We Begin
As I said, my goal here was to open the wall completely up. The dark blue is going away to a brown color significantly lighter color than my oak floors. The cherry I chose would be a perfect statement to the opened wall connecting the front door area with the eatin kitchen as a similar but different color. Standing in the dining room, both doors make statements.
Are You Kidding Me?
My first issue came as I was having my electrician move the lighting and outlets to the wall stubs on either side of the new wall door. He was doing the work WAY before Renewal by Anderson would be coming to install the door since I was adding a new fireplace right away a month of so after setting the Renewal by Anderson order. The increase of 1 foot of the new fireplace coming the next day meant the sconces had to move. So we startred the wiring for the new wall door at the same time till surprise!
You Are Professionals, Right Renewal by Anderson?
This is really lucky as their installer never even looked in the basement and the garage where it was perfectly clear that these two pipes were in this wall!!!!!! I am a retired computer scientist and though I have history restoring a stone house, I know nothing about a traditional house and assumed Renewal by Anderson were skilled professionals. I could not do anything about the left side pipe. I could though move the shower drain from above close to the right side. It turned out it was a day before the wrong order was going to enter their very long production pipeline. My original order was in early may and with delays, both doors were installed in February. I will leave you to count the months. Oh! They take 30% of the job cost immediately.
More Money($1700)
Renewal by Anderson at least offered some compensation, right? NO! Further it took a number of weeks to determine the real measurements possible and a new "best" door. I ended up with a different door planned. I had originally ordered a double slider in the middle where one slid left and the other right. The smaller size had convinced a fixed segment with a regular slider flowing to the right would actually get me the most visibility. Anyways, the delay in reordering meant my originally ordered in would now come for install around March.
SO Lets Buckle Up For Open Walls All Winter
Luckily, the year before I had figured a way to have the old french door be sealed without saran wrap. However, between the elctrical and plumbing work I basically had a large area with a thin layer of plywood with vinyl over it. I managed to find some rockwool sheeting which was good for both insulation value and not nasty to the skin. It turns out it was about to be tossed so other than adhesive to bond it in place and 4 mil plastic air seal the wall, I was ready for the long wait for new efficient and smooth working doors.
What Do You Mean You Don't Finish The Doors?
When I saw the new patio door, it had no finnish! Now we get to some interesting things I was told at this point. I was livid that I should get a raw door unannounced(as well as I can remember). I have had issues getting a number of casement window replacemnents which(also only came unfinished), to be long term enjoyable for their finish. I had to finish to match the windows frames they were going into, and in less than 2 years they look bad from NOT having a factory finish. So I made a stink. My sales person was going to get me their cost estimate to finish BOTH doors. Get that????? This implied the new front door was coming in raw on the inside also. Trust me there will be more on this later when I talk about what I expected to be an easy door as it was to be a straight replacement. There is no way you can finish a door completely. In my double new sliderm, along the top edge there is a 1/4 inch hard to get at, on the top alone, without taking the slider out of the track. As just your usual home owner, that is something I expect to have been done on a door and install costing in excess of $17,000.
What Do You Mean We Have To Trim The Cherry Door With OAK?
Get this, they can build a cherry door but will only trim in with painted pine, raw pine or raw oak!!!!! Well I have oak hardwood floors so I guess when I get to finishing that part of the kitchen and painting the rest that it will look ok.
So This Is How They Left Me
At least I was warned that when the door is in, they only rough install and tape the sheetrock. I have to get the ceiling textured to match the rest where I had to get the pipe moved to approach the size of the door I had originally been told would work. I have to decide between a Danish/Watco oil or perhaps a polyurethane. I also have to decide to fix the wall first or finish the door.