Easy, Inexpensive Doggy Door in a Screen Door

With Florida weather, we can leave the doors and windows open for several months during spring and fall.  But we have BUGS, so we need our screens.

I also have a dog who is always on the wrong side of the door.

To keep from having to open the door for her every 5 minutes, I made her a doggy door in the screen door.  For at least part of the year, she can be on whichever side of the door she wants. 

When I first made this door, my budget was tiny, and this was a really inexpensive way to do it.  I'm re-making the door (after 4 years, the flaps tore) and so I thought I'd write up instructions on how to do it.

Step 1 Supplies and Tools

Supplies

* a slotted flat bar to support the flap
* 2' wide plastic carpet runner, two or three times the height you want the door; this is the flap
      My carpet runner here is wider than 2', FYI
      Make sure it's not one of the carpet runner strips with little spikes on the bottom     
      (I'm open to other suggestions, too)
* 5/16" pop rivets to secure the flap
* 5/16" washers to keep the rivets from just sliding through
* Barge cement (optional)

Tools

* hacksaw or angle grinder to cut the slotted bar
* drill and 3/8" bit capable of drilling into the screen door
* eye protection for cutting/drilling metal
* pop rivet gun
* tape measure
* marker
* awl
* screwdriver (for manipulating screen cord)
* spring clamps (optional)


This was tremendously cheap, really.  I bought all my supplies 4 years ago, but it shouldn't be more than $20 or so, I think.

It is possible to do all of this without taking the door down; I did it that way the first time.  This time my back is much worse and I didn't want to spend that much time crouching, so I did it on a table instead.

Comments

[chuber3]

Never did this for my house but have done the same basic idea using old carpet on all of my outside dog houses. Was going for the warm, not the light, of a door.

[javandyck]

Punch a round hole around the top of the cuts for the flaps. This will resist tearing better.

[galadriel]

Oooh, good idea.

[seabananers]

that puppy is so cute

[galadriel]

Thanks!  He's a good boy, even if he does know how cute he is, and he attempts to take relentless advantage of it.

[Treasure Tabby]

Ooo good for cats too. ;)
Very nice.

[emericanskater]

 i wish i woulda seen this before my dog made his own...this is a great instructable

[galadriel]

Thanks!

Part of the reason I originally did this was because one of my dogs didn't see the screen, and went right through the screen door...  Once I fixed it, I decided to just go ahead and make a doggy door there.