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High-tech solutions and strategic placement can help ensure the safety of your pet door. Pet doors can pose security risks, as well as the risk of stray or wild animals entering your home, but modern pet doors offer options like collar-based sensors to ensure doors will only open for your pet, and installing a pet door in an out-of-sight location or in a wall rather than a door can help to avoid intruders using the door to gain access to your home.

Start by checking the top or side edge of the door. Look for a certification label or metal tag stamped with details like the fire rating and information on the manufacturer. Even if it’s painted over, the tag should still be visible. Next, look along the edges for slim intumescent strips. They’re designed to swell up and seal gaps when exposed to heat. Finally, check if the door closes itself. Most fire doors have a self-closing mechanism, like an overhead closer or spring hinges. If none of these are obvious, contact a fire safety professional to help verify your door. 

Standard door sizes aren’t one-size-fits-all, but there are common go-to dimensions. For exterior doors—like your front door—36 inches wide by 80 inches tall is typical, though you’ll see 30- or 32-inch widths too, especially in older homes. Interior doors vary more. Bedrooms and bathrooms often use 30- to 32-inch widths, and closet doors can be anything from slim singles to wide bi-folds. Height is usually 80 inches across the board; however, always measure your actual opening. “Standard” only works if it matches what’s already in place.

French doors usually have two handles, with one for each door. However, some French doors only include a single door adjacent to a panel of glass that doesn’t open or close. In that case, you’d have a single handle on the door side and no handle on the stationary side.