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anthonyg_ma

Problems with ThermaTru entry door

anthonyg_ma
17 years ago

Has anyone run into problems or issues with ThermaTru/Benchmark fiberglass front entry doors? We had one installed from Lowes back in April. Long story short, one of the side lites was leaking from under the threshold. The factory finally sent out a contractor to examine it, agreed it was defective, and attempted to fix it. It still leaks. The factory is now blaming the installer and does not want to come back out to fix the problem properly, and Lowes of course is blaming the factory. The carpet and subfloor are damaged from the water leak and I'm still getting yanked around. ThermaTru has washed their hands of any responsibility at this point and does not want to stand behind their 'lifetime warranty'. Lowes tells me they will arrange to get it fixed. Given the hassle I've been put through so far however, I would never purchase another ThermaTru product, nor could I ever recommend their products. As for Lowes and the installer, the jury is still out on them. If they fix the problem as they promised, I will be satisfied.

Comments (141)

  • Johnny Sterlin
    4 years ago

    I am now waiting for my 3rd Therma Tru door.
    still waiting for the darn to be installed without any issues.
    I'm maybe a week away from finishing all the major renovations of my house, hurricane windows, front door, roof replacement, 3 walls totally replaced, rooms repainted , house repainted and garage refinished. all that done and I can't get my front door replaced to my satisfaction.
    it is tiring, and I am exasperated

  • Mary Elizabeth
    4 years ago

    Johnny, what distributor is your door coming from?

  • Johnny Sterlin
    4 years ago

    it is called Parksite...

  • juliacali
    4 years ago

    @User I'm thinking about to order your fibreglass front entry door but am surprised to see all the reviews. Is there a difference in quality of the door if I order from a Therma-Tru distributor vs. big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes? Can you please clarify. Thanks.

  • Kathy Barber
    4 years ago

    I ordered from a Distributor and it didnt seem to matter.
    The workmanship was sloppy on our door, side lights and transom. When we complained they offered to fix it and dragged their feet. We requested a new door which was worse than the first one.
    My recommendation- BUY A DIFFERENT BRAND

  • Mary Elizabeth
    4 years ago

    Kathy Barber, I don't like the sound of that! The Therma-tru rep came & inspected our door (before it was installed), and agreed with everything we pointed out. SEEMS like a problem from the distributor. Our new door is on order, so we'll see.

    If this one comes in with problems, we're going to change to Bayer Built.

  • Kathy Barber
    4 years ago

    I wish you luck Mary Elizabeth.
    REEB is the distributor in Maryland and I found them to be pompous and very rude. Our first call to them was ignored for weeks.

  • Mary Elizabeth
    4 years ago

    jlpaca, seems to me, the main problem would be WHO to go to if you have issues. The lumberyard is the contact point for the ThermaTru rep. I think the big box stores are more likely to just "wait it out".

    Also, in our case, pricing was better (by several hundred $$), and delivery was included.


  • PRO
    User
    4 years ago

    @juliacali There should not be a difference in quality when they use all Therma-Tru components, however each dealer uses different fabricators based on their geographical location. We also see many reviews that mention install issues which are unfortunately due to improper installation. The best bet is to talk with your local dealers and find out what their policies are if there happens to be a problem with the door or install because they will be your main point of contact at first.


    We are committed to our products and offer extensive warranties, information can be found at https://www.thermatru.com/technical/warranties/ and our Customer Care team is amazing if you want to reach out to them directly at 1-800-THERMATRU. Hope this helps!

  • PRO
    User
    4 years ago

    @Kathy Barber If there is something we can help with, please give our team a call at 1-800-THERMATRU.


  • Johnny Sterlin
    4 years ago

    Well people I am now waiting for my third Therma Tru door. PLACED 1st order in February. I ve been locked out of my house the entire month. I can not open front door. I must use garage door. 2nd door came in with wrong hardware, different colored door threshold, etc.
    All I want is a front that I can use and ne happy with...

