During the cold winter months, the last thing you want to have to do is get out from under your warm blankets in the early morning to let out the family dog and wait around in the cold while he does his business.
Having a professional come to your home to install a dog door can give your four-legged friend the unfettered access to your yard that he needs.
Perhaps you’ve refrained from having one put in because the doors in your home are made from glass but with professional installation even glass can be fitted with a dog door.
How does one winterize an in-glass dog door?
If you’re not careful your dog door could contribute to expensive energy bills by allowing your home’s heat to seep out during winter months. By making sure all of your doors and windows are always kept clean, free of gaps, well aligned and by replacing your weather strips when needed you can make sure your home is perfectly winterized for optimized insulation during cold weather.
Keep reading for more information on exactly how to winterize your dog door and save money on warming your home.
Line It Up
An air-tight seal all around your doors and windows is the most important factor in the winterization of your home. Keeping your doors and dog flaps well aligned will help keep energy costs low.
When you have you dog door installed, make sure that you know how to make sure the flap remains aligned before your installation professional leaves. If the flap becomes unaligned and you can’t put it back in place, you’ll end up with a break in the air-tight seal needed to keep your home heated.
If your sliding doors are uneven as well, this could also contribute to expensive leaks of your in-home heat, so it’s important to check all of the doors in your home.
Check Your Dog Door for Wear and Tear
You should keep an eye on all of the pieces of your dog door to make sure that they don’t become damaged or worn in ways that could make the door less energy efficient. If the flap becomes bent or warped it may be time to replace it to make sure it isn’t disrupting the seal of the door. The weather strips should also be replaced when showing signs of wear to ensure that they aren’t letting cold air into your home.
Identify Any Cracks
Over time and with regular use gaps can form when seals become worn so it’s important to seal any gaps that might appear. For example, french doors that have a dog door without an airtight seal between the doors because of a worn strip will still drive up the cost of heating your home even if the dog door is well sealed.
Likewise, if your dog door isn’t perfectly sealed while closed for any reason it will allow air in or out which will inevitably drive up your energy bills as your heating system works harder to compensate for the loss of heat caused by an insufficiently sealed dog door.
You can identify cracks by shutting off your heating or cooling system and running your hand or a lit candle along the edges of the door. If you feel a breeze or see a change in the direction of the flame, that could indicate a leak.
Fill in Cracks
Once you have identified all problem areas in your dog door, it’s time to seal them up using a weather sealant or caulk. Apply your sealant of choice to the gaps you want to seal and then using a putty knife wrapped in a thin rag, push the sealant into the crack by dragging the knife along the strip of sealant.
Make sure you get the sealant into corners to ensure a perfectly airtight seal. It’s also a good idea to keep your dog away from the door for a couple of days until its completely dry because weather sealants and caulk can be harmful if swallowed.
Keep Your Dog Door Clean
With use, your dog door is likely to collect dirt, mud, and debris as your furry friend goes in and out to your yard. While this is to be expected, cleaning your dog door regularly with a mild cleaning solution is essential to its upkeep. The buildup of dirt and grime can not only make it more difficult to see when tears occur, but it can also disrupt the air-tight lock that you need for your flap to remain energy-efficient. To prevent this you should regularly clean your dog door’s flap, tracks, and frame to keep dirt and dust from building up.
As long as you make sure that you ask your installation professional about keeping your dog door aligned, make sure you have kept your door clean and stay on top of any needed repairs your dog door should remain perfectly winterized during cold months.
A well-maintained dog door can give your family the peace of mind of knowing your dog is taken care of without the added pressure of letting him out yourself, and allow you to enjoy the beautiful weather while letting your dog do the same.
Imagine enjoying an evening snowfall through your glistening glass doors while your pup bounces outside to run and catch the snowflakes as you look on from within the comfort of your warm and winterized home.
Don’t let the uncertainty of installing in a glass door stop you from enjoying the many benefits of a dog door; getting a free estimate on your installation is as easy as making a phone call or filling out a simple online form.
