El Dorado Hills Garage Door Repair

Tag: pets and garage doors

  • Chamberlain Has Designed a Special Garage Door, Just For Your Dog

    In previous blogs, we’ve discouraged you from installing a pet door inside your garage door, because ultimately the risk for mishaps is too high. Your dog can become overly comfortable with your garage door, and might not know to get out of the way when the door is engaged. Because of how these are arranged, the photo-eye designed to sense obstructions and cease motion might not prevent your pet from getting hurt. There’s also the security risk of having an old-fashioned doggy door. You’d be surprised at how easily certain people can shimmy through a small door.

    Fulfilling Need for Safe, Separate, Secure Doggy Door

    Chamberlain discovered that only 34 percent of pet owners have a pet door, meaning that 66 percent of pets have to wait for their human to let them outside. With a boom in pet adoptions during the pandemic, coupled with the complications of owners going back to work, Chamberlain saw a need for a better option.

    The result is the myQ Pet Portal, which began taking preorders in January 2021. Jam-packed with features, it includes twin 1080p cameras that beam encrypted video to your phone, no matter where you are. It has safety sensors to avoid pinched tails, microphones and speakers so you can communicate with your pet, and a bluetooth beacon that goes around your pet’s neck.

    The New Doggy Door Design

    Instead of the typical swinging flap of old-fashioned doggy doors, Chamberlain sought to design a door you won’t even know is there. The promo video shows a white door with a bottom panel that parts in the center, sliding open as a golden retriever jumps through. The name “portal” is fitting, as the slick feature would be right at home in a spaceship of some sort. The construction is weather-sealed and secure.

    How It Would Work and How Much It Costs

    Technology that connects you virtually with your pet is nothing new, as the Furbo treat-dispensing cameras have been around for awhile. But imagine being out at the bar with friends, as the myQ Pet Portal promo depicts, being alerted that your dog is waiting by the door, and having the ability to authorize the door opening and letting your dog outside. Chamberlain hopes their invention will eliminate the common barrier of dog ownership, “not being home enough.” With a base price of $3,000, the gadget might not be that accessible to anyone who couldn’t afford a dog-walker to begin with, but Chamberlain asserts it could save by replacing a pet-sitter budget in the long run. Find out more about this smart home “pupgrade” here.

  • Thinking About a Pet Door in Your Garage? Why That Could Be a Nightmare

    The worst ideas in the world start as good intentions. This is certainly true with pet doors installed in a garage. You want your beloved pet to roam freely, be able to experience the outside and the shelter of the garage at the same time. But there are other threats you probably haven’t considered.

    Risk to Pets

    The comfort that a pet door provides can unfortunately lead to dangerous complacency for your pets. Animals that grow accustomed to frequenting the garage might not perceive the garage door as a threat, leading to a reduced sense of urgency to avoid it while it’s in motion. This oversight can result in serious accidents. As an example, if the garage door is triggered to close while a pet is entering or exiting, the safety sensors (photo-eyes) that are designed to detect large obstructions might not recognize a smaller pet in their path. This can lead to tragic consequences, as these sensors are calibrated more to prevent human injuries and might overlook smaller animals. Moreover, the noise and movement of the door could startle pets, leading to erratic behavior that might increase the risk of injury.

    Security Risk

    Security is another critical concern when it comes to installing pet doors in garages. While it may seem improbable that an intruder could enter through a small flap intended for pets, determined burglars often find creative ways to exploit any vulnerability. Even if an intruder can’t fit through the pet door, the opening can still provide access to internal mechanisms or enable the manipulation of locks from the inside. In some cases, burglars use tools to reach through pet doors to unlock doors or windows, significantly compromising your home’s security. This makes the pet door not just a minor risk but a potential major security loophole.

    Health and Environmental Hazards 

    Additionally, pet doors in garages can expose your home to various external elements. Pests such as rodents, insects, and other small animals can find their way through pet doors, leading to potential infestations. Environmental factors like dust, pollen, and even cold drafts can also enter through these openings, which may affect indoor air quality and temperature regulation in your home.Given these extensive risks, the installation of a pet door in a garage demands careful consideration. Alternatives such as installing pet doors in back doors that lead to enclosed yards, or using solutions like microchipped pet doors that only open for your pet, might mitigate these risks. Such measures ensure that your pet enjoys freedom and exercise without compromising their safety or the security of your home.