How to install a dog door in a screen door

The flap reduces the bugs that can enter the home yet allows the pet to push through. The security door is easy to drop into the interior slot to close off the opening when you are out of the house or want to lock up. The door can be installed in any kind of exterior door without removing the door. Measure the size of your largest pet. Pet doors are sold in various sizes, but the door must be large enough for the tallest and widest of your pets to fit through comfortably.

Purchase a pet door kit with flaps and a security insert. Some advanced kits include recognition sensors and will only allow pets with the correct collars to use the door. These are good if you live in an area where possums and squirrels try to enter the property. Remove the pet door template from the package. Cut out the template openings as shown in the directions that come with the kit using scissors.

Position the template on the outside of the door in the exact location where you want the door. You can insert spline without any special tools, but it is much easier to spend a couple of bucks on a screen-rolling tool and use that. You can purchase the screen and spline separately, but it is much easier to just buy a kit, such as the Phifer Pet Screen Kit.

One of the easiest solutions for creating a dog-friendly doorway situation is through the use of magnetic screen doors. These doors consist of a door-sized mesh screen, which splits down the middle, allowing you to pass through.

To keep the door closed, long magnetic strips are attached to each half of the split. The EazyMesh Magnetic Screen Door is one of the best-reviewed options available, so you should definitely give it consideration. You can replace the screen with heavier-duty mesh as we explained above, but there is also another option. For the DIY enthusiast, you can make a screen panel that will fit between the edge of your partially opened glass door and the frame.

The best way to do so is by using a length of wire shelf as a frame, around which you can attach some heavy-duty screen. Check out this walkthrough from PetHelpful to get started. Do you have a pet that is determined to destroy your screen door? What kinds of solutions have worked for you?

Ben is the senior content editor for K9 of Mine and has spent most of his adult life working as a wildlife educator and animal-care professional. Great article with a great content written in it.

A great thanks for this one. This is a great site. Thanks so much for the tips. I have a four month old puppy. His mom is full blooded Collie and dad is full blooded Golden Retriever. So very active and hyper it seems. I am looking at info for doors that he cant ruin and I have seen some good ideas. Major is wearing us down. I didnt expect this when we got him. I am looking for a dog door to fit in the inside of the wooden frame I currently have. The existing frame has a heavy door which she cannot manage.

She is a mini schnauzer. I need some kind of light weight door, or screen, that she can easily manage coming in and going out. Is such an item available? The tools you will use for installing a pet door are pretty basic. We find that a majority of our customers have no problem with the installation themselves. Moore Pet Supplies offers listings by state of pet door installers that you can contact if you are not comfortable with the task.

These installers are not affiliated with Moore Pet Supplies, we only offer their contact information as a convenience to our customers. If you are going the route of hiring an installer, give us a call and get the dog door of your choosing. This way you have a product that will work adequately for your pets and also meet your personal criteria for performance.

If your installer has any question during the install process, please have them give us a call and we can assist, we are open 7 days a week. Moore Pet Supplies offers two installation kits that will provide you with all the necessary items you may need to install a pet door into a door.

With our Basic Install Kit we assume you have the tools for the job, if not, then our Deluxe Install Kit will provide just about everything you need. We have purposefully keep these install kits priced very conservatively as a service for our customers, we think you will agree you will not find better prices anywhere!

Although cats are more likely to use interior doors that connect living spaces within your home, some canine breeds will require greater mobility, and this is when you should provide them with entry systems that allow them to slip between rooms. Since interior doors do not require insulation or weather stripping, they often feature cleaner lines so that they do not disrupt the interior design of your home.

Most sliding glass panel pet doors come with a locking cover for the pet door as well, so you can lock the opening from the inside. My slider is the main entrance in and out.

Can I still go in and out? Can I lock the patio door as well as the dog door? Hi Rosie! The clamp lock clamps onto the track of the sliding door inside your house to prevent the door from sliding wider. We also have Charley bars as a locking alternative. We also recommend working with a local glazier to measure your glass and install the unit.

Please feel free to email us at customerservice petdoors. It really depends on the type of alarm system you have. We would love to talk to you on the phone, as it may be easier to explain that way.

With this, you swap out your current pane of glass in your slider, with a new unit that includes a pet door embedded. This can be a great option for homes with alarm systems as it uses the current frame, lock, and configuration of your sliding door you only change the pane of glass inside the frame.

Please give us a call at , or email us at customerservice petdoors. Panel inserts are a great solution if you want to put your pet door in with your sliding glass door.

When installed correctly with the draft stopper, weather stripping, and correct tension, they seal nicely with your existing sliding glass door and door frame. If you have any questions, we are very happy to help talk you through options and details for any pet door. You can shoot us an email at customerservice petdoors. We are considering this as an option for our new dogs; wondering if they ever fixed your gap issues?

Be on the lookout for an email from PetDoors! Depending on the details, we can find a way to get your door back to its full insulating potential. I look forward to hearing from you! I purchased one of your pet doors for our vinyl sliding glass doors, and the installation went relatively smooth.

I had to order an extra extension, as my door was a bit taller than the standard sizes. I like the look of it and am close to being very happy. There is one nagging issue. I sprung for the double pane, as insulation is important. So we now have a significant air leak coming through the gap left between the two prior existing sliding glass doors when they are in the closed position. Do you have a better solution for this?

I have just the solution for you! The center post weather seal strip draft stopper should be installed on the inside of your home. It can install on either the back edge of the sliding door panel or the leading edge of the stationary panel. Then, you can trim it with scissors as needed to fit the desired width and length.

Make sure you clean the edge of your patio door with rubbing alcohol before installing to assure a good seal. I hope this helps! If you have any more questions, feel free to send us an email at customerservice petdoors. But what do you do about the air coming through the sliding doors where they no linger meet at the frame edges?