I have VERY basic DIY skills but need to install a cat flap into a 2" thick wooden door.
The instructions with the product say its easy to install but Im unsure.
My stupid question is...
Do I need to take the door off its hinges and place it on its side to cut the hole or can I use a jigsaw with the door in position?
I wont be able to hold the door and cut the hole at the same time??
HELP !!
You don't have to, but it would probably be easier.
Cut some wedges to jam under the door first (one from either direction) and that will hold it firm if you want to do it with the door still hung.
Beware cutting thick materials with a jigsaw, unless it is a top end machine you may find the blade wanders to some odd angles. Drill holes at the corners to cut too and from, take it easy, and change blades frequently (don't expect one blade to do the whole cut-out in a solid door)
You either do it with the door closed or you slip a wedge under it in the position you want to work. But to be honest, it's wise to know a bit more about the usual structure of doors before cutting a chunk out of it - easy to make a pigs ear of and end up with something thats going to leak in the rain and start to rot.
================================== There's no need to take the door off its hinges - just close it and work from one side.
If you've got a template with the cat flap tape it to the door and mark through onto the door. Drill a hole at each corner big enough to get the jigsaw blade through. Then cut *slowly* because 2" thickness is quite a job for a jigsaw.
Cic.
I doubt the panels are also 2", but if it really is then a jigsaw would be a nightmare.
NY
Sorry, we really need a bit more info to be able to comment properly.
Is this an internal or an external door? Is the door uniformly 2" thick all over? Is it just the outer frame of the door that's 2" thick, with much thinner panels within the frame?
If it's an external door, it'll be *very* heavy if it's uniformly 2" thick. You might manage to get it off it's hinges, but you'll never get it back up without some help!
That really does depend on the type of door. If it's a 2" solid door, you'll be wasting your time trying to cut an opening that matches the template, unless you're using an expensive jigsaw with top class blades. Ask anyone who's tried cutting a sink cut-out in a 40mm worktop with a cheap jig saw!
The flap I fitted recently was about 10 mm bigger than the panel in the door, which was annoying. It was also slightly high for the cat but it'll keep him fit. I was also left with an ugly gap between the 2 sections of the flap where the sawn edge was visible. I did a 2 part filler job and painted it but there was probably a more elegant solution.
Or in my case, two jigsaws, the first one having vomited hot oil and mangled internals onto the workpiece after about 1/3rd of the job.
Bit like a cat really
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