{NA} Question about the backdoor {NA}

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

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I have giant dogs and thus a giant doggy door in my back storm door.
The main door stays open pretty much all the time and the Doggy door lets the dogs in as they wish and since storm doors suck at sealing around the edges, in come the Lizards, June Bugs, Wolf Spiders (*Shudder*) hot air,and any other number of ... ok you get it.

My main backdoor is mostly glass which is why I added the storm door.

I want:
New real back door (not a storm door)
Preferably where the bottom half is solid and the top is a window
Preferably with those blinds between the glass panes you open and close with a switch (you know what I am talking about?)

I wish to put an electronic, keyfob triggered doggy door in the bottom half of the main door. Now I would have a doggy door that seals completely and the main door sealed as well.

1. Do the make a door like this? I can only find the inner blind doors in full top to bottom glass
2. Can I hang it myself or is this better left to a professional. I am not sure if solid doors are plug and play or if there is some tweaking.

Thank you.
 
There are a variety of nice looking backdoors out there... finding one your wife approves of may be the hard part.
 
keyfob triggered doggy door?? How about one of them sound acuating switch thingamajigs. Like the clap your hands to turn a light on. This one would be one "arf" to open and two "arfs" to close. Hope that answers all your questions. Have fun with it
 
I've done this in two houses. I bought a new door (glass lights on the top, solid bottom) and put electric doors in both.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJ0IGA/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The doors I used didn't have the built in blinds, but they do have them:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Masonite...ung-Front-Door-with-Brickmold-05187/202518600

Generally I've had good luck with just swapping the solid door out and not replacing the jam, however you probably won't be able to buy with that way (They are ussually pre-hung). The most i've had to do us mortise new hinge points. On one door the brick molding was rotted so I opted to replace the entire jam.. PIA but still just an afternoons work.

Heres one:
upload_2017-4-28_14-40-31.png
 
Unless you have done it before or have help that has... I wouldn't recommend hanging a new door yourself...Even it is a pre-hung door, there are some "make it fit and swing right" issues that can be daunting for a novice... As far as the auto-doggie door, I have seen them. Each dog wears a collar that activates the door as he approaches it... I have one of those swing with your nose doors in a metal storm door too... and I am also planning on an upgrade as soon as I finish the deck-addition... My Honey-do is the never-ending story!!!
 
They make plenty of doors just like that. Top glass w/internal blinds, bottom solid. Cut a hole and install doggie door of your choice. I know some are actuated by a receiver on the dog's collar.
 
FlySince9 said:
Unless you have done it before or have help that has... I wouldn't recommend hanging a new door yourself...Even it is a pre-hung door, there are some "make it fit and swing right" issues that can be daunting for a novice... As far as the auto-doggie door, I have seen them. Each dog wears a collar that activates the door as he approaches it... I have one of those swing with your nose doors in a metal storm door too... and I am also planning on an upgrade as soon as I finish the deck-addition... My Honey-do is the never-ending story!!!
Click to expand...

Hell, it isn't rocket science! Remove trim/old door/jamb, install new jamb trimmed to size, insert shims and level where needed, fasten securely, caulk it, replace trim, done.
 
Sorry. I did not need to be so specific about the electric doggie door. But my main issue is with how things are sealed and specifying that I want the electric doggie door it was more of just pointing out that I have a solution for ceiling things with a doggie door. I didn't want responses of people going why do you care about stealing it if you're going to have some doggie door flapping in the breeze anyway. I have had really great electric doggie doors in the past that open and close when the bed gets close. You can push a button on it and it will seal completely. That's what I'm going to install. I just need a back door that will accommodate probably with the blinds in between
 
SoonerAviator said:
Hell, it isn't rocket science! Remove trim/old door/jamb, install new jamb trimmed to size, insert shims and level where needed, fasten securely, caulk it, replace trim, done.
Click to expand...
Agreed... I'm a weekend warrior, I made it happen. The one in the pic was the one I replaced the jam on.
 
Also sorry. That was Speech to Text if something doesn't sound right just try and figure out what it rhymes with and dish it makes sense.
 
yea.. I know how to do it, and obviously so do you... that doesn't mean anyone can... And therefore may be worth paying for the installation if you have never done it before...
 
ifly4fun said:
I've done this in two houses. I bought a new door (glass lights on the top, solid bottom) and put electric doors in both.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJ0IGA/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The doors I used didn't have the built in blinds, but they do have them:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Masonite...ung-Front-Door-with-Brickmold-05187/202518600

Generally I've had good luck with just swapping the solid door out and not replacing the jam, however you probably won't be able to buy with that way (They are ussually pre-hung). The most i've had to do us mortise new hinge points. On one door the brick molding was rotted so I opted to replace the entire jam.. PIA but still just an afternoons work.

