Pro Handyman Blog

Installing A Dog Door Through A Door

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If you have the need to install a dog door you don’t always have to cut a hole through your wall. You may be able to cut a hole through a side door. Some homeowners will install the door in a garage door and then out the side door. Just be aware that cutting a hole in your garage door compromises the fire rating of it. Some people don’t care, but when you go to sell the house, it will likely be caught by an inspection and you will have some choices to make.

If you plan on installing a dog door through the door anyway, it should take you about 30 minutes. The pet doors come with a template and you can trace the pattern on the door. I would drill a hole in each corner of the pattern so that the saw blade has some relief in the cut. Use a jigsaw with the correct blade. It’s a good idea to cover the shoe of the jigsaw with something that will prevent the shoe from scratching the door as you make the cut. Blue painter’s tape seems to work pretty well.

Start in one corner and just connect the holes that you have drilled. When the hole is made, you can install the door halves and just screw it together.