First, I’m not a big fan of not making permanent modifications to my house when I don’t have to.  That includes anything that wouldn’t be universally used by someone who would buy the house from me and live in it.  As useful as it is, a doggy door is not a universally used item like a light switch, storage shelving, plumbing, cabinetry, and so on.  So when it comes to doggy doors, I’m a bit fan of both the window doggy doors and the patio panels.

What I actually have is a custom-made patio panel for the slider on my house that leads out to the back yard.  I have it in the basement since my house was built on a hill and has a walkout basement foundation.  As such, it is somewhat out of sight, out of mind.  I could have taken this to mean that I could get the ugliest, cheapest panel I could find, but I took it in a different direction.  Since it isn’t in the every day living area (near the kitchen, for example), we’re not going to see it every day and won’t necessarily notice if something is wrong with it.  As such, I wanted something high quality and maintenance-free.

The panel was built with a wood frame to match the casing around the existing slider.  It has double-paned glass on the top to make it as energy efficient as possible, and the doggy door itself is actually an electronic version with a transmitter on a collar that my pooches wear.  The panel was build such that the pet door could be installed into the lower part of the panel the same way it would be installed into a regular door.

So to be correct, my doggy door is a hybrid patio panel and electronic access door.

Was it the cheapest doggy door?  Not really.  But it was something that was in my budget and I had the resources to construct at a fairly reasonable price, so I did some of the install myself, and had the frame built by a professional.  I highly recommend this route if you’re able.  It’s really the best of both worlds.

Enter the RFID industry.  Some marketing genius decided to take RFID, which is a mature technology, and pair it up with a dog door, which is another mature product.  The result is a sweet little unit that recognizes your pet and only opens for them.  No more neighborhood dogs wandering in your house and getting into your garbage.

The doggy door can be mounted in a wall or just as easily in a door.  The package comes with a small transmitter on a collar that your dog wears, and when the transmitter gets in range of the door, it opens up.  what a joy!

As part of the very slick control circuitry, the receiver on the door can tell how close the collar is, and also what direction it is traveling in.  So if your dog is walking parallel to, or past the door, it won’t open.  If they are walking directly at the door it will obediently open and let them in.

The door can also be set to only open on detection from either side, meaning you can set the door to only let your dog out or only let it in.  That’s a nice little customization if it’s a nice day and you want your little mutt to play in the backyard and come in when they please, but not go back out.

These are the best things going on the market today.  Don’t be afraid to buy one - you won’t regret it.

As you can tell from the picture, this unit fits intto the window, much like the doggy door patio panels.  You open the window where it’s going to live, put it in place, and close the window on it.  And there it lives.  Panels are usually adjustable over a certain width, somewhere between 2-5 inches, so you do have to measure your window to make sure it will fit the width and the heigth!

For enegery purposes, look for double paned glass or at least a “Low E” glass with a coating on each side to reduce heat transfer.  The type and quality of the actual door will vary quite a bit as well.  The high quality ones will last much longer and be much more energy efficient.

The price range that I’ve seen for these pet doors is anywhere from $350 plus to less than $100.  Obviously, you’re going to see a difference in the quality of materials (fit, form, and finish) in the lower priced ones, but that doens’t mean they aren’t well-suited for the job!  There’s no need to go spend a small fortune on a doggy door if you don’t need to.  Find something that will suit your needs and go from there.

Patio doggy doors are by far the easiest type to install.  As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t even call it an installation since it can be done and undone at will, and is no more difficult than opening and closing your sliding glass door.

This type of door is less a door and more a panel that fits into your existing door.  It is designed to sit snugly in the slider track, and mate with bother slider and the door frame on the wall.  These generally are generally good fits and are only marginally worse insulators than your actual sliding glass door.

And, the best part is that when you’re going away on vacation or even for the afternoon you can simply take them out and stand them up in a corner for later use.

The argument against this type of door is that it is quite a bit more expensive than the standard door or window versions. The reason being, of course, is that they’re quite a bit bigger and have a lot of glass or plexi-glass in them. By their very design, they’re required to be large so they can fill the space in the patio door from top to bottom. It wouldn’t make much sense to have a huge open gap, functionally or practically.

How much more expensive? Well, that can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. You could pay as much as $700 for one of these panels or as little as $150. It all depends on the materials and the make, and double-paned glass is going to push the price quite a bit further towards the high side. The benefit there, of course, is that the insulation is better so you don’t lose as much heat through the panes in the winter. If you life in a part of the country with long or harsh winters, it’s something to consider.

]]> http://doggydoorsonline.com/all-about-patio-doggy-doors/feed/ http://doggydoorsonline.com/types-of-doggy-doors/ http://doggydoorsonline.com/types-of-doggy-doors/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:09:37 +0000 Admin http://doggydoorsonline.com/?p=17 If you’ve already decided that you need doggy doors, you now need to decide what type you’re going to install.  Contrary to popular belief, they’re not just for front and back doors; you can install them in walls, windows, french doors, and sliding glass doors.  You can even get doggy doors with electronics in them that recognize your pet and only open for him or her.  The options are quite incredible.

The basic types, as mentioned above, are through standard doors, through patio doors, through window, and electronic (which can be any of the other types).

The electronic doggie doors work by way of a collar that your dog wears that transmits a digital identification signal and trigers a latch that opens the door when he or she is near.  This is similar to the RFID technology that you see in stores to prevent shoplifting.

As far as ease of installation, I can personally endorse the patio door options, since there is really no work involved.  All it consists of is a panel that fits into your sliding door.  When you don’t want it there, you remove it and close your door.  Too easy.

We’ll talk more about the benefits of each in future articles, so stay tuned.