Heres one:
View attachment 53163
Click to expand...
Aaah! This is the exact combination I am after. I was on Lowe's website and they don't have anything like this. This is super cheap too. Cheap enough that I can screw it up the first time and then have somebody do it for me the right way LOL
 
FlySince9 said:
yea.. I know how to do it, and obviously so do you... that doesn't mean anyone can... And therefore may be worth paying for the installation if you have never done it before...
Click to expand...
I worked for a door and frame manufacturer my senior year in high school. I have to agree that not everyone can install them. Square and plumb are foreign to many...even some contractors. And you really really really want to hang a door square and plumb. And if the frame isn't anchored well then it may as well not be there.

Some weekend warriors are craftsmen at heart. Others, not so much. So while a door might be easy if the original frame is square, it could be a pain if the original was installed poorly. Maybe spend a bit of time looking at the current door and frame to see if anything looks hinky. If the frame is square and plumb and it's solidly anchored then the door replacement may be easy if everything is standard size & location. If hinges or the bolts/strikers have to be moved or changed then it can be a pain.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Aaah! This is the exact combination I am after. I was on Lowe's website and they don't have anything like this. This is super cheap too. Cheap enough that I can screw it up the first time and then have somebody do it for me the right way LOL
Click to expand...
Thats generally the mentality i use for any DIY stuff.. If I screw it up, can't cost me that much.. so far I'm ahead of the game. Except my airplane seats...
 
Something to consider is that doggy doors don't have to go into doors, necessarily. Walls are often easier to patch when you want to remove the doggy door.
 
John221us said:
Something to consider is that doggy doors don't have to go into doors, necessarily. Walls are often easier to patch when you want to remove the doggy door.
Click to expand...
Just be careful about wiring in the wall.
 
It's all brick on the outside. I'm not sure I want to mess with whatever that would involve
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
It's all brick on the outside. I'm not sure I want to mess with whatever that would involve
Click to expand...
Yes, that wouldn't work.
murphey said:
Just be careful about wiring in the wall.
Click to expand...
I have done this a couple of times and it worked out well. It sometimes lets you position the door in a less obvious place (our laundry room for my last house).
 
Only problem with the electric doggy door that runs off a device on the collar, my moms dog would just lay next to the door so it would stay open so she could look outside, letting everything out...and in.
 
John221us said:
Something to consider is that doggy doors don't have to go into doors, necessarily. Walls are often easier to patch when you want to remove the doggy door.
Click to expand...

If you replace the door, just keep the old one one attic.. when you're done with the dog door put the old one back. And if you move, take the one with the dog door with you. A lot easier than finding replacement siding, and it's easier to seal in a door.
 
After a brief google search using the terms "backdoor" "hole" and "doggy" I discovered several things... including the fact that SafeSearch should always be turned on.

I second the collar-actuated doggy door. We had one that unlocked within proximity to keep the cats in and the dog free to roam.

And especially if you live in a brick (pause) haaaaause, have a professional hang your door. It's not a big deal to have a good handyman do it, but Mrs. 6PC is going to be mighty grumpy when it closes on her trying to bring the groceries in.
 
This is not the thread I thought it was going to be. If it was the thread I thought it was going to be, somebody was going to get the ban hammer.
 
We just taught Snorkle to open the door (have to have the right kind of handle). Then you tell at him "KICK IT!" and he kicks it shut. Its a hoot!

(but you can only teach them something like that when they are under a year old)
 
coloradobluesky said:
We just taught Snorkle to open the door (have to have the right kind of handle). Then you tell at him "KICK IT!" and he kicks it shut. Its a hoot!

(but you can only teach them something like that when they are under a year old)
Click to expand...
Mine are 6 and 15
 
Backdoor pic. See the gaps at the bottom of the storm door? That's where all my other friends enter the house.

20170428_174900.jpg
 
Whoever built the threshold failed to check flat and level. A new door won't fix that.
 
Check the door threshold. Some will have leveling screws so you can tighten up those two corners.

This is what I have:

587c343e3fcc146aa5a5bdef3e73cd55.jpg
 
Clark1961 said:
Whoever built the threshold failed to check flat and level. A new door won't fix that.
Click to expand...
The threshold is level.
The storm door has a 1 inch gap at the bottom. There is a door mat on the other side of the door blocking the sunlight in the middle, giving the illusion of a curved threshold.

The storm door just has this plastic piece at the bottom that could in no way ever make a complete seal.
The main door seals fine that's why I want to get a "real" door and add the doggy door to it.
 
If I were to remove the door mat on the other side, you would see that sunlight going all the way across.


Except it is night time now.
 
They make a "door sweep" that you can attach to the inside of the storm door which can be adjusted to whatever height you need to cover for that gap. You could install in less than 10 minutes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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