Portland Handyman Services Portland, OR

Higher quality pet doors reduce energy loss

"I'm looking for a company or contractor that would install pet doors. Where should I have the door installed, and what should I expect out of the job?" — Angie's List member Hector Sosa

A good handyman or remodeling contractor can handle the job, says David Dickinson, co-owner of A-rated In Your Home in Lake Oswego [Ore.].

He says a pet door can be installed in a door or a wall, but the advantage to a wall installation is that the pet door can later be removed and the wall patched, but an entry door usually has to be replaced if the pet door is no longer needed.

"We tend to prefer the through-wall installations because they provide a lower heat loss and don't interfere with screen or storm doors," Dickinson says. He says that with any pet door your home will lose some energy efficiency, but if you buy a better quality door, with double flaps and magnetic locks, it will help reduce this effect.

He also says another way to mitigate this loss is to install two pet doors - one leading to the garage and another in the garage's outer wall.

He says a wall installation typically takes more time, especially with masonry or stucco walls, and you want to ensure that the installation site doesn't contain electrical or plumbing components.

If you're concerned about security, Dickinson says some doors feature locks activated by a special collar - when pets get close to the door, it unlocks, then when they move away it locks. But, he says, even a locking pet door won't stop a determined intruder. "They could just as easily break a window," he says.

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