I am looking to replace the basement sliding door by a professional. Lowes carry the Pella brand, and Home Depot carry Andersen. Is there any other place I should consider to compare prices ? Any idea on how vinyl sliding doors perform vs. wood silding doors ? I am looking to spend no more than $1200.

Thanks
-TBucket61

 

I think I can state with some measure of certainty that there is no way you will be able to buy a Pella or Anderson sliding door and have it professionally installed for under $1200.

You might consider looking at some of the other brands that Lowes & HD have in stock.

 

Do you thinks it would be beneficial in the long run to put a Pella or an Andersen ? Can the other brands be just as good in terms of durability and energy efficiency ? what other brands do you recommand ? I am on budget because I have lots of things to do to the house, but replacing the sliding door is a priority. Would it be cheaper if I go with someone other than HD or Lowes, or would the prices be about the same ?


XSleeper , you've been a great help .. many thanks!
-TBucket

 

I don't think you'll find better prices on doors than HD and Lowes, but their contractors may be more expensive. The quality of Pella and (to a lesser degree) Anderson would be worth it to me, but you are the one that has to make that decision. HD has Jeld-Wen doors also. I would stay away from the vinyl patio doors, but that's just my opinion.

Buying the door should only be half of your concern... the other priority is getting it installed right by someone who will stand behind their work.

 

>I would stay away from the vinyl patio doors,

XSleeper.. any reason why you don't recommend vinyl patio doors ? I am glad you mentioned that because HD carries a vinyl Andersen ( cheapest of the 3 they carry) and I was debating on going with it or with their 200 series Andersen ( 2nd in line).

THX
-TBucket

 

I'm not saying all vinyl patio doors are bad, but many are very cheap, have wimpy frames, and are often far smaller than the standard sized patio door that you probably currently have. My landlord had a local joker put in a vinyl patio door in my kitchen (because he's cheaper than I am) and he just slapped the door in using the nailing fin. He didn't bother to level or plumb the sides (which were badly bowed) and I pretty much ended up reinstalling that door when I got home from work that day.

I guess what I'm getting at is that since vinyl patio doors are often very flexible, your average "slam-bam" carpenter might not do a good job of installing it, and because of that you could have problems.

At least patio doors that have an aluminum or wood/clad frame are a little "beefier" and because of that, are often easier to install level and plumb. Since their frame is more substantial, it could be that you would have less problems with them down the road.

My Anderson product guide doesn't list a vinyl door, so it must be pretty new, or just offered in the big box stores to compete with other cheap doors. Regarding the Anderson 200 Series doors, there are 2 models to choose from: Narrowline and Perma-Shield. Of the two, I'd recommend the Narrowline, mainly because of the way it's glass panels are glazed in their frames. The Perma-Shield door has vinyl exterior glazing stops which (from experience) become brittle and can warp over time.

 

Do you know anything about the sliding door that Lowes sells (Pella Thermastar $600 including options ) It is wood on the inside, but Vinyl on the outside. The guy at the store said the vinyl may stretch over time with the heat. The price of this door is much less then their top of the line door (Pella Proline $800 +options). The proline is wood on the inside and aluminum on the outside.


P.S: after reading your last post XSleeper, I may have missed your point here... I think you tried to explain why to stay away from Vinyl sliding doors, yet I seem to ask about them again. correct ?

Many Thanks,
-Tbucket61

 

No, I can't say that I've ever seen the Pella Thermastar. But Pella's a good brand. I wouldn't be afraid of a vinyl clad door... its the ALL-vinyl doors sold in big-box stores that I was referring to earlier, to steer clear of.