My Lowe's rant

Well SIX weeks after the initial fiasco with my new front door, Brad, the second installer from Lowe's, returned to put in the extended jamb that should have been used the first time. He and his two helpers were almost like Santa with a couple of elves. The door worked quite nicely when he was done.

He did not have quite as much luck backing his trailer and truck up after he pulled off into the woods. Leon to the rescue!  The storm door was replaced in a better fashion but I was not overly excited to have gray deck screws on my camel colored storm door that I had bought from Wilson's 1 1/2 years ago for more than just a little bit of money.

I decided to give Wilson's a call and buy some camel screws.  Also, the door handle had broken and maybe they would replace it. Within 3 days someone arrived to take care of the problem. They also noticed that the bracket for the hinge on top of the door was in the wrong place. No wonder the storm door would not open wide enough. And when Lowe's put the bracket in the wrong place they drilled some more holes in the storm door and relocated those screws!

I was quite surprised that 1 1/2 years after Wilson's installed my doors and windows that they would come fix little problems. However, he noted on the phone that if the door handle broke they must not have put the screw in the bottom and sure enough. He also put a new rubber strip on the bottom of the door as the first one was cut 1/2 " too short. The screen door on the patio slider did not have a latch on one side and that was added also.

I think I am done with doors for awhile but if I ever buy any more doors I will call Wilson's Home Improvement first. I guess you sometimes do get what you pay for!

Door Disaster

At last I have acted on my desire to replace the front door on my house. Good idea! Bad choice of installer! Actually the installer choice wasn't mine as I bought it at Lowe's. They send the installer. It is no wonder they insist you pay first.

 The installer left in such a hurry that only after he was gone did I begin to inspect the work.  Hmmm..I can barely shut the dead bolt.

On his return visit I suggested he drill out the hole a little more. Alas, the dead bolt shuts properly.

As I walked away from the door I noticed a little light coming in underneath. I would guess that little bugs and cold wind would also.  He had merely put about 1/2" of caulk under the door base plate. When he returned he put in a couple of shims. That helped but while he was up the hill, supposedly fixing my son's storm doors (not), I called for him to come back and add some more shims. Well it keeps the light out but still the threshold gives when I step on it. What gives with that? 

 

The top half of the storm door was left with no screws. When he returned he took care of that once I went to the utility room and found him some screws to use. He offered to come back and paint the tips to match the door! Nah! I don't know what he is doing with all the leftover screws as on both the storm doors he installed at Jeff's he only used two when there should have been four.

 

Then there is the gap between the wall and the storm door. So he squirted some more caulk underneath to stop the flow of air and disappoint the bugs.  But what is with the little shim of wood inserted between the door and facing? The door doesn't align properly and I have to pull on the handle to get it to shut! Certainly not the way Wilson's left it when they it installed it less than a year ago.

It was obvious he had no clue where to reattach the safety chain. This was his second try. I don't think I want it hanging down in front of my new door! I told him nevermind. I will fix that as he has already left four screw holes!

 

I chose a nice handle for the outside of my door and what does he do but install it backwards.  That is when it all became humorous! The blessing was that he failed to install the bottom screw so when it was turned around and this handle put on the outside of the door it did not leave a screw hole in the back of the door. 

And as for where the threshold doesn't meet the flooring he suggested I go to Lowe's and get a little piece of wood to put there.  Had he mentioned it before he installed the door perhaps we could have used a little strip of flooring that I have left over and even added some under the door. Perhaps then the threshold would be more solid and he would have saved some caulk and shims.

 Finally after I complained to several people at Lowe's, I talked to Larry and he sent Brad over. What a professional installer! He went right to work and corrected what he could both here and at Jeff's. Why could I not be fortunate enough to have him the first time!  It is two days short of a month since the first visit and still nothing has been done to correct the storm door other than to add my screws to it. Guess it is time to give Larry another call.