How to Install a Dog Door in a Glass French Door – Simple Technique

Your pooch deserves all the love in the world, yummy snacks, and his/her own door! 

Dogs love chasing random things, running in the yard, and spending some alone time (yes!) without intrusion. When they want to get out, they start yelling at the door so that you come and open it because they can’t do it themselves. This can get quite annoying after a point. Also, what happens when you are away for a few hours, and you have potty trained your dog to only go in the yard? Bad things can happen. Trust us. This is why we recommend a dog door.

While this feels like an easy job for an ordinary door, things can get complicated for a glass French door. This is because working on glass is quite different from working on wood. Also, French doors are of different types, and the first step towards installing a dog door is understanding the requirements of your specific door. Let’s dig deeper and learn the steps for the most common types.

How to install a dog door in a glass French Door

But before that, let’s talk about the most common types of glass French doors. They are single-paned and multi-paned. Single-paned glass doors are made out of one solid piece of glass and may have some grid-work. Multi-paned glass doors comprise of multiple panes of glass, each of them framed separately. Now, you probably realize that they are completely different from each other. Thus, the installation of a dog door will also be different on each.  

For Single-Paned Doors

There are two ways to do this:

1. Remove the glass and replace it with a glass that has a dog door
2. Remove the glass and have a dog door installed before placing it back

No matter which way you go, you have to install the dog door on a new or old glass pane. To successfully do that, you must follow the steps below:

• Start by taking measurements. Measure your pooch accurately and note the numbers down. If you have a puppy, take into account how much he/she will grow and then add a few inches to be on the safe side.
• Find the best dog door for your French door. There are many options, especially based on thickness. Choose one that’s the same thickness as your door so that it fits well.
• Now, you must work on the glass door. We highly recommend that you leave it to the professional. Cutting a glass pane can be dangerous and tedious at the same time. So, leaving it to the professional is the best idea. However, if you have experience in cutting glass, you may proceed by yourself.
• Remove the glass panel from the door and cut it to the size of the door or bring the new glass pane home and cut it accordingly.
• Install the dog door and then put it back together.

Note: Since there’s quite a bit of installation required, a glazier is the best choice, even if it costs you a few extra bucks. 

For Multiple Panes

The process of installing a dog door on a multi-paned glass French door is slightly different. Read on for the exact steps:

• Measure your dog as usual, and don’t forget to jot down his/her height. This is important to determine which pane to replace and what size the dog door should be. This step is especially important for small dogs. They may not be able to jump out of high doors. 
• Now, based on the height, remove the right pane. We encourage you to hire a glazier if you have no prior experience in glass cutting.
• Measure the opening and order a custom dog door keeping the thickness of the rest of the French door in mind.
• Install it once it arrives and watch your happy dog enjoy his new freedom!

Note: Installing a dog door in this type of door is actually easier. You just have to remove one pane and replace it. So, it can be a DIY project. 

Conclusion

Now that you have learned how to install a dog door in a glass French door, you should remember that safety is of the utmost concern. Poorly installed doors can be dangerous. We are sure you do not want to put your dog through that! Also, the installation process is not easy, especially for a single-paned door. So, why risk it at all? Pay a professional to help you, and it will be taken care of from the start to end. You will just need to get the measurements of your dog right! 

We hope this article gave you the answers you were looking for. If you have any other doubts, please feel free to comment or write to us. We are always happy to help!