How to Apply Shingles on the Roof of a Dog House

Installing shingles roof on a dog house provides a method to ensure the water-tightness of the roof, and provides an aesthetic quality of a home-away from-home for your beloved pet. Learning the techniques used in traditional roofing to apply the shingles gives a professional look to the completed project. Using 3-tab asphalt shingles creates a simple and effective procedure to successfully install dog house roofing.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • 15 lb. roofing felt
  • Utility knife
  • Straight edge
  • Hammer
  • Short galvanized roofing nails
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the width of the dog house roof along its lowest edge using a measuring tape. Measure along the side edge of the roof from its lowest point and up and over the ridge line and down along the other side of the roof to its lowest point.

    • 2

      Multiply the width and length measurements to give the square footage. Divide the number by 100 to give you the quantity of roofing squares on the dog house roof. Order the quantity of shingle bundles you need using the roofing square number. Three bundles typically make up one square.

    • 3

      Use the width and length measurements you took earlier to cut a piece of 15 lb. roofing felt to size, using a utility knife and a straight edge. Position the felt over the dog house roof, and fasten at 6-inch intervals along the roof edges using a hammer and short galvanized roofing nails.

    • 4

      Position the first shingle tar side up at the lowest edge and side edge of the roof. Overhang the side and bottom edge of the roof by 1-inch to prevent rain running down the sides of the dog house. Fasten the shingle to the roof using one nail per tab and inset the nail by 1-inch from the tab line.

    • 5

      Continue to install the starter course across the roof in one row using the same fastening procedure as before. Position the first course of shingles tar side down over the starter course and fasten in place using the same method as you did before.

    • 6

      Overlap the tab line on the first course by 1-inch with a second course of shingles. Stagger the shingles on the second course by one half of a shingle width. Cut the shingles at the side edges of the dog house roof to fit in place, using a utility knife and a straight edge. Continue fastening shingles in staggered courses up the roof to the ridge line.

    • 7

      Repeat Steps 4 to 6 to fasten shingles on the other side of the dog house roof. Create ridge caps for the ridge line by cutting shingles in half lengthways and removing the tabs.

    • 8

      Center the ridge cap over the ridge line at the edge of the roof, and fasten two nails at equal intervals on each side of the ridge cap. Position subsequent ridge caps with a 2-inch overlap over the one before, and fasten in place to complete the dog house roofing project.