Local Landscape Contractor In Carlsbad Oceanside Vista North County California
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Carpenter Handyman In Carlsbad Ca
 Tip Top Landscaping Services Oceanside, California 92057
Ph: (760) 685-0813
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| Our Carlsbad Carpenter Has Tips On Installing A Doggy Door On Your Own For Your Pets |
| Our carpenter in Carlsbad California loves helping others with manageable projects for customers. Here is a medium sized project if you are good with power tools and have a good understanding with product directions. You first should take into consideration the size of your pet. You can find these dog doors online and offline at pet stores. You need to find one that will allow your pet to fit through without the risk of getting stuck. When you have selected one that will work, you will most likely need to purchase a (tunnel) that you can buy separate from the same manufacturer. This will allow your pet to fit through the entire dog door without falling into the wall. That is why they call it a tunnel, it connects the 2 halves of the doggy door in between the wall. Once you have the materials, you will need to consider the location that you wish to install it. Think about were your pet will come in and out, fences, dirt or concrete, how will this area be in the winter, summer, etc. After you have that figured out, you will need to take a stud finder and find out were your studs are located. You do not want to cut the studs (may affect the strength of you walls) unless they are under a window. Usually these doggy door kits are made to fit within the 16" inch stud spacing and that is why you need to know where the studs are located. Once you take your stud finder and locate them, take a piece of masking tape and mark were the studs area and that is the area (width wise) that you have to work with. You then need to set the best height for your pet to walk in and out and any other obstacles on your house (if any). Now you are almost ready to start cutting. These kits usually come with a template to help you with the placement of the door and where to cut and drill. Tape the template to the drywall inside where you want the doggy door to be (last chance to adjust or change your mind!). Then take a drywall saw and cut the drywall to the opening on the template. Also, you can drill the mounting holes also on the template. If you are going through wood siding (you can use wood drill bits for all of the installation). If you are going through a stucco wall (use wood bits for the drywall holes ONLY, then use masonry bits for the stucco). If your cutting the wood siding, you can just drill four holes (in the four corners), take a straight edge and connect the dots to form a square, then you can cut with any kind of wood cutting saw. If the wall is stucco, then take a large masonry bit (1/2") and drill holes from the drywall side through the stucco every inch or so, all the around. You can then take a flat chisel and connect the dots on the outside. Then use wire cutters to cut through the chicken wire mesh behind the stucco. Clean out area. Your almost done, just fit the tunnel together, trim as need to fit. Make sure the two halves of the door fit together and that you will be able to screw it together (this part sometimes takes some work) and two people make this evolution a lot easier. Have one person hold the outside half of the door against the wall and the other person does all the work from the inside. Insert the tunnel then the last half. Now your ready to screw it together. The screws are usually to long so be ready to cut them (hacksaw or bolt cutters). Now screw it together. Last step, take some window and door silicone caulking (waterproof) and apply a small bead of it on the outside to fill any gaps, on the inside around the tunnel and on the inside (for a nice clean look). Congratulations! You have completed a carpenters job. If you need a Carlsbad Carpenter for home improvement services, contact our Carlsbad Handyman for services today. |