|
|
The Tidewater Kennel Club |
|
|
|
|
Since 1 January, 2008,
|
1. Determine dog door placement: They based the size of the dog door on Sushi's height. Pet doors should be positioned so that the bottom of the door is at roughly the same height from the floor as the dog's chest. Measuring a moving target was a bit of a challenge, but they finally got a measurement of ten inches. 
In this home, the inside and outside floors were not the same height so they needed to modify their measurements. There was a four-inch difference between the two floor heights and Ron suggested they split the difference and make the bottom of the opening about eight inches up from the bottom of the higher of the two floors. They measured and marked the eight inches on the door with a piece of masking tape. 
2. Remove door from hinges: Using a hammer and screwdriver, Kelly drove the pins out of the hinges and then removed the door. 
They carried the door out to the patio and placed it across two sawhorses. Ron thought it would be easier to work on the door while it was lying down and it would also be easier for him to show them exactly what to do. 
3. Determine location of cut out: The next step was to locate the center of the door. Ron put a piece of wide masking tape on the door in approximately the center position. This way, they could put their marks right on the tape and they would be easier to see. This would also mean they would not have to erase a lot of pencil lines from the door later on. 
Gen measured the width of the door to find the exact center and Kelly marked the spot on the tape. 
Next, they needed to draw a perpendicular line to indicate the bottom edge of the opening. They extended the center line several inches upward and then measured up eight inches from the bottom edge. Using a carpenter's square, Ron drew a line parallel to the bottom of the door. 
The doggie door they had purchased, like most, came with a security panel. In this case, the panel was the exact size of the opening they needed to cut and therefore could be used as a template. They measured and marked the exact center of the security panel, and then aligned the two center points along the parallel line that they had drawn to get the exact position of the door. 
Kelly traced the outline of the security panel onto the door and they were ready to bring out the power tools. 
4. Cut opening in door: They were going to use a jigsaw to cut out this rectangular opening but Ron said this would be easier if they had holes to start with. Ron recommended that they drill holes in all four corners so they would not need to turn the jigsaw around any corners. They used a combination square to help keep the bit as vertical as possible while they drilled the pilot holes. 
Next they used a larger bit to enlarge the holes enough to insert the jigsaw blade. Ron cautioned that large drill bits tend to splinter the wood as they exit so they started the hole from the first side, but stopped it about halfway through, flipped the door over and then finished the hole from the opposite side of the door. The pilot hole showed them exactly where to drill. 
Ron showed Kelly a little notch on the jigsaw that is used to align with the line she had traced earlier. She lined up the bottom of that notch with her line and began cutting exactly on the mark. 
Once the hole has been cut, they no longer needed the tape, so they removed it and threw it away. 
5. Install pet door: Since this was an exterior door, it was important to create a watertight seal around the edge of the pet doorframe. They used an exterior caulk to prevent leaks, which could cause the door to rot from the inside out. 
They pressed the exterior portion of the frame into the caulk and used their fingers to smooth any caulk that had squeezed out. Gen and Kelly applied some tape to hold the frame in position while Sushi and Ron supervised. 
They turned the door over to insert the interior panel next, making sure that the hinge side went toward the top of the door. The used screws to secure the inner panel to the outer one, which sandwiched the door firmly in-between. 
With the installation complete, they rehung the door and then moved on to discuss security issues. Ron showed them the security panel and how it slipped right in from the top to keep uninvited guests from entering the house through the doggie door.
RESULTS: The project was simple and the results were very professional looking. The final test, however, was to see if Sushi liked her new door. Gen, Kelly and Ron went outside and then called Sushi through her new door. She got the idea right away! Now she can go in…and out…and in…whenever she wants! 
|
|
Send mail to Don Kemp
with questions about membership, Janet Danner
for breed referral and information and brett@tidewaterkc.org with questions or
comments about this web site. |
