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View Full Version : Pet door for sliding glass door-opinions



muddywings
07-27-2013, 07:23
The wife and I are moving into "our" first house (as long as the appraisal comes back fine) in about a month. We use a dog door panel insert for our current sliding glass door but it eats up half the space. Luckily we're thin enough to squeeze through the remaining opening.

With this being "our" house now instead of a rental, I was thinking about going with this:
http://www.petdoorguys.com/index.html

Was wondering if anybody had used them and how the door flap stood up to CO weather and wind?
Thoughts or other options?

Rick
07-27-2013, 07:30
We had one of their doors installed and love it. Have not been through a winter yet so can not speak to the cold wind but it seems to seal up nicely. Great bunch of guys to work with and we are very satisfied with our door.

killianak9
07-27-2013, 07:31
We don't have the door from these guys, wish we did, but the removable one that goes on the active door has worked well for us! I think petsmart and costco sold them a while back.The mud flap stays put and actually does a great job

Robb
07-27-2013, 07:33
My sis just had a dog door cut into the fixed piece of glass next to a glass sliding door. Very similar to what you show in the pic but in her application, just a hole was cut for the dog door. I didn't know that was even do-able but I have to say I was impressed, it was a very clean, professional job. All I remember at the moment is it was someone who that is their entire business. I'll try and get ahold of her and ask who did it.

ironhead
07-27-2013, 08:22
Since you'll be the owner you're not necessarily limited to using the existing door opening. I recently installed an automatic door through the brick wall of my friend's garage. Very slick. Expensive though.

BPTactical
07-27-2013, 08:39
Get a hold of SuperiorDG here. He is a glassman and see what he suggests and a first rate guy as well.

Family takes care of family.

newracer
07-27-2013, 09:10
This is what I plan on getting. Putting one from the house to the garage and one from the garage to the yard. That way even if it doesn't seal well there is not as much of a temp difference.

http://www.gundoghousedoor.com/

Ah Pook
07-27-2013, 11:19
Doggy doors are a great source of amusement.

http://themaskedblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/larson_fifi.jpg

My guys are getting older and steps are not as friendly. I will probable be doing a dog door with a ramp this summer.

HoneyBadger
07-27-2013, 11:50
I have a Hale pet door that goes through the wall. I put it in myself and we love it.

SuperiorDG
07-27-2013, 14:53
Get a hold of SuperiorDG here. He is a glassman and see what he suggests and a first rate guy as well.

Family takes care of family.

Thanks BT. We have done these before and it's not too cheap. The guys that are mentioned by the OP stopped by my shop and dropped off his card and they seem to be right inline or a little more then what I charge. But I have a tendency to give a little better pricing to members here.

rondog
07-27-2013, 16:06
I put a doggie door in the wall from the dining room out to the back patio, one of those double-door units. It wasn't that hard, just make sure there's nothing in the wall between the studs like an HVAC duct or wiring. I damn near cut into a space with a duct in it that feeds our guest room. But our beagles can come and go as they please, they use the hell out of it. Almost time for a new one.

muddywings
07-27-2013, 18:27
Thanks all. SuperiorDG-sent you a PM. Probably to far for you to come down to C Springs but would be curious to see any of your work.

We have the option of going out via the interior-garage-garage-outside but unfortunately my golden has trained my wife and I very well now. It will just turn into dog sitting at the slider, giving us the puppy dog eyes then it will be get up, open door, close door, sit down, repeat 40 times a night.
I'm figuring $750 with install and everything. Hope I'm right.
ughhhhh

UncleDave
07-27-2013, 19:04
I have one of the in wall units too. I've had it for 6 years and it is holing up well to my GSD's and Rotties. Pet door USA is the company I bought mine from. I installed it myself in about 3 hours +/- in a snowstorm no less.

KS63
07-27-2013, 21:48
Had a local company install an in-wall one with two doors. The doors are made from a clear rubber sheet. One on the interior and the other exterior with a carpet lined box. The best $400 we've spent on our dogs. Waking up at 3am to let the dogs out sucks.

wyome
07-27-2013, 22:03
we got a Hale pet door 5 yrs ago...double flaps with magnets, really bad winds will open it a bit. have it installed in the sliding glass door....not cheap , but super worth it...

generalmeow
07-27-2013, 22:51
We had one of those sliding door dog door inserts for about 5 years. It was always cold around the door, and in the room with the door, and I can only guess how much money we wasted in heating because of it. It was really the only option in our last house though due to the layout. Every winter I'd be packing on blue tape around it and the sliding door, but you cant do much about the flap. No matter what, it's a gaping hole to the outside.

