How to Build a Doggie Door

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Building a doggie door from scratch can save you a lot of money. Going to a hardware store or even a pet store to buy a doggie door is very expensive. Doing the project yourself is fun and very low cost. Read on to learn how to build a doggie door.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Screw gun
1 1/2 inch Screws
One two by four
Finishing Nails
Plastic flaps
Trim
Sawzall
Razor knife
Insulfoam
Hammer
Chop saw

Step1

Find a spot on your wall where a doggie door can go. The best spots are the ones leading outside to your backyard or to an area where your dog can go to relieve herself. If there is not enough room for the doggie door, then find a place where there is adequate room.

Step2

If you are not familiar with cutting into a wall then hiring someone might be the best idea. There are many dangers that can be hidden inside of the wall like electrical and plumbing. If you are comfortable go ahead and make a cut that is appropriate for you and the size of your dog.

Step3

Know that two by fours work really well with filling in the walls. You will need to measure the insides of the walls and use a saw accordingly to make the proper cuts. Exact measurements are important to building a doggie door.

Step4

Grab the screws and the screw gun and screw from the inside out. A few of these screws will have to go in at an angle. Put in two at the top, middle, and the bottom for the sides. On the bottom and the top, put two screws in on the left and the right sides. When you have completed this make sure everything is firm and does not move.

Step5

Know that Insulfoam will help to keep out unwanted weather and bugs from getting into the house. Putting this in between the cracks will seal off all spaces of entry. After applying wait until this dries before moving onto the next step.

Step6

Using a razor knife measure your doggie door and cut the plastic flaps precisely. Use finishing nails to hammer them in to the wall one the inside and one on the outside of the house. Using two plastic flaps will help greatly cut down on weather-related issues.

Step7

Trim is an inexpensive way to make your doggie door look good. Using a chop saw cut the trim for the inside and the outside of the house. You can paint and stain this if you like hammer the finishing nails into the trim. After completing this building your doggie door is complete.