HOWTO: Build a patio pet door from basically scratch
I decided this winter I didn’t want to have litter boxes in the living spaces again. During warmer months, the cats boxes are located in the enclosed porch. During the winter though, I can’t exactly leave patio door open. The room isn’t worth heating as its barely insulated.
They make patio pet doors, but with prices going up to $230 or higher
Step 1: Examing the sliding patio door.
The door is a standard sliding glass door. What I actually was looking for was any grooves or tracks that I could use to slide my panel into. This would help create a tighter seal, as well as providing a method of keeping the panel in place.
I decided I would need something 79.75″ tall, and up to a foot wide (if I wanted to be able to get past it into the porch without removing) The plank couldnt be more than 3/4 of an inch thick if I wanted it to fit in the grooves of the door
Step 2: Supplies
I had most of the tools I would need, but I needed to get supplies to make this work. As long as the entire thing was under $110 I’d be set. The cheapest unit I found was $110, but it looked like crap, and still needed $50 to ship.
- Ideal Hefty Cat Flap
: $26 (one cat is fat, otherwise I could’ve gone smaller)
- Poplar wood plank. 84″ x 11″ x 3/4″: $27 (Perfect)
- Pink insulation: $6.50
- Small saw: $5
- Handles: $4
- Shims: $2
- Foam Insulation stripping: $4
- 1″ tacks to attach foam backing: $0 (leftover from previous project)
(pictured but not used and returned: staplegun/staples)
Total Cost after tax: $80.64
Step 3: Prepping the materials
I took another look at the space I had to work with. The plank took a few trips upstairs for measuring and fitting. Was trimmed by handsaw to 79.75″ tall. With a little jiggling it slid into the grooves perfectly and stands up on its own without falling out.
Following the instructions for the cat door, four holes were drilled at the corner locations for the cat door. After borrowing Jeff’s Sawzall Reciprocating Saw the next day, I cut out the space between to put the pet door into.
Step 4: Assembly
After a good deal of trimming, planing, and sanding, the cat door fit into the hole. Since this wasnt being installed in a door as intended, it was loose. The pet door expands to fit door thicknesses of 1.25 to 1.75 inches. I’m dealing with an installation medium of .75 inches.
Measurements were taken and the cat door shimmed into place with the above shims (glad I thought ahead here. Even if I didn’t end up needing them for this project, I knew I’d need them down the line.)
Some more measurements were taken with the plank in place upstairs, and foam insulation was cut to form a tight fit between the grooves on the back side of the door. The insulation was cut and tacked into place using leftover tacks from replacing the seal/gasket on my garage doors over summer. I didn’t have any need nor want to have glass installed, so putting this on the back should help a bit with heat loss. More so than just an untreated board of poplar.
Two heavy-duty (yet stylish!) handles were then installed on the front, one verticle and one horizontal. This allows for the door to be lifted up into the top groove while being maneuvered and pulled towards you with the other. Once in the bottom and top tracks, its then slid into place.
I placed a strip of foam insulation going top-to-bottom on the side that connects with the sliding door. The connection was pretty tight before, but this should help keep out a few more drafts.
Step 5: The finished product
Aftermath
Total cost: ~$81
Total time: 3 hours
I might go back when the weather is nicer and stain the door plank, but I’m not sure if its worth my time yet. The cats have taken to it and use it now. The way I see it, I saved at least $120 by doing it this way than buying one online and having it shipped to me.
Do you have any drafts around this pet door now? My husband is reluctant to build this from our living room onto our screened porch for fear of heat loss. Thanks! BTW, you are very ingenious to do this without a KIT! We should all be so smart!