Pets can enter and exit an unaided house thanks to the invention of dog doors, which are small, covered holes built into external doors. The goal is to let dogs and other pets roam around more freely.
Unfortunately, these valuable flaps can allow more than your pet through. Animal-lovers in chilly climates should be aware that their pets’ accessible entry points can allow heat to flow from their homes, increasing their energy costs.
If you’re experiencing trouble, double-check that the dog door is screwed into the door on both sides. The frame should pop out of the door after the screws are removed.
Your repair plan may depend on the type of door you’re dealing with. However, you may also devise a decent method of accomplishing your goal. After analyzing the damage, taking measurements, making a cut list, and stocking up on lumber and other materials are all necessary steps in the repair process.
Using clamps to hold the door components in place while you drill the holes for the pegs, you can ensure that they won’t shift as you work. In the original construction of this door, the pegs would be drilled into the latch and hinge stiles from inside each stile.
Select a wood putty meant for outside usage even though it was an exterior door. Dry wood putty is ready for sanding after a few hours. You can paint the door immediately or wait until it’s already in place.
How Do You Fix A Hole In A Dog Door?
Instead of merely eradicating the hole, it is recommended that some effort be made to make it appear part of the house’s original structure. Despite this, finishing it will require more than a few work hours.
The job’s most challenging part is closing the hole left behind when a pet door is removed. The majority of people, when they see a small dog door hole, imagine that the job will go quickly.
- Consider the following: you’ll have to add wall insulation, sheathing, and any external material and paint your home has. An additional color of paint and drywall will be needed for the interior.
- This particular line of work adheres to a specific protocol. It should go without saying that you should get rid of the dog door before doing anything else.
- Some doors require you to remove some screws from each end and then cut through the caulking on each surface to remove it. Remove any caulking around the aperture, and then pull away any parts that make the opening if you have a handcrafted dog door.
- You’ll only be left with a square hole: nailing surfaces must be installed in wood blocks or other strips. Nailing it to the strips will hold it in place while you finish assembling the exterior finish components.
- After installing insulation in the wall, finish drywalling the opening. After that, you should sculpt and then paint the fix.
How Do You Block A Pet Door?
- Several patio panels don’t work with your existing sliding door. As a result, all sliding door inserts include smaller locking mechanisms, which can be purchased separately.
- A bar or dowel can be used as an alternative pet door lock in the track. For example, vertically, a sliding glass door with pet insert air leakage is reduced by mounting the bar in the middle of the sliding glass door.
- A doggy door locking cover is included with most doors and is installed into the inner frame. Sliding covers are not convertible between brands without alteration to the cover or the door.
- Locking covers can be slid into specific frames, preventing pets from entering and stopping attackers from entering. For added security, some even screw into the interior of the frame.
- Even though they are not designed for this particular function, the locking covers that come standard on energy-efficient pet doors can significantly bolster the doors’ insulation levels when they are not in use. Whenever the nights get colder, it’s a good idea to put the covers on to keep the cold out.
- In some models, there is a four-way locking feature that allows you to lock the pet door in one direction and open it in the other. In addition, there are no dog door slides needed because the door flap serves as the cover.
- You can unlock electronic pet doors without needing a security cover if you have a microchip or electronic collar tag. However, it is common for them to have their own security measures in place.
Do Doggie Doors Let Cold Air In?
It may be costly when a dog door allows cold and hot air into your home. Dog flap drafts are standard in the winter because most pet doors are plastic flaps that function as poorly as ponchos at blocking the cold out or the heat in.
Getting a pet door for cold areas is best if you haven’t already or are concerned about heat loss. Your annual heating bills can rise by six percent if you use standard pet doors featuring clear plastic flaps that move freely.
A good weather stripping maintains your dog door closed when not in use, preventing the warm air in the room from escaping. Select a door with a water-shedding rubber or acrylic flap that is entirely waterproof.
Preventing pet door drafts may not even necessitate reinstalling your pet door, depending on your home’s structure. However, in the winter months, if you intend to use your pet door and have a similar-looking home, ensure that all right doors are closed when the pet door is in use.
Momentarily shutting the pet door will lessen drafts through the pet door in the winter, but this may not be convenient for your dog. So, when your dog doesn’t need to go out or is spending the day with you, cover the doggy door with the cover.
This is where the double-flap design comes in—make sure the door has two rubber flaps instead of one, with a gap between them to trap air and insulate the door from the cold. Better yet, look for a door with a rigid second layer of insulation or air trapped between layers.
