Fitting Cat Flap In UPVC Door Panel

Cat flaps allow your pet to leave and come back door with cat flap fitted as they please without you needing to let them in or out. They can also help prevent your cat from urinating inside the house.

It is easier to install an animal flap on a Upvc panel than a glass one, but you will require some knowledge and correct tools.

Measure the Door

Fitting a cat flap in a door can be tricky but if you select the right kind of cat flap, take your time and follow the steps provided it should not prove to be a problem. We will be showing you how to draw the shape, use an jigsaw for cutting out the area in the door and then finish off the job by attaching the cat flap to the door. This will ensure the flap is in place and also protects the doors from the damage caused by rain and wind.

To determine the size of the cat flap that you require, measure your pet's width. This will allow you to select a cat flap that is large enough for your pet to walk into the home and exit without having to open the door each time.

If your kit comes with an illustration of where to drill then you can stick it on the door, and then draw around it. If your door has moulding or a sill at the bottom, be sure that you leave enough space between your cat flap fitting and the moulding or sill.

Next put on your eye protection and dust mask. Then using a jigsaw begin cutting according to the lines you have pencilled in, don't try to push the blade too hard because this could cause it to cut faster than you'd like it to. If you have a set square then use it to ensure whether you're cutting in the right way and to ensure that the hole is a proper rectangular shape. Once you are happy with this you can begin to take off the rest of the door material.

Draw a Line

The cat flap lets you to let your pet inside and outside without worrying about unwanted visitors or unwelcome gifts. It also stops draughts and helps keep the temperature inside your home stable. However, installing the cat flap In upvc door panel flap to your door might seem like an overwhelming task for those who haven't done it before, leading many people to seek out a professional joiner or carpenter to complete the task. This is an option but you can do it yourself if your tools are appropriate and the steps are adhered to.

While this is much easier to do with a wooden door, it is still possible to do this in uPVC doors - although you need to be very careful not to scratch the doors, as this can end the warranty. The first step is to measure the door, ensuring that it is able to fit the new cat flap. If you have an ordinary uPVC panel it should be a breeze. However when your door is composite or another type of door, you might have to be more cautious.

The next step is to measure the size of your cat's belly. This is the distance from the floor to the bottom of the cat's stomach and you will need to find a spot in the door where this measurement will fall within the range that your cat can comfortably pass through. Once you know this, you will need to mark out the area using a pencil and a spirit level so that you can be certain that the hole you make will be suitable for your cat.

After you've marked the area, it's time to cut the hole. You will need to use an jigsaw. It is essential to be patient to ensure that the cuts are clean and smooth rather than uneven and rough, since this could damage your door. Wear safety glasses and a dust mask when working with a jigsaw. Inhaling sawdust is dangerous for your health. After you've completed the cutting process, you will need to smooth out the edges of the hole with sandpaper, so that your cat flap can be fitted easily in place.

Cut a Hole

The process of fitting a cat flap into an existing door panel or double glazing sealed unit can be quite difficult. You might be tempted to tackle the job yourself, but unless you have experience with DIY, it's likely to be best to have a professional in to do the job for you. A botched job may not just be ugly, but also an issue for security and also allow cold air to enter when the cat is outside and hot air to escape once inside.

The first thing you need to do is mark the position of the hole in the door using pencil and a spirit level, this will ensure that it is placed and runs in a straight line with the other components of the door. It is important to have a piece of sandpaper at the ready for any rough edges.

After the line is drawn, you can cut the hole using a jigsaw, remember to wear the appropriate safety equipment when working with a power tool. If you're concerned about the noise, you can purchase an electric jigsaw that is quieter and easier.

You should only remove the material needed to fit the flap. A little bit of extra material is required to increase the thickness of the the cat flap in upvc door cost flap itself but removing more than that can cause problems and even cause damage to the door frame.

A upvc door may include a metal frame, or panel within it that could interfere with the microchip cat flap and in this case you will need to cut an oversize hole so that the metal doesn't get in contact with the the cat flap. If this is done it is crucial to fill in the oversize gap and make it watertight.

If you're installing an animal flap to a upvc door or double-glazed window with a frame made of metal, you'll need to talk to a professional who can provide you with a brand new pane of glass that already has the hole for the cat flap premade in it. This will be cheaper than fitting the flap into an existing pane that wasn't designed specifically for this purpose.

Fit the Flap

Cat flaps allow your pet the freedom to come and go whenever they want and allow them to be comfortable in the house when they want to. However, if you have a uPVC door, it may be difficult to install a cat flap, particularly when you don't have glass panes that could be cut to fit one. If you are willing to install a half-glazed uPVC replacement panel, it is possible to install the cat flap. It's not as easy as just making a hole in the door though and there are some things you'll need to take care of first to ensure it's secure.

A composite door panel typically comprises a flimsy plastic outer skin bonded to a soft polystyrene insulating core. The material is fairly fragile and care should be taken when cutting into it to avoid causing damage. This kind door has a template you can use to cut the hole.

Once you have marked the position of the hole in your door, it's time to install the flap itself. You can purchase and install a wide variety of different models including basic button operated ones to ones that are activated by microchips that only let in your pet. However, no matter what type of cat flap you select, it's important to make sure that your cat can use the flap and not get trapped in the weather.

A circular fitting is more effective than a square, because circles can be cut more securely into glass. This is because square holes make glass more vulnerable to cracking when drilling is applied to it. This is also a safer option since you don't have to drill into the toughened glass, which could break and cause harm to your pet or your family members. This is particularly important if you have young or elderly person at home who could be injured by shards of glass.