How to Build a Pet Door From Scratch

Building a pet door can be a quick and fairly easy project. The result will provide your pets with many hours of enjoyment, and can make your life easier by not having to let your pets out each time they need to go outside. With some planning and basic equipment, you can build your own pet door from scratch.

Things You'll Need

  • Electric hand saw
  • Weatherproof plastic
  • Screws or nails
  • Hammer
  • Screwdriver
  • Table saw
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find an area on the wall where you would like to put your pet door. Make sure that there are no electrical or plumbing fixtures behind the wall in the selected area. Decide on how big of a cut you need to make based on the size of your pet.

    • 2

      Measure and draw the design of your door on the selected wall. Cut out the door using an electric hand saw.

    • 3

      Using a table saw, cut 2x4s to fit inside the cut area. This will frame the pet door and provide added support. Using nails or wood screws, attach the 2x4s to the studs inside the walls. Most walls are made with 16 inch centers and this will affect the width of the pet door and how you will go about attaching the 2x4s to the studs.

    • 4

      Cut two sheets of weatherproof plastic so that it will fit your opening. You want two sheets to help prevent rain, snow or other elements from entering your home.

    • 5

      Nail or screw the plastic's top edge to the 2x4 frame.

    • 6

      Finish your pet door by adding decorative trim molding to the outside of the door to give it a more professional, finished look.