How to Build a Patio Dog Door
Having dogs in your home means you have to open the outside door to let them out to do their business during the day or at night. One way to eliminate having to open and close the outside door is to build or install a patio dog door. This type of door is installed in a similar way to a standard door, but needs to go in between the wall studs and be secured to the exterior wall. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Stud finder
- Template (provided with dog door)
- Pencil
- Drywall saw
- Utility knife
- Power drill
- Straight edge
- Reciprocating saw
- Two-by-four boards
- Circular saw
- Nail gun
Instructions
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1
Measure your dog from the ground to its belly. This will be the height of the bottom of the dog door.
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2
Locate the studs in the wall with the stud finder.
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3
Measure up from the floor to the measurement you found in step 1. Make a mark on the wall with the pencil and then place the bottom of the template for the dog door on the wall. Trace around the template to create an outline.
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4
Drill a starter hole for the drywall saw in each corner of the outline. Cut around the outline with the drywall saw. Take out the cut piece of drywall and set it aside.
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5
Cut out the exterior insulation in the wall with the utility knife.
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6
Drill holes in each corner through the outside walls with the power drill. Connect the hole marks from the outside of the house with a straight edge and a pencil. Cut along the lines with the reciprocating saw. Remove the cut piece of siding and set it aside.
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7
Create a frame around the hole in the wall for the dog door with the two-by-fours. Measure the width and height of the hole. Cut two pieces of two-by-four to the width and two pieces to the height with the circular saw.
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8
Attach the pieces of two-by-four in the shape of a box. Drive two nails into each corner to secure the boards.
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9
Insert the frame into the hole in the wall and secure it to the existing studs with the nail gun.
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10
Insert the dog door into the hole from inside the house. Attach the dog door to the wood frame with the provided screws.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Do not cut any electrical wiring with the saw when installing the dog door.
Safety glasses need to be worn when cutting with any type of saw.
