Pro Handyman Blog

If you are installing a dog door, once you get over the fear of cutting a hole through your wall, you will need to make sure the installation is weather tight. I prefer to use a store-bought dog door rather than a home made door, but with either one, you will need to make sure that it will keep out the elements.

I like dog doors that have two flaps, one on the exterior side of the door and one on the interior side of the door. These are held together with an extension kit that keeps the wall insulation in place and makes for a clean installation. As for being weatherproof, look at the exterior side of the dog door.

The well made doors have a means to hold the flaps in position, such as a small magnet. When the dog passes through the door, the flap will move once or twice and then come to rest just above the magnet. It is crucial to use caulking around the perimeter of the exterior side of the dog door. As rain water hits the unit, or hits the wall above the unit, the water will run down and seep into the wall opening. This is why caulking is so important. It will prevent the water from entering the wall.