DIY Dog & Cat Door Installation Guide
Time required: 30 m – 2 hr | Skill level: Intermediate
Installing a pet door on your own is a cost-efficient alternative to hiring a master to do the job for you. Although installation will vary by style and stigmatize, you ’ ll broadly need the comply tools : penitentiary, magnetic tape, hammer, jigsaw, drill & drill bits, screwdriver, tape measure, and flat. We ‘ll discuss the most common type of initiation : a pet door for doors .
For trickier installations, such as wall favored doors, we recommend hiring a professional unless you are wholly very with the facility summons. If you need help finding an installer in your area, please visit our Professional Pet Door Installation page for recommendations.
If you are a DIY maestro, you can find specific positron emission tomography doorway initiation guides at the end of this page .
How to Install a Dog Door in a Door
The watch steps outline the general process of choosing and installing a cad door in your door. Installing a cat door in a door follows about the demand same procedure, with only a few minor differences that we ’ ll hash out late. The basic steps required to install a frank door in a doorway are :
1. Preparation
The first mistreat is to choose a pet door that meets your needs. It ’ s crucial to consider which manner, size, and flap material will work good for your home and pet .
If you have a identical active frump, a high-quality door will withstand heavy use, whereas an average-quality doorway might start to break down over clock. however, if you are looking for a impermanent, quick-fix for letting your pet total and go an average-quality door might be the perfect solution. You ’ ll besides want to consider the type of door that you have to ensure it will work with the pet door you choose .
2. Measurement (Width, Height & Step-Over)
once you ‘ve decided what kind of pet door you want to buy, you need to ensure you pick the right size. Measuring your darling is crucial when buying a favored door. Choosing the compensate beat size determines how well your darling can move through the door, so it ’ randomness significant not to guess here. You ’ ll need to consider the be information when measuring your darling :
Width:
The width of the pet door should be about 2 ” wider than the widest contribution of your pet for comfortable use. A elementary room to do this is to open your doorway just wide adequate for your pet to come through ( you can motivate them with their favored play or cover ). This come of space is all you need, but sizing up 2 ” is a good idea to account for any future growth .
Height:
The top of the positron emission tomography door dither should be at least 1 ” above the tallest point on your darling ’ s back. Have your positron emission tomography stand and measure from the shock to the top of their withers. Add 2 ” to that height, as your pet will naturally duck their capitulum to move through the door, raising their back slightly .
Step-Over:
The “ Step-Over ” is the distance from the ground to the bottom of the pet doorway flap—the area that your darling needs to step up or down from to use the door. For maximum ease of practice, the step-over acme should never exceed ⅓ of your positron emission tomography ’ randomness stature .
Follow this equation to determine where you need to make the cutout in your doorway :
Flap Height + Step-Over = Top of Pet Door Flap
once you ’ ve measured for width, altitude, and step-over, you can select the perfect beat size for your dog. Remember to leave at least 3 ” below the cutout to maintain the integrity of your door .
For homes with multiple pets, you ’ ll want to make sure that your largest dog can fit through the pet door. Keep in thinker this might require a heavier flap that is hard for a identical small cad to push through .
Check out this video on How to Measure Your Pet or our Measurement Guide Page for more details .
3. Choose the Installation Location
Before installing a pet door, it ’ south important to consider the optimum location for your home. here are a few key things to keep in mind when installing a frump door in a door :
Accessibility:
The frump doorway should be installed in a doorway that is accessible by your pet—ideally, in a doorway near their main be area. You besides have the choice of installing the dog door in an interior or outside door as discussed below :
- Exterior Doors: The most common installation location, an exterior door allows your pet outdoor access. Make sure your yard is completely fenced off before installing the door.
- Interior Doors: A less common but handy installation location, an interior dog door allows your pet access to different areas of the home. For instance, they can leave the bedroom at night without waking you up to open the door for them.
Ease of Installation:
Every doorway is different, so it ’ randomness authoritative to consider still of installation when selecting which door you want to install the pooch doorway in. A regular hollow core door is the easiest to install a pet door in, and the complexity increases with unlike designs and materials such as metal, solid, and jury doors. This is because a doorway with a very solid or uneven surface will require a little more handicraft than a flat-surface, hollow door. Keep in beware your skill-level when considering which doorway to install the pooch door in .
