Mounting a pet door in a French door can be a lot more difficult than in a regular door. This is because the usual way of adding a pet door is to remove one or more panes of glass, or to cut into the kick plate or sides of the French door. Each French pet door installation needs to be customized to the door, to avoid destroying the look of the door, and make sure that the pet door works.
To install a pet door in your French doors, you must first measure your pet. Accurate measurements are important to make certain that your pet doesn't have trouble getting through the door. After you've determined the dimensions your pet requires in a door, measure the exposed glass of your door panels. If you're removing only one panel, you only need to measure the exposed glass. If you're considering removing two, you also need to measure the frame between the two panes of glass which are being removed. With these measurements, you can then have a pet door custom made to fit your French door.
It's important to remember that the finished pet door will be smaller in all dimensions than the opening. This is because a frame is needed for all pet doors. Therefore, if you have a pane of glass that's one foot on a side, your pet door will measure ten inches per side. Look for custom made pet doors that can be removed, so you can reinstall the pane of glass later if you choose. Remember that this cannot be done if you decide to cut into the wood of the door itself.
To make sure that the most insulation possible is provided by your pet door, look for one that has a good seal, or both an inner and outer flap. That way, you won't loose as much heat in the winter, and cool air in the summer. The cost may be a little higher initially, but the difference in heating and cooling bills mean that an insulated pet door will soon pay for itself.
Pet doors for French doors, since they usually have to be custom made, are more expensive than conventional pet doors. A single flap model can cost over one hundred dollars for a door that's up to 70 square inches. For double flap doors and larger pet doors, this price goes up quickly. Therefore, it's a good idea to determine whether you can install a conventional pet door in another location in your home before buying one for your French door. However, if the French door is the best place for the pet door, a custom made one is a quality, long lasting choice.
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