If you’re looking at installing a dog door into your existing glass door, one of the most common questions we get is:

“Can you just cut a hole in my existing glass?”

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

If your door is fitted with toughened safety glass (which most modern homes are), it cannot be cut, drilled or modified once it has been manufactured.

The good news is there’s a professional solution that looks factory installed and lasts for years.

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Why Can’t Toughened Glass Be Cut?

Toughened safety glass is manufactured differently from ordinary glass.

Before the glass is toughened, any holes, cut-outs or polishing must be completed first.

The glass is then heated to extremely high temperatures before being rapidly cooled. This process puts the glass under enormous internal tension, making it up to five times stronger than ordinary glass.

While this makes it incredibly strong during everyday use, it also means any attempt to cut or drill the glass afterwards will cause the entire panel to shatter into thousands of small pieces.

That’s why you can’t simply cut an opening into existing toughened glass for a dog door.

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So How Is a Dog Door Installed into Glass?

Instead of modifying the existing glass, we manufacture a brand-new replacement toughened safety glass panel.

The pet door opening is cut into the glass before it is toughened.

Once manufacturing is complete, we simply replace the original glass panel with the new one incorporating your chosen pet door.

The finished result is neat, safe and looks like it was always part of the door.

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What If My Door Is Double Glazed?

Double glazed doors (also known as insulated glass units or DGUs) follow exactly the same principle.

The existing sealed unit cannot be modified.

Instead, a completely new double glazed unit is manufactured with the pet door opening incorporated during production.

This maintains the strength, insulation and sealed air space inside the unit.

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Our Installation Process

Installing a pet door into glass is usually completed over two visits.

Visit One – Measure

We visit your home to carefully measure your existing glass panel and confirm every dimension.

This ensures your replacement glass is manufactured to fit perfectly.

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Manufacturing

Your new toughened safety glass panel is custom manufactured with the pet door opening already cut before the glass is toughened.

Typical manufacturing time is 5–7 business days.

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Visit Two – Installation

Once your new glass is ready, we return to:

• Remove the existing glass panel.
• Install the new toughened safety glass.
• Fit your chosen pet door.
• Check everything is operating correctly.

Most installations are completed in a single visit.

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How Do I Know If My Glass Is Toughened?

In many cases, it’s easy to tell.

Most toughened glass panels have a small manufacturer’s compliance stamp in one of the corners.

If you’re unsure, simply send us a few photos of your door and we’ll usually be able to advise before organising a measure.

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Can You Cut Ordinary Glass?

Technically, ordinary (annealed) glass can sometimes be cut.

However, most modern Australian homes use Grade A safety glass in doors to comply with Australian Standards.

For this reason, replacing the glass with a new toughened safety glass panel is almost always the correct and safest solution.

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Why Customers Choose a Replacement Glass Panel

Replacing the glass rather than using an insert panel provides several advantages:

• Factory-finished appearance.
• Maintains the full opening width of your sliding door.
• Better weather sealing.
• Improved security.
• Designed specifically for your home.
• Professionally installed by qualified glaziers.

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Need a Quote?

At Platinum Pet Doors, we specialise in professionally installed pet doors into:

• Sliding glass doors
• Hinged glass doors
• French doors
• Timber doors
• Security screen doors
• Double glazed glass

To receive a fixed quote, simply send us:

• A photo of your door (inside and outside)
• Your dog’s breed (and shoulder width for larger breeds)
• Your suburb

We’ll recommend the most suitable pet door and provide a fixed price with no obligation.