Make pet door insert for sliding glass door

24 January 2025
Curtis putting weights down on a long wooden board to glue together cardboard.
Status
On hold

Tools

Utility knife
Tape measure
Speed square
Paintbrush
Very long cutting board

Material costs

A table of materials, quantity, and cost
The total quantity and cost of all of the materials required.
Quantity US customary Material Cost
4 × Cardboard box (large) US$0.00
4 l 135.3 fl oz PVA glue US$13.00
1 l 33.8 fl oz Primer (water-based, multi-purpose) US$11.00

ON HOLD UNTIL MORE GLUE ARRIVES

 

When it's -5 °C outside and my cats are clamouring to get outside, I need a way to appease them. Presently I have some blankets covering the door opening so the wind is mostly blocked. It's not great, but it's way better than it could be. A patio door insert on Amazon is like $150+, but I have a bunch of boxes from moving and big thing of PVA glue. I think I can make something durable that looks okay and meets my needs without spending nearly that much money.

Measurements

These are some measurements to help me think through a design.

  • Cat width: 15 cm (6 in.)
  • Doorway height without track: 203 cm (80 in.)
  • Doorway height with track: 198 cm (78 in.)
  • Door frame height: 193 cm (76 in.)
  • Door width: 2.5 cm (1 in.)
  • Door track width: 3 cm (1 ⅛ in.)

I got the first two layers glued together, but I'm already concerned about warping. Hopefully time under weight will help. If this doesn't work, my next idea would be to try using shellac, which is also pretty cheap.

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