Screen Door for dogs
- Thread starter James Aiello
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James Aiello
Well-known member
We have one, probably the exact item you showed. It is in its third year of use on our front door, so it has had a lot of traffic from us and our six golden retrievers.
The sides connect to the wood door opening by some stick-on Velcro patches. Those lasted one summer then would not stick on any more even though I left them up all year. [I take down the screen and store it for winter.]
So, ours just hangs there but it still does a pretty good job of keeping out the flies.
The curtains hang from a metal bar, spring-loaded and adjustable to the width of the door opening, like some curtain rods are designed. Even set really, really tight, sometimes the dogs would explode out the door and pull it down [think: chipmunk alert]. So, I took a couple of 3/4" conduit clips [the metal kind] and screwed them in to hold the bar up. No more pulling down.
The magnets work fairly well. Not perfect, but decent.
All in all, worth the maybe $30 I spent on it, not sure but I think that was about the price.
I kept the box it came in to store it....
The sides connect to the wood door opening by some stick-on Velcro patches. Those lasted one summer then would not stick on any more even though I left them up all year. [I take down the screen and store it for winter.]
So, ours just hangs there but it still does a pretty good job of keeping out the flies.
The curtains hang from a metal bar, spring-loaded and adjustable to the width of the door opening, like some curtain rods are designed. Even set really, really tight, sometimes the dogs would explode out the door and pull it down [think: chipmunk alert]. So, I took a couple of 3/4" conduit clips [the metal kind] and screwed them in to hold the bar up. No more pulling down.
The magnets work fairly well. Not perfect, but decent.
All in all, worth the maybe $30 I spent on it, not sure but I think that was about the price.
I kept the box it came in to store it....
I can't say I would have much faith in that screen, but have never seen or used one.
I cut a hole in the wall between 2 studs and installed a swinging dog door. Works great, no bugs, and with a sealing door on both sides of the wall, it provides a reasonable thermal break (important when we approach 120* ambient).
I cut a hole in the wall between 2 studs and installed a swinging dog door. Works great, no bugs, and with a sealing door on both sides of the wall, it provides a reasonable thermal break (important when we approach 120* ambient).
38Chevy454
Well-known member
My sister and bro-in-law have one and it works for their 2 weimereiners and great dane. Although the same issue, the side mounts don't really work. The magnets do pull it back together in the center.
I did the permanent dog door solution, through the wall. My dogs fly through it so fast that I wonder how the thick clear plastic flap stays in one piece and attached. My dogs are fairly large 80-90 lbs Shepherd, lab/pit, and retreiver. The dogs learn very fast to use the door and it is nice to have them let themselves in and out.
I did the permanent dog door solution, through the wall. My dogs fly through it so fast that I wonder how the thick clear plastic flap stays in one piece and attached. My dogs are fairly large 80-90 lbs Shepherd, lab/pit, and retreiver. The dogs learn very fast to use the door and it is nice to have them let themselves in and out.
Bib Overalls
Well-known member
We also have a permanent dog door with double plastic flaps. We put it in the door between the house and garage. We also position the garage door about 2' up during play hours. Worked so good we put in screen doors on our patio with the same features. Don't think they make them for sliding doors.
Mine are the same approximate size. One a big Rotti mix, the other a Bone Mouth Shar-pei, both in the 70+ lb range, though the Bone Mouth is nearly 13 and starting to loose weight/mass. And both nearly knocked the door through the wall when excited. The dog run is actually a rather odd feature created when the PO closed in a porch to make an "AZ Room". The result was a 30' long hallway to nowhere except a door on the West Wall. So I built a "furniture grade" chest high wall on the East End to limit access to the house (eliminates the guest problem with overly protective dogs), and the door on the West wall beside the man door. Anyway, the AZ sun combined with the linebacker tackles killed the first doors and they fell apart after less than 2 years in the house.
So I wanted to keep the sun off, and force the dogs to slow down. I took some scrap redwood 2x4 drops and built a single slope frame. Some marine ply for decking, complete with shingles to match the house. And used some redwood picket fence drops to make clap-board siding. The end result was a nice looking "half dog house" that matches the main house, about 8" taller at the peak than the dog door, and the opening is on the North side. So not only does it shade from the evening sun and harmful UV damage, it forces the dogs to slow WAY down both coming in and leaving because they have to make an immediate 90* turn and the size is set specifically so their bodies are required to actually bend to make the transition. Highly recommended...
what kind of doorway is this going in ?
in 1996 I cut a piece of plywood, painted it to match the interior walls, installed a Dog door in it and place it in our sliding glass door opening to let the dogs in / out at their leisure.
We're on our 3rd door / piece of plywood now. We got an Akita and needed a taller door, so I bought the largest one I could find which was to wide for my app. so I sectioned the width. Its a temp unit until we finish our screend in deck to a Sun ( AZ ) room, then I'll put the dog door in the wall as another poster did.
We take it out and close the slider when we want or need to.
Myself and some friends made these back in the late 70's early 80's out of plexiglass instead of plywood and sold them as a side deal.
in 1996 I cut a piece of plywood, painted it to match the interior walls, installed a Dog door in it and place it in our sliding glass door opening to let the dogs in / out at their leisure.
We're on our 3rd door / piece of plywood now. We got an Akita and needed a taller door, so I bought the largest one I could find which was to wide for my app. so I sectioned the width. Its a temp unit until we finish our screend in deck to a Sun ( AZ ) room, then I'll put the dog door in the wall as another poster did.
We take it out and close the slider when we want or need to.
Myself and some friends made these back in the late 70's early 80's out of plexiglass instead of plywood and sold them as a side deal.
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Taildragger
Well-known member
We had one of the screens when we lived in an apartment for a year.
Magnetic part worked well (80 lb. Flat Coated Retriever and a 50 lb Black Lab)
If you could find a better way to fasten it to the door frame they would be awesome as the Velcro on the sides *****.
Magnetic part worked well (80 lb. Flat Coated Retriever and a 50 lb Black Lab)
If you could find a better way to fasten it to the door frame they would be awesome as the Velcro on the sides *****.
IONH
Well-known member
My neighbor has one and I'm guessing it works well for them. They don't A/C their main living space though.
I'm with the others here that suggest installing some kind of doggy door instead.
I'm with the others here that suggest installing some kind of doggy door instead.
Has anyone tried the screen for garage opening? I have the garage door open all the time for the dogs and I'm tired of the big horse flies in the garage, they buzz around like a B-52 stratofortress! lol.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/3/screens-for-garage
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/3/screens-for-garage
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nonhog
Well-known member
I could use one of those for my wife who doesn't ever recall opening the screen therefore she never closes it. LOL
I suppose it would be handy for the pets also.
I suppose it would be handy for the pets also.