Weatherproofing an Electronic Pet Door

An electronic pet door can represent a possible weak point in your home weatherproofing. What can you do to make your pet door more weatherproof?

Seal the Frame to the Door

Because the pet door is held to the door by screws it is possible to remove it very easily. Once you have removed it, clean the door surface that was covered by the pet door frame and clean the pet door frame that was up against the door. The amount of dirt you have to clean off will demonstrate just how much wind is blowing around the pet door frame. When you have cleaned the surfaces dry them well and apply strips of draft proofing foam around the door aperture on both sides. Re-fit the pet door and tighten the screws well but not too tight. For extra draft and water proofing you can squeeze a bead of silicone sealer around the sides of the frame to seal it to the door. You should notice a significant reduction in the draft coming around the pet door.

Draft Proof the Pet Door

If they are not already fitted you can put brushes around the pet door frame to cut out some of the draft coming around the pet flap. When you fit the brushes you have to make sure that the operation of the pet flap is not compromised in any way.

Protection Against Rain and Snow

Having draft proofed and silicone sealed the pet door you will have given significant protection against rain and snow. To give more protection is difficult if you want the pet door to remain in action. Driving rain and snow can only be protected against by a panel that could be fitted into slots on either side of the pet door. Using such a panel is not really a very good idea. If your pet tries to use the pet door and hurts itself by coming up against a panel like this it could prevent it trying to use the pet door again. If you have fitted brushes to the pet door frame to cut down drafts, they will also help prevent the ingress of rain and snow.

Protection Against High Winds

In really there is very little you can do to stop high winds penetrating around the pet door. With the precautions of sealing the frame to the door and fitting draft proofing brushes you have done all that is possible short of blocking off the pet door. If your pet uses the pet door in a high wind, you will probably have to close the pet flap manually. Actually, if your pet tries to use the door in a high wind it might get a shock as the door opens inwards instead of waiting to be pushed outwards.

While there is much sense in trying to weatherproof your pet door, you have to be guided by the fact that it has to remain available for use. It is unlikely that a pet will want to go outside in really bad weather so if it tries to it must have a good reason.