Cat flaps allow your pet leave and come at their own pace, without you having to let them in or out. They can also help prevent your cat from peeing in the house.

Installing a cat flap into the door panel made of upvc is a lot easier than a glass door, however it does require some skills and the right tools.

Take a look at the Door

Installing a cat door into a front door could be difficult, but as long as the cat flap is the right type and you follow the guidelines it shouldn't be too difficult. We will be showing you how much to install a cat flap to mark out the shape, then use a jigsaw to cut out the door's area and then complete the job by securing the cat flap to the door. This will ensure the flap is in place and shields the doors from the damage caused by wind and rain.

To determine the size of the cat flap you require, measure your pet's width. This will let you select a cat flap that is big enough for your pet to enter the home and exit without having to open the door every time.

If your kit has an illustration of where to drill, you can stick it on the door, and then use a pencil around it. If your door has a sill or moulding on the bottom of it ensure that you have enough clearance from these because this will keep your cat safe and will prevent them from getting access to your home.

Use a set square to make sure you are cutting correctly and to make sure the hole is a perfect rectangle shape. Once you are happy with this, you can begin to remove the remaining door material. Set the square window with cat flap a ruler to ensure that you are cutting the material properly and that the cut is a rectangle shape. Once you are satisfied with the result, you can take out the rest of the door material.

Draw a Line

The cat flap lets you to let your pet go inside and outside without worrying about unwanted visitors or unwanted gifts. It also helps prevent draughts and keeps your home's temperature stable. However, installing a cat flap in your door might seem like an intimidating task for those who haven't done it before. This can lead many to hire an expert joiner or carpenter to do the job. It is an option, but you can do it yourself, provided the tools are right and the instructions are adhered to.

This is much easier to do on doors made of wood, however it is still possible with uPVC. However, you must be careful not to harm the doors since this could cause the door to be damaged and invalidate your warranty. First, you must examine the door's measurements to ensure that it can accommodate the new cat-flap. If you have a standard uPVC panel, this should be easy. However in the case of made of composite or another kind of door, you may have to be more cautious.

The next step is to determine the height of your cat's stomach. This is the amount of height between the floor and the underside of your cat's stomach. You will need to find an area at the entrance that allows your cat to pass through comfortably. Once you know this, you will have to draw the area using a pencil and a spirit level so that you can ensure that the hole you create will fit your cat.

Once you've marked the area, it is time to make the hole. You will require a jigsaw and it is important that you take your time in order to ensure that the cuts are clean and smooth, rather than rough and uneven, as it could cause damage to your door. It is also important to wear safety glasses and a dust protection mask at all times when using the jigsaw, as breathing in the dust could be hazardous to your health. After you have finished cutting the hole, you'll need sandpaper to smooth the edges so that the cat flap can be easily fitted into place.

Make a hole

The process of fitting a cat flap to an existing door panel or double glazing sealed unit can be quite difficult. If you are not very proficient in DIY, it is best to employ a professional to complete the work for you. A botched job may not just be ugly, but also an issue for security as well as allowing cold air to enter when the cat is outside, and hot air to escape inside.

Mark the hole's position on the door with an eraser and a spirit level. This will ensure it is positioned correctly and aligns with the rest of the door. Make sure you have an sandpaper piece on ready for any rough edges.

After the line is traced, you must cut the hole using a jigsaw. Be sure to wear any safety equipment when working with the power tool. If you are concerned about the noise of the jigsaw, you can purchase one that is cordless, which is much quieter and easier to use.

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

A door made of upvc could include a metal frame, or panel that could interfere with the microchip cat flap, and in this case you will need to cut an oversize hole so that the metal does not touch the wall of the cat flap, if this is done, it is crucial to fill in the oversize gap and make it watertight.

If you want to install a cat flap into windows made of double-glazed or upvc with metal frames, you'll need to consult a specialist. They can provide you with a brand new piece of glass that has the hole already pre-made for the cat flap. It will be much cheaper to get this done rather than trying to fix a cat flap cover for winter flap into an existing glass pane that was not designed specifically for the purpose.

Install the Flap

Cat flaps allow your pet the freedom to go and come anytime they want and let them relax in the home whenever they like. If you have an uPVC front door, it might be hard to install the cat flap. This is particularly true if you do not own a glass panel that can be cut. If you're looking to install a half-glazed uPVC replacement panel, it is possible to add an additional cat flap. It's not just a matter of drilling an opening in the door. It is also necessary to perform a few steps to ensure that the door is safe.

A composite, uPVC, or GRP door panel is usually comprised of a plastic skin that is bonded to an insulating polystyrene core. The material is extremely fragile and care should be taken when cutting through it to avoid causing damage. This kind of door comes with a template that you can use to make the hole.

Once you have marked the position of the hole in your door, now it's time to fit the cat flap. You can choose from a variety of models, ranging from simple push-button flaps to microchip-activated ones that only let your pet in. Whatever kind of cat flap you pick, it's vital that your cat can use the flap comfortably without getting stuck in the rain.

It's a good idea choose a circular fitting cat flap in upvc Door panel (www.longisland.com) rather than one that is square, since circles are more securely cut into the door glass. This is because square holes are more likely to crack the glass when they're drilled. This is also a safer option because you won't need to drill into the toughened glass, which could break and cause harm to your pet or your family members. This is particularly crucial if you have elderly or children living in your home that could be injured by glass shards.