Being the doorman whenever your pet needs to go out in the yard must be tiring. So, it would help if you had an easy way to let your pet in and out. The answer to your woes is pet doors. For your convenience, you can even get pet doors for sliding doors and install them temporarily or permanently to give your pet access to the yard when you’re busy or away. But when choosing a pet door, you must consider the three most crucial factors. Read the section below to know more.
Door size
No matter what pet door you choose, it must suit your pets’ needs. If the door is too small, they might never use it. So, make sure you get the right measurements before your purchase.
First, take a tape measure to get your pet’s width at the shoulders or the hips, whichever is wider. Then measure the height. Ideally, there should be 5 centimetres clearance around your pet door for a dog, while a cat can do with much lesser clearance.
Types of doors
You get different types of doors based on where you want to attach the pet door. They are:
Standard doors
A standard pet door has an internal lock to provide safety and let you have peace of mind. You can also have standard pet doors for sliding doors which are mostly suitable for dogs.
Flyscreen doors
Flyscreen doors clamp onto the existing door easily and are designed to prevent the mesh from getting torn, giving the pet freedom whenever needed. You can use these doors with a magnetic closure and flexible flap design that lets the pet in but is effective in keeping the insects and flies out.
Sliding doors
If you have larger pets, sliding pet doors are your best choice. These doors have two-piece aluminium construction, which you can adjust according to your door size. Sliding doors are made from 4mm tempered glass that offers safety and strength, and you can use them as a temporary or permanent fixture.
Combo doors
The two common combo doors are screen and glass door combo and screen and timber screen door combo.
The screen and glass door combo sits flush with the screen door, irrespective of the type. Whether you want pet doors for sliding doors or doors made from mesh and aluminium grill. Any perforated metal combos have a wide range of applications.
The screen and timber door combo needs installation into screen and timber doors. These doors come with a flexible flap that lets your pet get through. Most doors have a magnetic flap closing behind the pet, protecting your home from unwanted visitors.
Microchip doors
Microchip doors allow dogs wearing sensor tags to enter and exit through the dog doors. You can let your dog out or block its exit by programming these doors as needed.
Cost
The price of pet doors may vary depending on the type. A basic model may cost about $40 to install on a door’s exterior. It can go up to $450 or more when installed on an exterior wall. Further, hiring a professional for installation adds $75 to $500 to the price tag.
You can install pet doors in entry doors, walls, garage doors, storm doors, glass doors and double-hung windows. The choice depends on your home’s location, accessibility and safety. It is ideal if the door fits into an existing door frame or window. If you want the convenience of a pet door without affecting the home’s resale value, you can get a less expensive door and use it temporarily.
