Carpenter and builder Rob Robillard from http://www.AConcordCarpenter.com discusses installing a pet door and goes into detail on measuring for, choosing the location, hidden conditions, pet door features and installation. Visit Rob's website where he shares his industry training and experience to provide solutions to your problems and to make appropriate PRO recommendations for purchasing products, tools and accessories. Endura Flap Pet Door Installation In a perfect world my two Labrador pups would let themselves in and out of the house as needed - and make their own dinner! Although we don't live in a perfect world that doesn't mean we don't strive for greater efficiency and better solutions. My search for this led me to installing a pet door. In this article I offer you my thoughts and tips on how to choose, measure for and install a quality pet door. What's a pet door? A pet door, also known as a cat door and dog door, is a small portal in a wall, window or door to allow pets to enter and exit a house on their own. The value of a pet door: These doors are great for allowing your pet free access to the outdoors, providing emergency egress in case of a fire or other emergency, assisting when potty training and also allowing guard dogs access to the property. It's also a great feature for pet owners who work long hours and want their pets to have free access to a fenced in yard or other location. A pet door eliminates the need to rely on neighbors or friends to let your pet out. Types of Pet Doors? Today's pet doors have spring loaded, flexible flap doors with strong magnets to close and seal the door flap from the weather. Some pet doors are electronically controlled by a Rfid chip on the animals collar. The Rfid chip unlocks the pet door as the animal approaches and locks it after they pass through. The most common pet door is the flap door which is also the most cost effective and easiest to install. Features To Consider When Purchasing A Pet Door Our research told us that the Edura FlapWall Mounted Pet Door was the better quality door to install and best for our needs. We used several criteria when deciding on a pet door manufacturer. They were: Flexible flap Design: A flexible flap door allows the pet to enter, exit or back out without the danger of pinching the animal. Magnets: Embedded magnets in the flap and frame of the pet door ensure a tight seal. Double Flap Feature: A double flap pet door creates an air space that helps insulate and keep the conditioned air in the house. We felt that the double flap doors in our 2x6 framed walls would be beneficial for New England winters as well as when the AC is on in July. Flap pivot point: The flaps swing on a rod, not a hinge to avoid stressing or cracking the flap as can happen on hinged flaps. Endura tested their pet doors over 3 million times with no failures. To put that in layman's terms that equals 100 opens and closes a day for 80 years. (We'd love to see their testing jig!) Wind Resistance: A strong wind or Nor'easter can easily blow open a pet door. Endura Flap magnets are rated to 50 mph winds and more magnets can be added if desired. Temperature Resistance and UV Retardant: The endure flap door is made of a polyolethin based polymer and is rated to flex to minus 40 degrees. Vinyl doors will crack at temperatures that low. Direct sunlight can also cause fading and cracking: the Endura flap door is treated with a UV retardant. Clear See-Thru Door: The pet door flaps are clear (contrasting between the wall and the door) and allowing light to pass through and the pet to see through as well. Security panel: Most pet doors have a security panel to close off and lock the pet door. We liked how the Endura Flap door slides and locks between a full length groove on three sides of the frame. The security panel then locks in place. We do this at night for added security as well as to reduce heat loss.

• published: 02 Nov 2013
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