Bifolds

acreau

I have to strongly advise against buying Reynaers doors.

Reynaers recommended the most inept partner-installer, Melayway Glass Associates (MGA), to manage my project. MGA lack the most basic project management skills as well as professional respectability, having unilaterally changed the agreed payment terms (I had to pay under protest). The doors were installed 2 months late. The doors do not fit the agreed specs (wrong coating, missing handle/lock), one door was installed the wrong way round and the installation has major flaws (including issues of water infiltration).
My request for Reynaers to fix the broken process, take over the lead in the project and bring it to completion has been ignored and MGA remains in charge of the project and the relationship. I wrote twice to the Uk Managing Director, hoping that he would favourably influence the disastrous course of my project, without success.
Reynaers sent an engineer who made a report on all the installation approximations/errors that required fixing but both Reynaers and MGA have now gone silent.
Now three and a half months after the installation, none of the issues mentioned above have been addressed and I have no planned deadlines for completion.

A very angry home-owner who has been appallingly let down by Reynaers and Melayway Glass Associates.

Bagz

Hi all,

Really sorry to hear of the let down acreau, it's always such a shame when these things happen. I hope you the companies show a bit of compassion and take up the professional responsibility they have to step up to the plate (you should purchase anything that is fit for purpose and in full working order!)

I've recently been looking at bi-fold doors for myself, and read all of the details in this thread. Now I know the rules for these forums is that you're not allowed to state websites etc, but there is a member here nick4692 who has mentioned his website in an earlier thread.

I took a look at this website, and it honestly offers a great deal of basic information with regards to types of doors, all the good quality suppliers and manufacturers etc.

Beyond this, I've actually had a quote form a supplier, and sent an email to Nick via his website, and he's replied promptly with such good advice, and has offered a couple of other suppliers in my local area for me to contact and get a couple of other comparative quotes (I think the first quote is a little on the expensive side!)

I know he's offered on this thread before, but I would suggest that if you have any questions prior to buying bi-fold doors, seriously get in touch with Nick or at least have a read through the website first (it doesn't sell anything, it's purely for info!) just to see if he can offer a little nugget of help! He certainly has me - and could have saved me nearly £2000!!! Thanks Nick!

nick4692

acreau wrote: »

I have to strongly advise against buying Reynaers doors.

Reynaers recommended the most inept partner-installer, Melayway Glass Associates (MGA), to manage my project. MGA lack the most basic project management skills as well as professional respectability, having unilaterally changed the agreed payment terms (I had to pay under protest). The doors were installed 2 months late. The doors do not fit the agreed specs (wrong coating, missing handle/lock), one door was installed the wrong way round and the installation has major flaws (including issues of water infiltration).
My request for Reynaers to fix the broken process, take over the lead in the project and bring it to completion has been ignored and MGA remains in charge of the project and the relationship. I wrote twice to the Uk Managing Director, hoping that he would favourably influence the disastrous course of my project, without success.
Reynaers sent an engineer who made a report on all the installation approximations/errors that required fixing but both Reynaers and MGA have now gone silent.
Now three and a half months after the installation, none of the issues mentioned above have been addressed and I have no planned deadlines for completion.

A very angry home-owner who has been appallingly let down by Reynaers and Melayway Glass Associates.

It's most frustrating with things like this go wrong. I'm not here to offer excuses and if you've had bad service, you've had bad service. It's unlikely a systems company such as Reynaers would offer to take over a project as this is not what they're in the business to do. You mention that the doors arrived the wrong colour, handles missing etc.

All I can tell you (and I'm not sticking up for Reynaers) is that the Reynaers products are truly exceptional. I think in this case there appear to have been serious errors in the ordering process of the doors, the manufacturing of the doors and the installation and obviously how you've been treated by the particular window company as regards payment terms.

Obviously this is frustrating and causes problems particularly if you're building a new extension or doing a renovation and one trade is holding up all the others.

