A customer in Kingston upon Thames wanted a cat flap installed in a uPVC garden door. Because the property was rented, she wanted to keep the original door panel so it could be reinstated later if necessary.
The sensible solution was therefore to order a new replacement uPVC panel specifically for the installation rather than cutting the landlord’s original panel.
Once the new panel arrived, I removed the existing one, measured the opening and cut the replacement to size on site so it fitted neatly in the door.
I then cut the opening for the cat flap, secured the unit to the new panel and routed the wiring to the inside. This particular model also came with an external hood.
The hood looked like a nice feature until we realised it was very close to the brick wall and one enthusiastic opening away from being damaged. After checking the clearance, I finished the installation with a silicone bead around the panel to maintain a weatherproof seal.
The original rental-property panel remained untouched and could be refitted in the future if required.