  • PRO
    User
    4 years ago

    @Johnny Sterlin It sounds like you have been in contact with your retailer but we would like to help you with your situation. If you would like us to look into the situation, you can send your contact information to customersupport@thermatru.com or call us at 1-800-THERMATRU.

  • Johnny Sterlin
    4 years ago

    I called Therma Tru bebore, and I was referred back to the retailer.
    They were unwilling to do anything at their level.
    How do I get to the RIGHT DEPT OR PERSON.

    I am beyond upset, exasperated that I have to wait for a 3rd door that they are saying will be delivered on October 7.
    An entire year almost already...
    I WANT MY DOOR INSTALLED ALREADY.
    Got family visiting, and am unable to open my front door.
    Precipitate my delivery ASAP. Send me a door that will not have any issues. Why no one from the factory ever contacted me is beyond understanding .

  • PRO
    User
    4 years ago

    @Johnny Sterlin This thread has been forwarded to our Customer Care team but they cannot reach out unless you send your contact information. Unfortunately, there is not a way to send you a private message via Houzz so please call them at 1-800-843-7628. They are available 8am-5pm EST. Thanks.


  • Johnny Sterlin
    4 years ago

    I called them, spoke to someone. They have my information

  • Mary Elizabeth
    4 years ago

    Well, here we are - 3 months after we ordered the first Therma Tru door! First door had at least 10 things wrong with it, including chips in the fiberglass! Second door came in last Thursday, and is also not right! Not as many problems, but even larger chips at the top of the door!

    As I said in a previous comment, the distributor for our area is Seal Rite out of Wisconsin/Ohio. But what a mess!


  • Kathy Barber
    4 years ago

    Mary Elizabeth,
    I guess it doesn't matter who the distributor is... Sounds exactly what we went through. it's almost as if they want you to be so frustrated that you accept a damaged door.
    One of our biggest frustrations is they are so quick to want to repair a damaged door when you ordered a New Door.
    keep us posted

  • Mary Elizabeth
    4 years ago

    Yes Kathy, I think they must "get away" with the substandard quality the majority of the time!

    Obviously, builders and contractors aren't paying close attention. And how many people are going to pay to have a door installed, and then removed, once they discover the problems!

    We are just outside of Minneapolis, and a major lumber yard here has had a least a dozen Therma Tru Seal Rite doors for sale on Craigslist for 1/4 to 1/3 of the price over the last few months!

  • Johnny Sterlin
    4 years ago

    They finally installed a new door. Just keeping an eye on bottom weather rubber strip. seems loose.

  • Mary Elizabeth
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I think their headquarters is still in Ohio. The Seal Rite distributor is located in Wisconsin. Within the last 2 years or so, Seal Rite closed a major production facility in a southern Minneapolis suburb. The rep who came to inspect our door said there were far fewer problems before that plant closed. Still, I don't think there are many Mexicans in Wisconsin.

  • PRO
    User
    4 years ago

    @Joseph Corlett, LLC @Mary Elizabeth Our corporate office is still in Maumee, Ohio with our manufacturing facility located in Butler, Indiana. There are many fabricators/distributors located throughout the United States who serve the different geographical locations. We are always happy to assist customers who are having issues and our Customer Care team can be reached at 1-800-ThermaTru.

  • Mary Elizabeth
    4 years ago

    Therma-Tru Doors,

    I appreciate your input and concern, but we've now ordered from a different company. We have one TT door, (about 6 years old) that has been great, and wanted to stay with the same brand.

    Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, the quality control is really lacking.

    We plan to replace 3 more doors within the next year, so have to go with a company that gets it right the first time!

    In addition, we have 6 children with homes, also doing remodeling, so this filters down, as they usually take our advice!

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    4 years ago

    I said nothing racist or insensitive.

