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Any experience with Reliabilt patio door

CapnMac | Posted in General Discussion on February 20, 2004 07:57am

Just found out a friend of mine is taking out their patio door on their 1968 rambler.  This is a good thing, the existing door was installed backwards (the other houses in that neighborhood I have worked on, are not that way, so I’m guessing that it was a landlord remodel).

So I get this email, the HO is sold on a set of inswing patio doors with internal blinds.  Then I find out that they are from Lowe’s (who appear to be the sole vendor for Reliabilt).  For the quoted $499 price, I’m guessing that there’s no hardware and no trim for that price, either.

I know why I did not get the work, I was figuring around $2k for the door hardware and trim, and around 2 people for 4 hours or so (will likely need a custom threshold–carpet is significantly higher than the threshold of the existing patio door).

Any stories out there (good or bad) on the Reliabilts?  Maybe it will go just fine–but I’d like to know what to expect if I wind up having to fix this.

Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
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  1. ola | Mar 22, 2005 05:47am | #1

    I'm wondering what you ever found out anything about these Reliabilt doors. We have also been looking at some Reliabilt patio doors - french doors with vented sidelites (the only reason we're considering the brand is we are on a mad quest for a patio door with vented sidelites, apparently something of a rarity).

    I usually try to steer away from brands that I don't know much about, but our options seem to be very limited to get the sidelites that can vent.

    I called the company to see if I could look at them anywhere, but they appear to be a new unit and are not available on display anywhere....

    1. rez | Mar 26, 2005 09:55pm | #2

       

       

    2. User avater
      CapnMac | Mar 28, 2005 05:18pm | #4

      Other than Gene Davis' comments, I have heard nothing (ok, nothing that would not print as either "****" or "^#&$#^" in this 'family' venue).  Most of that reaction was "trade reflex" against the big box stores, though; so it comes with a sizable grain of salt.

      Not letting the big box do the installation seems to be the key; which also seems to obviate using the big box's door, too.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

      1. gdavis62 | Mar 28, 2005 05:36pm | #5

        I reread your initial post, and have a further comment.  That price the HO fed you from Lowe's is likely to be just the door unit, cash and carry, bare of any hardware.

        Was the $2K you quoted a complete package, including demo, new door, furnished and installed, re-trim inside and out, and hardware?  If so, their mention of the Lowe's price for a Reliabilt is just conversation . . . it is not a competing quote.

        Was your quote to include the least-priced door unit, with the cheapest hardware possible?

        1. User avater
          CapnMac | Mar 29, 2005 01:15am | #6

          Was your quote to include the least-priced door unit, with the cheapest hardware possible?

          No, I was being "shopped" to see if the big-box price was too high.  When I started asking about trim & the like, that muddied the water even more.  I did not want to leave them high & dry on the deal, so was looking for info.  Didn't matter in the end.  Such is life.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

          1. gdavis62 | Mar 29, 2005 01:32am | #7

            Well then, we can all wish them well with their Reliabilt.

            I did a dozen years service with Therma-Tru Doors, and one of the things our VP Sales toyed with, was selling Lowe's slabs for their Reliabilt product line.

            I was on one of the sales calls with our guys to Lowe's HQ in North Wilkesboro, NC when we were feeling each other out.  I can tell you that Lowe's was then, and is probably now, intent on buying on price only.

          2. User avater
            BillHartmann | Mar 29, 2005 03:02am | #8

            BTW, was this your boss.http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050325/BUSINESS07/503250350"Sources of information include the Chicago office of Jenkens & Gilchrist PC, which helped Toledo businessman David K. Welles Sr., former owner of Therma-Tru Corp., Maumee, set up a tax shelter similar to Son of Boss, according to IRS court filings."Seems Uncle Sam wants some money.

          3. gdavis62 | Mar 29, 2005 05:18am | #9

            I spent all mine on tools and motorcycles.

  2. gdavis62 | Mar 26, 2005 10:28pm | #3

    Reliabilt is the Lowe's in-house brand for their line of insulated steel doors.  They may have gotten somebody to sell them fiberglass slabs, and if so, have expanded the Reliabilt brand to include fiberglass faced insulated doors.

    There is nothing at all special about them, as compared to a similar door product you can get through a lumberyard.  But, they may be offering venting sidelites, which your lumberyard might be telling you their door supplier won't do.

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