Pella

I have just completed a major renovation of the entire 1st floor of my home. I have brand new porcelain wood-look tile floors and new, expensive, cherry kitchen cabinets. I did much of the renovation myself. My plan was to have the door and window installed before the cabinets but after the floor were finished, but it didn't work out that way. The Window over the kitchen sink and the kitchen door were replaced last, after everything was finished. I was nervous that the installers might mess something up in my brand new kitchen. I sat at the table at the end of the room and watched the installers all day to make sure nothing was damaged, and nothing was.

The installers were Hispanic, all 3 of them. Only one of them spoke or understood English, which is disappointing (but that's another conversation). The person who spoke English was the lead and was the most skilled craftsman of the three. All three were courteous and professional. They arrived in the earlier part of the timeframe that was provided and they were ready to get right to work. Though it would have been easier on them to bring things through the house, they chose to bring everything needed around to the back outside. Anytime any of them entered my home they wore booties over their boots to protect my floors. They also used at least a half dozen fabric and plastic drop clothes to protect my floors and cabinets. Everything I was concerned about was protected, and I didn't have to say anything.

They needed to remove an existing window and an existing sliding glass door. The window came out fairly easily, but the door was more challenging. They were very good about keeping their work area clean. After removing the door and window they carefully measured and modified the rough openings to properly accept the new window and door. They discovered a problem with the previous door installation which presented a challenge in installing the new door. (In my house nothing is easy, ever). They presented the issue to me and a proposed resolution. I agreed with their evaluation and resolution and instructed them to proceed. This says that even if I wasn't there, they would have identified the problem, properly evaluated it and employed an acceptable resolution. The methods and practices they used were spot on, just like Mike Holmes would do or like you would see on "This Old House".

They installed a moisture barrier on the bare wood, shimmed everything off during installation and used spray foam to fill in and insulate the gap. Then the installed trim and added a sill to the kitchen window. None of my existing windows have sills. It's a nice touch. The finish work looks very nice. They caulked and painted everything. It looks perfect. Outside they bent and installed custom aluminum door trim that integrated with my existing siding. They caulked and weatherproofed it, and it looks great. It actually started to rain (it's January in the Mid-Atlantic region) and they kept on working.

My only real complaint is that the rain kept them from being able to sweep up all of the sawdust that they created on my deck and patio, but that's not their fault. The installer took the time to show me how the door and window operate, gave me some maintenance tips and answered my questions. What more could I want? So there you have it. I would be the first to rip someone if they did a bad job. My guys did a really nice job. Just as good as, if not better than, I would do myself. I hope you have a similar experience.

Our install was scheduled for early September but was then re-scheduled for late September. It was then pushed back multiple times into November. Various excuses (COVID, delays at the factory, shipping difficulties) were given. This alone would've been enough to warrant a negative experience, but there was much more to come. Our door was finally scheduled for install in mid-November. However, upon attempting to install the door, the install crew found defects both in craftsmanship and cosmetics. In their words, it never should've left the factory in Iowa. Considering our old door had been removed and disposed of, they installed the partially defective door with the intent of ordering a new one.

The folks at Pella told us that they would do everything possible to expedite the creation and shipment of a new door. We were hoping for a couple weeks, especially considering how many times they'd already re-scheduled. The best they could do was the end of December. End of December - we are at the six-month mark. Pella calls and states the door didn't make the shipment. We're LIVID and ready to cancel. We then speak with a sales manager who assures us our door will arrive in the next shipment at the end of January. End of January. The day before the scheduled install, we receive a call stating that they need to push our install date back a day because the door needs touch-ups. Not thrilled that it wasn't more thoroughly inspected before leaving Iowa.

Door is installed at the end of January, somewhat sloppily (see photos). There are caulking and painting errors that will need to be touched up - this should've been inspected and caught by a supervisor. Our porch lightbulb was broken in the process, and the glass was only cleaned up after we brought it to the installers' attention. Pella also had to send a technician back in the following days to address an issue with the hinges. The icing on the cake was being sent a final invoice that was $300 over what we had been told our final amount due was. Yes, it was an error, but in typical Pella fashion, it again demonstrated a lack of attention to detail.

In hindsight, it was a big mistake to hire Pella for this job. Yes, they attempted to make up for the multiple issues throughout the process with discounts, etc. But there comes a time when the project should be finished and finished up to a certain standard. Seven-plus months is MUCH too long, and I'm not sure that they ever met that certain standard. Lesson learned.

The gap between the glass frame and the top of the door is getting larger. I and my wife have called, emailed, and texted the Pella service representative several times. Initially we were communicating with the representative but now we are getting no response. Email have gone unanswered, phone calls go to voice messaging with no call back, and text messages are ignored. I am now very concerned about this issue not being corrected.