  • Mary Graulich
    4 years ago

    I am very disappointed with my thermatru doors. I’ve been in my custom built home since May 2019 and I can not get my issues solved. I’ve had company reps come and look at my doors and agree there was a problem with my two sets of 8 ft French doors and then had someone come and measure the doors and have waited for months for someone to do something. I try calling the customer support line and it never works. The phone just keeps circling back to main message after you make your choice. It is very aggravating to not be able to get a hold of anyone. Terrible customer service for sure. I would never recommend these doors.

  • millworkman
    4 years ago

    Sounds to me like your issue is more with the distributor than with TT as TT does not sell door units. They sell the door blanks and door frame parts to a millwork distributor who fabricates and assembles the products. I am not absolving TT here as they are an average at best product just stating that their business model does not sell direct doors to anyone but wholesale distributors.

  • Carol Cobb
    4 years ago

    Mary Elizabeth, What door company did you go with? Has it come in yet and been replaced? How'd it go. FOLLOWING!


  • Mary Elizabeth
    4 years ago

    We used a regional door company - Bayer Built. Very happy with the door. It was mid-November by the time we got it. It will be installed in about a month.


  • Carol Cobb
    4 years ago

    Thank you Mary Elizabeth. This shouldn’t be so difficult!

  • PRO
    Maroney Building & Contracting, Inc
    3 years ago

    YES..... I have run into problems and issues with ThermaTru French entry doors..... We had 5 installed. Three of them leaking from under the threshold. The factory finally sent out a contractor to examine it, agreed it was defective, and attempted to fix them and still leaking. The factory is now blaming the installer and does not want to come back out to fix the problem. The hardwood are gettting damaged from the water leaking. ThermaTru has washed their hands of any responsibility at this point and does not want to stand behind their warranty. If they would fix them , I will be satisfied.

  • millworkman
    3 years ago

    They furnish the doors. 99.9% of the time a leak at the threshold IS installation. A fail to see how this would be a defect unless it was not hung properly then it would be on the distributor as TT does not hang doors. Not only that your listed as a pro/contractor, you should be able to diagnosis and fix this on your own.....................

  • Moore Chiver
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    This is the sun shining through my door. This is around the panels of my 6 panel doors. I had 3 exterior doors installed and they all look like this when the sun shines on them. They came and took one back to the factory and said there were no issues with the door. Seems a bit thin to me, especially for what I paid fro them.



  • Mary Elizabeth
    3 years ago

    Moore Chiver, hopefully a pro will comment. I have no idea what is causing that. Does your utility company offer "energy check ups"? Not sure if you would have to wait for winter to see if you have an energy loss going on (using an infrared camera).

    It would also tell you the quality of the installation job.

  • HU-399962645
    3 years ago

    I had 2 sets of French Doors installed about three years ago. The doors both rotted the wood in the corners of the doors. I worked through a dealer in my area and had the doors replaced. Within three days the doors swelled so bad, from wicking up rain, that I couldn't get my doors shut. The representative who should come and inspect the doors is using the excuse that he can't come into homes because of Covid. One, he doesn't need to enter the house to see the damage and two, am supposed to wait until Covid is over before I get usable doors. This is totally unacceptable. These doors lead out to my deck which is outside. I will never by Thermatru products ever again. The service has been awful and the doors are junk.

  • Donna K
    3 years ago

    I am thinking about buying a TT Benchmark door. I read a lot of comments about finding someone how knows how to install a door well. How do I go about finding someone who knows what they are doing. I don't exactly trust Lowes to do a good job. I'm guessing if I call a company that specializes in windows and doors, they won't want to install a door that I didn't buy from them. Anyone have thoughts on this?

  • Mary Elizabeth
    3 years ago

    Don't buy a door from a big box store. Go to a lumber yard - the very same door will most likely be less! Or buy a better door than Therma Tru - their quality has gone down hill a LOT in the last few years! What area of the country do you live in?

