Pets are the members of our family and hence when we bring home a pet we must make sure enough thought is spared for their comfort. While we take care of their diet, their accommodation, etc, the pet door is one aspect that many fail to focus on. If you are a loving pet parent, you must know about the pet door.
Pet door is a necessity for households with pets, as they allow pets to move in and out of the house freely without compromising on the comfort of the owners. Through this blog, Gharpedia shares with you some basic tips for pet door installation. Let’s learn how to install a pet door.
How many times in a day do you get up to let your pet in or out of the house? When you’re preoccupied with, it’s a hassle to drop everything for an insistent pet’s demands. You might’ve considered a pet flap door, but what about the safety and giving other animals access to your home? Well, today’s hi-tech pet door is more than just a flap of plastic blowing in the wind. They’re made to keep out the weather and also come with special lock features, so they won’t let in other animals or intruders. In fact, a well-made pet door might be more energy-efficient and safer than opening the entire door to let Fido in (and out…and in…and out…!)
According to the research paper “Automatic Pet Door with Magnetic Field Activation”by ‘Alex J Keith’, pet doors were previously created for the consumer that has a pet but doesn’t want to hassle with letting the pet in and out of the house or allowing them access to food & shelter.
However, the best part is that installing a pet door is an easy do-it-yourself project. It comes with a template and detailed instructions that walk you through the installation. Beware of the cheap models though, as they won’t have the features described below.
Where Can I Put the Pet Doors?
01. Exterior Door with Built in Pet Door
The most common place for installing a pet door is in an exterior door with pet door made of wood. Before you decide on doing this however, be aware that you’ll be cutting a hole in the door (door with pet door), which can’t be undone.
02. Interior Door
Usually pet doors are installed on exterior doors, but they are installed on interior doors as well.
03. Glass door
Some manufacturers have tried installing pet door in sliding glass. Pet door for sliding glass doors come with a panel above the pet door that reaches the full height of the glass door opening. The sliding door will be open to the width of the panel, but it can still be locked with the pet door in place. Plus, the panel will make the door weather-tight.
04. Glass Panelled Doors
They can accept a pet door, but the installation can be tricky. It’s best to hire a professional if this is your only option.
05. Install Pet Door on Wall
- You can also install the pet door on an exterior wall. Here’s how to install a pet door in a wall. Patching the hole from the inside is easy, while patching a hole on an exterior wall (Pet door wall installation) is more complicated. Stucco, brick and stone exteriors are more difficult than wood to cut through and patch. If you choose to install dog door in wall or installing a pet door in a wall rather than a door, be sure to buy a wall-mount unit that comes with a frame. Otherwise, you’ll have to frame out the opening yourself to keep moisture, air and critters out.
Make your garden comfortable for your pet by going through
Pet Door Provides Safety and Privacy
Look for the pet door that gives you several locking options. Some can be locked manually, while others have automatic locks that can be setup for incoming and/or outgoing traffic. You can also find models that will only let pets out, but not back in. You won’t have to worry about intruders or other animals getting in, but you’ll have to get up to let your pet back inside.
The most advanced versions use programmable infrared technology, the same kind used for magnetic key systems, to allow only your pet access the door. The door comes with a key that your pet wears around its collar and as the pet approaches, the door unlocks. Any other pet or critter trying to gain access will be shut out.
According to ‘Simone Borreggine, Pietro Serafino &Pietro Boccadoro’ (author of an article – Indoor Proximity Detection: the Case Study of a Smart Pet Door, published in internet Technology Letter), the IoT era is evolving Communication and sensing capabilities from daily life use products to industrial applications. Smart pet door helps pet’s owner to monitor pets smartly.
There are also remote control pet doors that use the same technology. You can set them to ‘in only’ ‘out only’ ‘open’ or ‘locked’. If you want to keep your pet from using the door at certain times of the day, then this might be the best option.
Generally, wild animals don’t seem to use pet doors. It’s not their instinct to look for them. If raccoons and possums regularly traipse through your yard, install one of the high-tech doors described above so these wild animals won’t be able to get into the house. This solution would also work if you’re concerned about neighbourhood cars and dogs strolling in.