We finally got a through wall dog door with two flaps at the end of this winter at our new house. That's the way i'd recommend if its an option. I can already tell its going to be much better in terms of the cold getting in.

Danimal
07-28-2013, 01:19
I got one of these (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-Pet-9-75-in-x-17-in-Extra-Large-Ruff-Weather-Wall-Kit-for-in-Wall-Installation-of-Extra-Large-Ruff-Weather-Door-RWXLWK/100404350#.UfTE6dKG0wU) and the door to match and mounted it in the wall next to my sliding glass door. It works great and seals real nice. If you install it yourself (and it really is simple if you have a sawsall and a drill) you will save hundreds over the other options. Plus my neighbor has one just like your picture and they hate it because it has a weighted bottom that goes fwap fwap pretty loud every time a dog goes through. They have three noisy ass beagles so they deserve it, but either way the one in my link is really quiet.

muddywings
07-28-2013, 06:50
I guess I'll add, for those searching this subject, that the Ideal Ruff Weather Door and the tunnel that Danimal linked to is what I used when I was in Alaska. Went through the garage wall to a side yard. The double pane door worked great and the tunnel was a nice way to finish it off. I did have to pin nail a 2x4 under it before I installed the tunnel to make it more sturdy.
I would highly recommend. In fact, when I sold the house, that was a strong selling point for the new buyer as he really wanted to get a dog.
As for me this time, it just won't work with the layout.

newracer
07-28-2013, 11:39
Lots of good info so far, I am now reconsidering which one to get.

muddywings
07-28-2013, 11:43
To add-
These guy's products are great:
http://www.idealpetproducts.com/welcome
I have used their Ruff-weather through the wall doggy door as per my post above and currently have their patio door draft stoper insert.
http://www.idealpetproducts.com/product/detail/draft-stopper-fast-fit

SuperiorDG
07-28-2013, 13:04
Thanks all. SuperiorDG-sent you a PM. Probably to far for you to come down to C Springs but would be curious to see any of your work.

We have the option of going out via the interior-garage-garage-outside but unfortunately my golden has trained my wife and I very well now. It will just turn into dog sitting at the slider, giving us the puppy dog eyes then it will be get up, open door, close door, sit down, repeat 40 times a night.
I'm figuring $750 with install and everything. Hope I'm right.
ughhhhh

That sounds about right on the price. The thing of it is that you can't use the exiting glass because you can't cut tempered glass. So this leaves you with having to buy new glass with the cut out in it. You are right about the travel down to the springs, it would take at least two trips and I'm sure even with a COAR15 discount I could not do it for what you could get it done by someone down there. Sometimes the best way to do it is to get a 2/3 panel of glass above the doggie door and a wood panel beside it. A piece of glass with the notch in it is probably twice the cost of the 2/3 panel. Also, save the old glass in case you decide in the future you want to go back to the way it was.

hollohas
07-28-2013, 15:27
We just ordered an in-glass pet door and had the guy over yesterday to measure. We got sick of loosing half the space in the sliding glass door. We're getting a double flap Hale model installed in a double pan panel of glass in the sliding door. We liked the Hale option because you don't have the horizontal support going through the entire panel like the Pet Door Guys version does.

http://www.halepetdoor.com/system/pics/inglasswhite.jpg

The Hale in-glass model with installation in low-e double-pan glass ran us about $1000. Not cheap but we don't have any walls we could put a pet door in.

PS - we are using Pet Door Pro. The guy that did the measuring was great but we'll have to wait to see how the install goes before I give them a good review.

muddywings
07-28-2013, 16:03
hollohas-post a review here when you get it in.
I don't mind the horizontal bar across. In fact, i think it may be a good idea seeing how my dog plows out through the door when a squirrel is spotted. Hopefully that adds some strength and help hold up to her.

SuperiorDG-thanks. figured that would be a pretty hefty drive for you!