the answer. Creating a ramp that is useful for your dog and you (with a hidden storage area) can be done with several pieces of wood and metal hardware,

Things You'll Need

  • Jigsaw
  • 3/4-inch laminated shelving board, 16 inches by 45-1/2 inches
  • 3/4-inch plywood, 14 inches by 31-1/2 inches
  • Two pieces of 1 inch by 5 inch lumber, 96 inches long
  • 1 inch by 5 inch lumber, 14-1/2 inches long
  • 1 inch by 3 inch lumber, 7 inches long
  • China marker
  • Speed square
  • 2 - 6-inch to 8-inch C-clamps
  • Electric drill
  • 3/8-inch drill bit
  • 3/8-inch driver bit
  • Box of 1-5/8 trim-head screws
  • Allen wrench or screwdriver
  • Putty knife
  • Wood filler
  • Medium-grit sandpaper
  • Latex primer
  • Latex semi-gloss paint
  • Medium-sized paint brush (around 3 inches wide)
  • 2 - 3/8-inch bolts, 2-1/2 inches long
  • 10 washers, 3/8-inch
  • Two locking nuts, 3/8 inch
  • Adjustable wrench
  • Wood glue
  • 30-inch piano hinge
  • 5-1/4 by 1-3/4-inch toy box hinge
  • 2-inch folding door hinge
  • 3 3/4-inch drawer pull
  • Rubber strip roll (at least 2 inches wide)
  • 4 - 3/4-inch skid feet
  • 20 inch by 50-inch rug
  • Contact cement
  • Carpet shears or scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use a jigsaw and cut a piece of 3/4-inch laminated shelving board to a dimension of 16 inches by 45-1/2 inches and a piece of 3/4-inch plywood to 14 inches by 31-1/2 inches. Cut pieces of 1-inch by 5-inch lumber in this manner: two pieces at 12-1/2 inches long; two pieces at 45 inches long; one piece at 14 inches long; two pieces at 15-1/2 inches long; and one piece at 14-1/2 inches long. Use a 1-inch by 16 inch-piece of lumber and cut it to 45-1/2 inches long and a 1-inch by 3-inch piece of lumber cut to 7 inches long.

    • 2

      Use a china marker mark the two 1-inch by 5-inch by 45-inch pieces at 2 inches in from one end and 10 inches in from the other end. Cut off the corner pieces at those points guided by a speed square.

    • 3

      Make a round mark with the marker on the two 1-inch by 5-inch by 15-1/2 inch pieces and cut at the mark with the jigsaw, leaving a rounded end.

    • 4

      Place a mark 2 inches from the pointed end on backsides of the 1-inch by 5-inch by 45-inch pieces and another mark 10 inches in from that same point on the other side of the boards. Use the speed square to draw a line across the boards at those marks.

    • 5

      Place the 1 inch by 5 inch by 12-1/2 inch pieces between the 45-inch pieces inside the lines you just marked. Use two 6-inch to 8-inch C-clamps to hold the piece in place. Use an electric drill equipped with a 3/8-inch driver drill bit and insert 1-5/8-inch trim-head screws into the side and the ends of the boards where the marks were made.

    • 6

      Use the drill to attach the plywood piece to the bottom section you just built using trim-head screws. Space the screws about 2 inches apart. Attach the 1-inch by 5-inch by 14-inch piece against the edge of the plywood bottom with trim-head screws placed 2 inches apart.

    • 7

      Switch to a 3/8-inch drill bit and drill a at the back end of the 45-inch length pieces approximately 1-1/2 inches from the bottom edge and 3-1/2 inches from the point end at the end of the box.

    • 8

      Drill a hole in the center of each 1-inch by 5-inch by 15-1/2 inch piece that is 13-1/2 inches from the bottom. Screw the 1-inch by 5-inch by 14-inch piece flush between the 1-inch by 5-inch by 15-1/2 inch pieces with trim-head screws using an Allen wrench or screwdriver. Use wood filler and a putty knife to fill in all seams and fastener holes. Use medium-grit sandpaper and smooth the puttied surfaces, then, use a latex primer and latex semi-gloss paint to all of the wood sections you have used at this point, including the laminated shelving board. Allow the paint to dry.

    • 9

      Attach a 3/8-inch bolt between one of the 15-1/2 inch leg pieces using one washer per piece, four washers between the 15-1/2 inch pieces and the box you created and a washer inside the box -- all attached by a locking nut. Tighten the bolt using a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. Repeat for the other side of the box.

    • 10

      Fasten the 1-inch by 3-inch by 7-inch piece to the underside of the laminated shelving board 1/2 inch from the end. Lay the laminated board face down and set the painted box in the center on top of the board with each narrow end sitting flush with the board. Switch back to the driver bit and attach a 30-inch piano hinge to the side of the box. Use the trim-head screws and attach the hinge to the underside of the board.

    • 11

      Place a 5-1/4-inch by 1-3/4-inch toy box-style hinge on the underside of the board next to the piano hinge and attach with screws. Attach a 2-inch folding door hinge on the outside of the box 1/2-inch from the top edge opposite from the piano hinge, with the other edge connected to the front edge of the leg, 9 inches away from the bolt hole.

    • 12

      Attach a 3-3/4-inch drawer pull with 2 trim-head screws on the back end of the box. Glue runner strips cut to fit on the bottom of each leg and 3/4-inch skid feet to the underside of the box between the legs.

    • 13

      Flip the box over with the lid facing upright. Lay a coat of contact cement on the surface of the lid and on the underside of a 20-inch by 50-inch non-skid rug. Attach the rug to the lid's surface when the cement is tacky to the touch, making sure that the rug is securely attached. Trim any excess rug away with carpet shears or scissors.