Worried about intruders of the non-animal variety? One idea is to put the pet door on an exterior wall and then place a doghouse up against the wall covering the pet door. A passer-by wouldn’t be able to see that there is a pet door inside the doghouse.
Installing the Pet Door
Before installing a pet door for your pet, choose the right model for it. Choose pet door wisely in terms of size, your need for pet door and usage. Here, Gharpedia is giving you few tips for pet door installation.
Understanding what Size you Need
Before you buy a pet door, measure your animal to determine the size you need. For the width, use the widest point of your animal and then add a few inches. For the height, measure from the bottom of its rib cage to the top of the shoulders and add a few inches to that number as well. You don’t need a door that is as tall as your pet, as animals tend to crouch and lift their feet to get through the door.
Double check your measurements by holding an exterior door open at the right width and blocking off the entry at the height you’ve determined. Coax your pet through the opening. If your pet won’t fit through or has to squeeze through, increase the dimensions of the opening.
Pet doors are usually sold by the animal’s weight and shoulder height. If your pet hasn’t reached full size, you’ll need to ‘guesstimate’ and use those measurements rather than the ones you’ve taken now. Otherwise, the pet door may be too small next year.
Train your Pet to use the Pet Door
Most animals only need a couple of days at most to learn how to use a pet door. Teach your pet how it works by standing on the other side and offering a treat. Do this a few times and he or she would get the picture and a belly full of yum-yums.
Duration of Task Pet Door Installation process
This is a simple in-and-out procedure. The jigsaw is easy to put together and the whole job can be finished in an hour, as long as your pet isn’t vying for attention while you’re trying to work.
Tools required for Pet Door Installation
You will need certain tools for installing pet door. Here is the list of some pet door installation tools which can help you:
- Drill and bits
- Jigsaw
- Level
- Pencil
- Pet-door kit
- Tape
- Tape measure
- Wood shims (if necessary)
The Process of Pet Door Installation
The following steps will give you a general idea of the installation process, but each pet door is a little different so be sure to carefully read the instructions that came with the model you bought.
1. Measure from the floor to the bottom of your pet’s abdomen. Then transfer that measurement to the door and mark it with a pencil. That’s where the bottom of the pet door will go. Use the level to draw a straight and level line across the door at that point.
2. Tape the template that came with the pet door to your door so that the bottom touches the level line you drew. Trace around the template, which will later guide your cut.
3. Using a half-inch drill bit, drill a hole all the way through the door in the top two corners of your trace marks.
4. Insert the blade of the jigsaw into one of the holes and cut from that hole to the next and then around the rest of the marked area.
5. Put the interior frame into the opening and make sure it’s not binding. Mark the four screw locations with a pencil.
6. Remove the interior frame and drill pilot holes over your pencil marks.
7. Place the interior frame on the inside of the door and the exterior frame on the outside of the door. Working from the inside, screw the two pieces together through the door using the screws that came with the pet door.
8. Voila your pet door is ready to welcome your pet in!
A point to keep in mind here is that – If you have a panelled door, then you may have to build up the recessed area with shims, so the pet door sits flush against the exterior door from top to bottom. Also, save your pets by avoiding toxic plants in your home garden by reading
Summary
The new pet door will make your life easy and the pet too will enjoy moving in and out without hassles. There are different types and sizes with modern designs, choose a pet door that fits your pet’s size. By taking care of all the above points for pet door installation, it will be easy to install a pet door for your pet.
Taking a small step of installing the pet door can make things convenient both for your pet and for your family members…and this DIY Project can add zing to your weekend too!
We hoped you loved reading about pet doors and its process of installation. On the same niche, if you also want to know how to make a comfortable space for your pet in homes and furniture upholstery choices in your homes, we have two exclusive blogs for you:
How to make A Comfortable Space for Your Pet in Your Home?
Furniture Upholstery Choices for Cat and Dog Owners (Pet-friendly Furniture Upholstery Choices for Pet Owners!)
Image Courtesy: Image 1, Image 3, Image 6
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.
