Replies

1. 
   fortdh | Oct 27, 2003 08:41pm | #1

   We put in two pet doors purchased from local HD so that we could have a better air barrier. Put one in the garage/ utility room, and the second one it the door to house interior.

   With gas water heater and gas clothes dryer in the utility area, a lot of air would be pulled through the pet door, so we keep a window open a few inches, and this keeps the appliances from pulling heated or cooled house air out of living space.

   The flap with the magnet does a pretty good job of sealing, and caulking the purchased frame helped also.

   Once our dog began sleeping inside all night, we started using the slide-in plastic panel on the inner door. When away for the day, we always put in the panel. This lets the dog come into the garage, but not the main interior. We learned that lesson when we came home one day and had a couple of his friends in the den playing with his toys.

   In your area, you might want to glue a piece of foam board to the back of the slide in security panel, unless your pet comes and goes all the time.

   Paul

   Energy Consultant and author of Practical Energy Cost Reduction for the Home
1. 
   andybuildz | Oct 28, 2003 02:42pm | #8

   I recently had this idea......My doggie door doesn't always stay closed.

   I decieded to get another one and put it on the inside of the wall as well as the one I have on the outside wall. And right.....the doggie door is in my wall not in a door and the walls are over 6" deep..

   Be well

           andyMy life is my practice!

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

1. 
   fortdh | Oct 28, 2003 08:52pm | #10

   Andy, Good idea, the longer the "tunnel" the better. Ideal is to have enough distance so that both doors are not open at the same time.

   You have got love Brownbags answer, "the secreat passage dog house".

   Working on an answer for your other post. Will get it to you asap.

   PaulEnergy Consultant and author of Practical Energy Cost Reduction for the Home

2. 
   MJR | Oct 27, 2003 10:10pm | #2

   I was told a few months back about a dog door that is electric. The dog wears a collor like the invisable fence kind and the door auto opens when the dog goes to go out kind of like star trek. Mike

1. 
   briankeith | Oct 28, 2003 12:15am | #3

   Mike,

   I was talking to my sweatheart about the electronic door just the other day. We were thinking that it would also allow our pets access and keep the racoons out.

   Any idea what they cost?View Image

1. 
   MJR | Oct 28, 2003 01:55pm | #7

   Thought it was about 8 hundred  but I'm not sure will be seeing the contractor that was looking into it soon and will post with more info. Mike

3. 
   Scooter1 | Oct 28, 2003 01:43am | #4

   Yep. Pick a closet with an exterior wall. Cut a hole. Install the dog door on the Outside. Install a second dog door on the inside. If necessary, add som blocking to increase the depth of the tunnel to windproof better.

   Other tips: Install some windbreak near the doggie door. This could be as easy as a couple bails of stray on either side of the door. If your door faces directly into the wind, try using some straw to make a tunnel that jogs left or right to cut down on the wind.

   Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

1. 
   brownbagg | Oct 28, 2003 03:15am | #5

   In the family house Dad installed a dog door in one of the walls. On the outside screw the dog house to that wall. So nobody outside knew there was a dog door just though the dog was in the doghouse.

4. 
   MIKEBUETTNER | Oct 28, 2003 08:04am | #6

   Have you looked at these guys: http://www.petdoors.com/index.html

   We have one of their doors with a fancy flap with magnets. Keeps the wind and rain out.

   bit

   bit

   Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

5. 
   captainjohn | Oct 28, 2003 08:48pm | #9

   Check out "ideal pet products" in California as a supplier of pet doors  (they have a web site).  I put one in and am happy with it.  They cost less than half of some others on the market and seem to be a good value.  I'm sure the more expensive ones might be higher quality, but I did some custom installation work when I installed their sliding door model and am very happy with it.  For through wall construction I would put one on the inside and another on the outside of the wall to give a double flap seal.