Pet doors are convenient for both humans and pets, allowing furry friends to come and go as they please. Models vary from $20 plastic doors to $500 electronic ones. Pet doors are also available for use with sliding glass doors. If you use a pet door, make sure your pet has a safe outdoor area to go to. Materials:
Pet-door kit
Jigsaw
Hammer
Nail or nail set
Drill, with drill bits and a Phillips driver bit
Level
Straightedge
Tape
Safety glasses
- First, measure your pet to determine the proper door size. The opening should be a little wider than the widest part of your pet, and the height should be a couple of inches above the pet's shoulders. Keep in mind that if your pet isn't fully grown, you might need to buy a bigger door later. To test the measurements, wedge open a door to the appropriate width and block off the opening at the appropriate height. If your pet can fit through the opening, your measurements are okay.
- Use a level to position the template (provided with the pet-door kit), and tape the template to the door.
- Use a hammer and nail to mark the door at the crosshairs on the template (figure A). These marks indicate the four corners of the pet-door frame as well as the locations for the frame screws.
- Remove the template, and use a straightedge to draw a cut line between each of the corner marks (figure B).
- Drill through each corner with a 1/2" drill bit (figure C).
- Cut along the lines with a jigsaw fitted with a wood-cutting blade (use a metal-cutting blade for metal doors). Start along the bottom, then cut along the sides, and finish with the top.
- Drill pilot holes through the door at the points you marked for the frame screws. If you're installing the pet door on a panel door, you might have to build up the recessed area with shims to provide the proper thickness for the pet-door frame ( figure D).
- Set the door in place, and attach the interior and exterior frames with screws (figure E).
- Complete the installation by securing the frame to the door with screws (figure F).
- All that's left is teaching your pet to use the door. Try using a snack to coax him or her through, but don't push. Most pets require less than two days to learn how to use a pet door.
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