If you think that you need to cut your door to create a tiny door for your puppy, think again. You can have a more practical option now.
Yap! Instead of cutting, you can use a sliding glass door with built-in doggie door. Not only practical but it can also boost the aesthetic value of your house. Find out 6 easy ways to install the sliding glass door pet door here.
1. Check the Door Design
The very first thing you need to do is determine the design of the door. Once you have found the design you like, make sure that you measure the door’s track accurately.
Find out if it is a monorail or not. Well, the door’s panel can be adjusted easily if the track isn’t monorail. If it is, then you have to provide a monorail adapter to install the door.
2. Measure Your Puppy
Make sure to measure your dog before installing the door. This is to allow you to find the best flap size for your puppy. You don’t want your dog to end up in a too big or too small pet door, do you?
To get the precise measurement, you need to start from the widest part of your puppy. Then, you have to add about 2 inches to the measurement.
You also need to measure your puppy starting from the shoulder to the feet for the length measurement. Manage to add an inch to it. These will help you ensure that the size of the flap fits your dog measurement.
3. Position the Flap on the Sliding Glass Door
The next step to install a dog door for sliding glass door is to position the flap on it. To help you get the picture about where to position the flap, cut a piece of cardboard. You can use the piece as a tester by placing it in the sliding glass door.
Then make sure to put the flap just on the corner of the door’s area. This will allow you to avoid any disruption of the door’ s function. Also, keep in mind that the flap is in a location that your dog will easily find it.
4. Get the Sliding Glass Door Measured
Then, you need to measure the sliding glass door. Make sure you measure the height of the door precisely. This is important since the door should fit the slider.
You need to know that your door area will decrease a bit once the additional panel is installed. You can measure the door panel by using a tape measure. The panel size should incorporate the flap width that you will install.
Then, you can order the door panel with the specifications that meet your needs. However, the selection process can be very tough for some people. This is because panels of a sliding glass door come with many styles and sizes.
5. Dry-Fit the Panel
This is important to dry-fit the sliding glass door just before you install it. This will make it possible for you to find out if there are things that need to be corrected before the installation process. The dry-fitting process will also allow you to have an idea on how the door looks like after it is modified.
6. Fit the Panel In and Finalize the Installation
For the last step, you have to fit the panel in the sliding glass door with built-in doggie door. Then, position the panel in the bottom track and twist the screws on the bottom part. Once you have done with fitting the panel, you can install any insulation and other materials that come with it.