Aesthetics:
Installing a pet door impacts the active of your home. You should expect your pet to spend batch of clock time around the area where the door is installed. You might want to rearrange the furniture accordingly to account for higher traffic through this space .
Pet doors come in a assortment of colors and materials, so you can select whichever you think will best match your door .
4. Install the Dog Door
now that you ’ ve chosen the arrant pet door and decided where to install it, you ’ re cook to get to work. The manufacturer of the pet doorway you purchase will likely provide more detailed instructions specific to your pet doorway, indeed lay down sure to read them .
once your newfangled pet door arrives and you have decided where to install it, you ‘ll need a few tools. In most cases, you will need the follow :
- Pencil
- Painters Tape
- Hammer
- Jigsaw
- Tape Measure
- Drill & Drill Bits
- Screwdriver
- Level
- Safety Equipment (gloves & eye protection)
These are the general steps for installing a frank door in your door :
Step 1: Tape the Provided Template on the Door
tape the template that came with your pet door kit where you want to make the rough cutout ( remember to leave at least 3 ” at the bed of the door ) .
Step 2: Mark the Drilling Points
To make boring easy and accurate, consider making four x marks on the inside corners of the outline if not already drawn on .
Step 3: Drill the Holes
Take a 1/2-inch drill snatch and drill holes in the plaza of the “ X ” marks at each corner. While doing so, make sure that the holes do not go past the delineate .
If the pet door requires screws to fasten it to the house door, drill the screw holes you marked initially using a 3/8-inch bore bit or whatever sting size the manufacturer has recommended .
Step 4: Mark the Rough Cutout
Remove the pet door template from the door. Apply tape to connect the four holes you drilled. Use a penitentiary to draw lines connecting the outsides of each hole .
Step 5: Cut the Opening
To cut the unfold, consider using a jigsaw. Begin in one corner and insert the blade into the ½-inch drill fix. Carefully continue along the pencil line to cut the sketch of the pet door
Step 6: Insert the Frames into the Rough Cutout
Place the interior and outside frames on either side of the door. Make certain the frames are flushed with the coat of the door. Use a tied to make sure the frames are even on both sides. optional : You can use caulking to seal up any gaps on odd doors. Use a level to make sure the frames are straight and aligned by rights .
Step 7: Screw the Frame into the Door
Hold the favored door in place and tighten the screw. Make indisputable you tighten them until they are merely fixed and not excessively tightened .
You might besides want to add caulk to the inner side of the outer frame of reference to make certain no air leak. This is particularly important for facility in gore doors .
After you have successfully installed and sealed the darling door, it is time to introduce your furred friend to their new capture. Check out our tips on Training Your pet to Use a Pet Door for more information .
DIY Pet Door Installation FAQs
How much does it cost to install a doggy door?
Installing a pooch door yourself is free if you have the good tools. Although initiation varies by sword, this summons will by and large require a drill, level, saber saw, screwdriver, and some quantify tape. If you have the want tools on hand, a DIY initiation will be the most cost-efficient choice ( if you do it right ) .
How far up should I install the pet door?
pet doors must be installed at least 1 ” above the tallest function of the frank ‘s back and at least 3 ” from the floor. We recommend measuring your pets to find a comfortable step-over range so you can install it in the perfective position for them .
It ’ sulfur important to besides keep in mind that the step-over should be nobelium more than a third base of your pet ’ s acme. This allows them to move well through the door and accounts for decrease mobility with age .
See how to measure your positron emission tomography for a positron emission tomography door. Each manufacturer will besides have specific recommendations included in the initiation instructions.
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How long does it take to Install a Dog Door?
That depends on your horizontal surface of comfort with the installation action, american samoa well as the type of frump doorway you ’ ra install. A sliding pet door jury takes a few minutes, whereas a door or wall mount takes 1-2 hours. If you are a more handy person, the installation process will probably be easier and take less time. You can contact our customer service team for initiation tips to help with this procedure .
How do you Install a Dog Door in a Panel Door?
The process of installing a pawl doorway in a panel door is largely the same as any other type of door. You will, however, need to caulk around the edges of the darling door ensnare to fill any gaps between the frame and the door. Installing the pet door towards the center of the doorway ( preferably than in one of the panels ) is still the most effective method for maintaining the integrity of the door .
