Measuring the Sliding Door Height:
Measure inside the track of the sliding door from very top to very bottom., and choose a dog door with an adjustment range that fits your measurement.
If you can't get down to the bottom track because of the rail, this is not usually a problem. All of the pet doors have a notch in the bottom to accept that rail and it usually won't affect fitment unless it is taller than 1/2".
If your door is within 1/2 inch of the bottom of the range, call us to verify fitment.
Example: Door measures 74 3/4" and the adjustment range is 74 1/2 to 77 1/2".
How much space can you afford to lose?
Doors Take Up Space
A dog door panel takes up some of the available room in your slider. A safe way to estimate the width of the panel you are choosing is to add 5 inches to the flap width for the full panel width. A panel with a 10 inch wide flap will use about 15 inches of your available space in the slider.
With this in mind, can you still get through the door?
If you can't squeeze through the remaining space, you have a couple of options. One would be to get an Autoslide, which motorizes the sliding door so that it opens for the dogs when they approach. People can still use the door with the Autoslide in place, and it can be turned off and the door can still be operated manually.
It is possible to put the pet door straight through the glass. We have two options for this, the Hale In-Glass door and the Pet Door Guys unit.
Choosing a temporary panel pet door allows the freedom to remove the pet door when you want to use the door. This is a good option if you don't use the door that often. If you use it a lot, we suggest you look at one of the other options. The Thermo Panel 3e, Quick Panel 3, and Fast Fit are temporary installs that can be popped in and out quickly.
If the above options don't work, it's time to consider going an entirely different route. Maybe through a wall, or a low hung window, or possibly through a door to the garage and then from the garage to the yard. We have pet doors for any number of situations. If you can't find a suitable solution, give us a call and we'll be happy to try and help devise a solution.