I've known Reynaers for many years and I've experience where they have been very firm with installers that 'let down the brand' in some way. But I honest can't offer a view as to why you appear to have received the service that you have.

Out of interest, are there any monies still owing by you to the installer? I would have thought this would have been motivation enough to get the job finished.

Obviously I don't know the specifics of your particular doors, for example were they a very special colour that was on an extended lead time to start with? I'm trying to think why this installation went so wrong from the start.

acreau

All money has been paid to Melayway Glass Associates - they revoked the original payment terms we had agreed upon, namely a 10% retention fee to be paid upon completion. I had to pay under protest to get the doors delivered and installed.
The installation has gone badly wrong because of shocking total incompetence of Melayway Glass and abysmal leadership failure from Reynaers. Both share full responsibility for this debacle.

anna1963

I have a problem with Solarlux. They installed the doors 9 years ago but the hinge pins were working their way out by 2011. I asked for their advice and they promptly sent out an engineer to tap them back in. However, one of them worked its way up again and caused the hinge to break. Solarlux's response is that the doors are out of warranty (5 years only) and we will need to pay for the repair. "As with any bifolding door system the SL60 requires annual minor maintenance these include to ensure the bottom track is clean of any debris, hinge pins are fully inserted and all moving parts are lubricated with a silicone base lubricate (not WD40)". I still have all the original paperwork; no where does it mention silicone base lubricate. The tracks are clean. And we have no idea when the hinge pin started coming out again - or why. Not all that impressed. No where in the manual does it talk about checking on hinge pins or how to get them back in if they start to move.

Julie_Wood

We have recently had sliding glass doors fitted to our extension and have had a series of problems from two of the doors being bowed to puddles of water on the floor. Can anyone tell me if it is normal for doors to become bowed or not be noticed by the fitters?

Furts

Julie_Wood wrote: »

We have recently had sliding glass doors fitted to our extension and have had a series of problems from two of the doors being bowed to puddles of water on the floor. Can anyone tell me if it is normal for doors to become bowed or not be noticed by the fitters?

It is not normal for doors to be bowed. The type of door, and what the frame is made of will have a bearing on this, likewise what you specified and paid for in terms of quality.

It was probably noticed by the fitters - many do not care less and hope to get away with as much as they can. If they did not spot the bowing then that is worse, because it shows an even more half hearted approach!

nick4692

Hi Julie, no it is not normal for the doors to be bowed and nor is water ingress of the type you describe.

Assuming you've purchased the doors with any kind of warranty, please get the installation company back to check them out, to confirm that they bowed and see why there is water.

Were these installed by your builder or a bifolding door supplier/installer?

Nick

DonnySaver

Can anybody recommend a reputable manufacturer/installer of bi-folds in the South Yorkshire area please?

Eve77

Some years ago (2014) on this thread different well-known suppliers of bi-folds were compared in terms of price/warranty/quality/esthetics (or some of these).
We have had a quote form Kloeber to fit one pair of French doors and a bifold with three panes in aluminium. Quote is for £7,700 plus VAT (£9.25K all in). Does this seem reasonable? The doors will be custom-made as not standard sizes. Approx sizes: Frech doors: H:2100 x W1220 Bi fold H2100 x W1780. They say we need to get in a builder to remove a strip of the existing plaster all-round, so the new doors will sit further in than our existing wooden doors. The price does not include removing old doors from the site or making good the plaster inside. Does this seem reasonable / usual practice? We haven't asked for other quotes, partly because we like the Kloeber doors, partly because the Kloeber price quoted has been revised (upwards) three times since the first quote. Some or all of this is legitimate as we have moved to narrow frames and bespoke sizing, and we've settled on the bifold for the wider opening. But I realise a bit late that there are lots of other companies selling bi-fold doors (though maybe not with a French door option as well?) I'd just appreciate a word or two of advice from people with direct experience/more experience. Many thanks. I'm not even sure whether posting a reply to a thread that started in 2014 is the way to ask my question.