CUSTOM DIMENSION PET DOORS

Sometimes it’s much easier to make the pet door fit the hole than it is to make a hole to fit a pet door. Common situations include removing a pane of glass (or several panes) from a french door, fitting the opening left by a previous pet door or fitting a dog door between two studs in a wall. The solution may be a San Diego pet door installation using a custom dimension pet door. Contact us for consultation.

How to Measure for your Pet Door

If you have limited space for your pet door, you need to take into consideration both the rough opening size (the hole cut into your door, wall, etc. represented in green above) and the tip to tip size (the outermost frame measurement represented in beige above). Using the graphic and chart above as a guideline, measure your available area and see which standard size best fits your situation, keeping in mind the size of your animal. If necessary, we can supply a custom size door made to fit your available area while providing the largest possible passage opening for your pet.

San Diego Pet Door Installation

How to Measure Your Pet Door for Replacement Flaps

The actual flap size is a little narrower and a little taller (due to the top metal bar attachment). If you are not sure of your door size, the easiest measurement to take is the tip to tip size. Measure the outermost frame distance as shown in beige in the graphic above. Use the chart above to translate the tip to tip measurement into a door size and order the appropriate size flaps.

There are three measurements to take into consideration when choosing the correct size door for your pet: 1) the width of the passage opening, 2) the height of the opening, and finally 3) the “rise” or the lip at the bottom of the door that the pet must step over to use the door. Use the following guidelines to ensure a proper fit for your pet.

  • Measurement 1: Width – This is the easy one. Simply measure your pet at the widest point and add an inch or two for safety. If your pet is long haired, don’t forget that this may make them appear wider than they really are. Alternately, you can open a door just wide enough for your pet to pass through and measure the width of the opening, again adding an inch or two for safety.

  • Measurement 2: Height—The pet door flaps should be at least an inch or two above the top of your pet’s back not the head. To get this length, measure your pet from the withers (top of the shoulders) to the floor. Remember that your door won’t be placed completely at floor level.

  • Measurement 3: Rise—This measurement is only applicable for panel models which come with the rise built in. Door, wall, screen, and window models can be mounted at whatever height is comfortable for your pet. If you have a short-legged dog or an older dog that can’t lift his feet very high, or if the door is installed with a step on either side, consider ordering a “no rise” door. Our standard rise is 5” or 10”.

Alternate method: You can also make a sample door opening out of a large piece of cardboard based on the above size chart. Place it in a door opening and experiment with height placement. Order the size most comfortable for your pet.

Examples of custom installs. Click to enlarge.
Glenview Glass & Screen Inc

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1. Custom width to fit exactly into glass door panel.

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2. Custom width to fit glass sidelight.

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3. Custom width to be wide enough for the animal but narrow enough to fit available wall space.

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4. Custom height and width to fit exactly into one pane of a multi lite French door.