  • Jeff Putty
    2 years ago

    They always blame the installer. Never their fault. The one I put in was built so tight we couldn't get the door to

  • millworkman
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    "The one I put in was built so tight we couldn't get the door to"

    Not taking up for TT but 80% of the time is it the install. And you did not finish your sentence.............................

  • HU-62990599
    2 years ago

    although this is an old post, I'll put my 2 cents in after installing a Therma Tru door today. I hope this helps, just my own experience. I'm working on an old house, and won't go through all the 'extras' that I had to perform to install the door. here's the gist of it: as has been said previously, the distributor puts the door together, and here in lies the problem (that I found). back in the day, you got a jamb (pre-hung or not), and a brick mold package. this allowed you to shim properly, from both sides. now, you only have access to the inside (as is with most all doors anymore). and the problem I found, is that the distributor puts the molding on in such a way, that if you try to shim the door......you are fighting the molding. two problems for installing: 1) you can't shim the door properly to keep the jamb true and perpendicular (square) to the wall . 2) if the molding is put on out of square.....you get the picture, right? and it shows by the gaps at the corners. you can't shim a door properly from one side, it just doesn't work. you're tight on the inside, but leaving a gap towards the outside. some think the molding keeps that true for you, but if the molding isn't square, you are fighting a battle. tomorrow, I will pull the molding to shim properly. even though the outside was plumb and level, the inside (hinge side) was not true, even after checking myself corner to corner. never liked the molding on a jamb, and still don't. moral of the story, if the door is put together improperly, it's best to at least take the molding off instead of fighting it, even if you have to purchase new molding. want to check one? pull the "chick plug" out of the handset hole and then measure the jamb. I won't even go into the fact that no one seems to pre-drill anymore for screws, so the hinge screws seem to be stripped out all the time.

  • kculbers
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I obtained the services of expert carpenter in northern NJ: Rob of Square Corners Carpentry after reading his reviews, looking at pictures of his craft, and speaking to him. He is fully licensed and insured. I needed a new quality front door. I read reviews of many door companies; they all have some issues in the reviews. Rob recommended Therma-Tru doors. I looked at the Therma-Tru website and I chose a a fiberglass Therma -Tru Smooth Star door with a multi- point lock system, half lite 2 panel flush glazed, with their Forte handle in brushed nickel. Rob ordered it through Kuiken Brothers, a Therma Tru distributor (he uses this distributor often). When he picked up the door, he inspected it thoroughly, and said it looked great, no issues. He installed the door perfectly. I love it, no issues. I will be painting the door when the weather cools down. In my opinion, the key to purchasing a new door is not only getting a quality door, but to also hire the right experienced carpenter to order your door, and make sure it passes his quality assurance prior to installation.


  • HU-62990599
    2 years ago

    to clarify, I did buy a benchmark TT door from Lowe's. but, at any price, you expect decent craftsmanship, or should. yes, it seems company's today don't care......buyer beware. first install: jamb and 4 foot stabila levels. after taking the door out yesterday, cleaning all areas to be sealed again, and removing brick mold, I was able to shim from both sides (preferred), and used a plumb bob. when jamb was set, the door fit EXACTLY how it did using levels. level at threshold and head, plumb on uprights. plugged hinge holes so screws would hold (as they needed shimmed), and had to rework the shims to make the door fit. not my first rodeo, so let's not go there. I have a very good reputation with my carpentry skills. sprung hinges? or defective? bad jig? possibly. everything else seemed to check out. jamb was square, as I checked when I had it out. the assembly, not quality. the brick mold had a difference of 1/4 inch along the uprights. one hinge had only one screw (and no pre drilled holes in the other 3 missing areas, which seems to verify my thoughts as to the screws being driven in improperly). most definitely not with a vix bit, as the other screws were a terrible fit. before retrofitting the door, I checked everything a second/third time. not a 1/16 out (with the bob again, as well as levels). it's not pretty, and I wouldn't accept it for someone else's home, but for now, it will do as it's my home. have never had so much trouble doing a door install, not even on mobile/manufactured homes. you get what you pay for, and I'm aware of that. but, it should be of decent quality, or don't make it, period. example: an Epiphone guitar doesn't measure up to a Gibson, but it's a good quality for the price. again, as has been stated by others, it seems to be the build process, not the components? maybe TT needs to have some kind of standards as to who puts their product together. if you make a decent product, then put it in the hands of.......let's say, not properly trained/unskilled labor, you have just shot yourself in the foot. after this experience, I certainly would not purchase another one of their products. and I certainly wouldn't recommend their product to anyone. Happy 4th to all!

