| Install a Pet Door |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-204 |
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Q: I'm tired of letting the cat out every night. How do you install a pet door? A: (Brad Staggs, Ask DIY Home-Repair expert) There are many pet-door sizes, so you can easily find one that suits your pet. Most have a latch at the bottom of the swinging door that you can lock so your pet can come in but not go out, or go out but not come in, or go both ways (figure A). Or you can lock the door entirely when you want the cat to stay out or you go on vacation. The whole project should take about 30 minutes. Here's how you install a door: Materials:
Purchased pet door
Torpedo level
Pencil
Measuring tape
Drill with a 1/2" drill bit
Jigsaw
Safety glasses
- Measure 6" from the bottom of the door and mark the spot with a pencil. Place the bottom of the template that comes with the door at the 6" spot and make a small mark with a pencil at the top of the template.
- Use a torpedo level to draw a level line across the top of the template.
- Measure the width of the door and mark its center. Align the center of the template with that mark. Then trace the outline of the template with a pencil (figure B ).
- Put on your safety eyewear. Then use a drill with a 1/2" bit to drill holes at each corner of the outline (figure C).
Safety Alert: Always wear safety eyewear when using power tools. - Insert a jigsaw blade into one of the holes and proceed to cut each of the four sides of the outline (figure D), cutting along the outside of your pencil lines.
- Firmly push the wood out of the hole.
- Slide the two sides of the door into opposite ends of the hole, with the half of the door that locks resting inside your home.
- Connect the two sides by lining up the holes at the corners of each piece and then drilling the four screws that come with the door through the holes.
More Questions for Brad:
Q: My garage is freezing! How do I stop the terrible draft from coming in?
A: You can block the draft almost completely by using foam weatherstripping that attaches to the bottom of the garage door with screws. They sell it at any hardware store.
Q: Something's wrong with my water heater. I'm only getting half the hot water I used to. Any ideas?
A: Probably what's happened is that you've got sediment build-up in the bottom of your water heater. Drain the sediment following the instructions in your owner's manual.
Q: My dog has chewed up the carpet in the corner of my bedroom. Can I fix this, and if so, how difficult is it?
A: It's not really difficult, just time-consuming. You cut out the damaged area and replace it with a new piece from a leftover scrap of carpet, or maybe a piece from the closet floor or somewhere else it won't be missed.
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