How to Frame a Doggie Door for a Wall

A doggie door is the perfect way to allow your pet complete freedom to enter and leave the house as he pleases. When framing a wall for doggie door installation, however, you must first consider the size of your pet, the thickness of the wall and the location of the wall studs. With these factors taken into account, you can have your wall framed and ready for doggie door installation in a matter of hours.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Stud finder
  • Carpenter's pencil
  • Straight edge
  • Drywall saw
  • 2-by-4
  • Handsaw
  • Wood screws
  • Screw gun
  • 2-by-6
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the belly height of the pet that will be using the door, from the ground to the underside of the pet's belly while she is standing.

    • 2

      Use a stud finder to locate a stud in the wall (the frame will need at least one stud to be mounted to). The stud you locate will serve as either the left or right edge of the hole you will cut in the wall and the side support for the pet door frames. Mark the wall at the edge of the stud at the pet's belly height. This will be the bottom left (or right, depending on the positioning of your pet door) corner of your pet door.

    • 3

      Measure the dimensions of the doggie door (for example 12 inches by 24 inches). Add 1 1/2 inches to the dimensions (13 1/2 inches by 25 1/2 inches for the example) and cut a hole in the wall to match these dimensions.

    • 4

      Cut two pieces of 2-by-4 to the length of the pet's belly height obtained in Step 1. Position these two 2-by-4 pieces inside the wall so that their top edges are flush with the edge of the hole. These will act as the bottom support for the pet door frame. Screw these pieces into the wall's base with 3-inch wood screws.

    • 5

      Cut two pieces of 2-by-6 to the width of the hole (13 1/2 inches for the example). Cut another two pieces of 2-by-6 to the height of the hole minus 3 inches (22 1/2 inches for the example). Screw these wood pieces together with 3-inch wood screws to create the frame for the wall.

    • 6

      Insert the frame into the hole you cut in the wall. Secure the side of the frame to the wall stud and the bottom of the frame to the 2-by-4 pieces you installed with 3-inch wood screws. Your wall is now framed and ready for pet door installation.