  • cshimra
    2 years ago

    I just bought a TT Benchmark door fiberglass craftsman style with sidelights, and before install which was delayed thank God I looked it over, and found glue gun glue all around a lower panel of a side light side and smeared after being put in between outer whatever it is along with bashes all over the outside and bottom! Got this door through Lowes, and they’re trying to tell me that’s construction glue, and a lot of them come that way, but will replace!

  • cshimra
    2 years ago

    So of course now I am having to look at more expensive doors if that’s what Lowes tells me is now acceptable!

  • HU-62990599
    2 years ago

    just a little update on the door install: when pulled to paint, you could clearly see the bad fit on the hinges, so I decided to plug the holes and drill them out properly. and of course, when the door went back into position, it had to be shimmed once again. poor craftsmanship, period.

    cshimra, do yourself a favor and upgrade. I put a Masonite door in the front, and it was worth it to spend the extra dollars.


  • PRO
    Big Win Interior Design
    last year

    I see we aren't alone. There is air and light coming through one side of our door. The solution was a sticker that isn't big enough to cover the entire gap. I can get a second sticker, but I feel like I'm piecing stickers together on our new door - oh yeah, I am.


    When it rains hard, we get a lake under that door. We have 5 exterior doors, so we will need to find another company when we replace the other doors. We have to keep rolled up towels on the floor by our new door. Maybe that should be in the advertising brochures.

  • irishking23
    8 months ago
    last modified: 8 months ago

    I bought a very expensive Therna Tru front door with frosted side windows and the finish started to disintegrate on the door. That is because the sun hits it in the mornings and the finish just did not hold up and began to disintegrate and come off. First contacted Lowe's who I bought the door through and Lowe's passed me off to Therma Tru. Contacted Therma Tru and it started to weasel out of any responsibility on its 10 year warranty and gave me a hard time. I assume Therma Tru has had other problems with its wood look finish disintegrating. i am going to keep posting wherever and whenever I can about how Therma Tru does not honor its 10-year warranty on its expensive front doors. I am a service-connected totally disabled homebound Marine Corps veteran who paid over $5,000 for the Therma Tru front door. Bought it along with Pella windows through Lowe's on North Shådeland Avenue In Indianapolis Indiana, Richard Bovey Indianapolis Indiana

  • kculbers
    8 months ago

    I thought it would be helpful to give an update on my previous post of 7/3/21, on my Therma Tru front entry door. We have had the door a little over 2 years. We painted it with Behr’s paint, color “Baby Spinach”. We took the door off so we could paint all 4 edges. The door is quite air and water tight. We still love the door and highly recommend it. As I mentioned in my 7/3/21 post; our door was expertly installed by our carpenter.

  • irishking23
    8 months ago

    nice paint job


  • irishking23
    8 months ago

    added comment about my expensive ThermaTru front door with a disintegrated wood finish My wife saw online that ThermaTru sells door refinishing kits (Cherry wood color) for around $150 but I am in no physical condition to refinish my ThermaTru door. I regret not going with a Pella door but the sales rep at Lowe's was big on Therma Tru doors and sold me on one instead of Pella,

  • tjferg
    last month

    Broken seal in window in front door. Therma Tru won't honor warranty as I am not the original purchaser. Was quoted $247 and now all of a sudden its $1100. Terrible customer service from them and the distributor.