Overall Issues with Rusco Manufacturing

It looks to me like Rusco's business depends upon fraudulent sales, or these people provide the worst service I have experienced in decades


1. Doors all leak
2. All doors are NOT installed properly
3. Final build of door sets done by incompetents
4. Installation & moisture proofing services sold by Rusco to me - paid for but NOT provided
5. Installers require 'completion form' - 'like a time card, to show work was done, work day complete, not job'
6. Rusco management position afterwards - signed 'completion' form = all work completed, customer satisfied
7. Incomplete and follow up work items promised at time 'completion form' signed and warranty service requests are delayed until warranty expires, then refused
8. See  Rusco Manufacturing Referee Process to understand how this works

List of Defects with Rusco Manufacturing supplied Doors

Replacement Parts required

1. (Door 3)   1 replacement 36" Door slab, pre-drilled for door lock hardware and hinge mortised to match frame
2. (Door 1, Door 2)  2 replacement 36" Door sweeps
3. (Door 2, Door 3, Door 4)  9 pieces of vertical Weather Stripping
4. (Door 2, Door 3)  2 Pieces replacement astrigal post stub with black aluminum sheathing(attached to Sill with glue)
5. (Door 3) 1 replacement full length Astrigal post with black aluminum sheathing (attached to edge of non-operating door slab)
6. (Door 2, Door 3, Door 4, Door 5) 10 year supply of replacement Astrigal Post Pads, expect to replace 6 times per year

How did this happen?

This happened to my home because I trusted Rusco Manufacturing in Cobourg, Ontario

I had an outstanding incomplete Window installation contract with Rusco when Dave Kerr, the Rusco Sales person convinced me that it would be good for me to also purchase doors from Rusco. Then Rusco would find it easier to get some one to come to my home to both install the new doors and complete the remaining work items left on the Window installation ... and as a bonus I would be employing my neighbours ... which he knew was important to me as I had already hired more than a dozen different local trades people at various times while building our retirement home.

But after I paid the deposit for the doors to Rusco, the neighbours that I thought I would be helping by providing jobs for them turned out to be not availalble. So, Rusco found Mike from the GTA and arranged for him to come to my home instead.

I had been told that Mike was going to complete the window installation, resolve all the outstanding issues with windows,and install 6 door sets. I was expecting that he and his helper would be working at my home for about 4 days to get all of this done. I expected that each of the 5 double door sets would take 3 to 5 hours and the single side door set would take 2 to 3 hours to install properly. I was unsure how much more time would be required to complete the Window installtion for the main floor windows.

I was astonished to find that after he worked for about 6 hours that Mike believed he was finished. It appeared to me that he not only did not do any work on the windows, he had simply ripped out the temporary doors with the attached moisture barrier materials and only dry fitted the new doors in place without any moisture barrier protection. In this state my house was worse off than when he started, because now all of the doors would leak. This is what Mike and his helper did for that 6 hours.

First installation effort lasted from 10AM to 4PM on 2012-Oct-09 (Mike + helper)

Removed temporary doors, ripped off existing moisture barrier from perimeter of rough openings ... this effectively broke the continuous moisture barrier necessary to prevent water infiltration into the wood framed walls. This moisture barrier has not yet been restored, over a year later. Now, Rusco is telling me it is not necessary.

Removed door hardware from temporary doors & discarded, despite my request to Mike's helper for him to retain these for for my future use. Mike later told me 'we don't keep the old hardware, we throw it away', and apparently this is what he had told his helper to do without informing me

Removed caulking material from the unfinished concrete sill of the west side single side door. I initially thought this was because they intended to put down fresh caulking beads unerneath all the door sills. But, Mike's helper later told me that the caulking was removed because it is not supposed to be there.

Dry fitted 5 double door sets and 1 single door set

Single door frame installed over door bell mount bracket left attached to rough opening, despite my request to remove it. Because, Mike could not wait a few minutes for me to bring a small screwdriver to use to remove it

Installed door hardware in new doors

Removed 1 screw for each hinge

Added a few wood screws through door frame into rough opening

Added a small amount of expanding foam around door frames

Mike instructed his helper to pack up & get ready to go home

Status of door installation at this time was unacceptable because of the following issues:

1. Moisture barrier / housewrap disrupted for ALL doors - now certain to leak all around exterior frames
2. All thresholds were left with only small bead of expanded foam at the interior edge of aluminum sill, single side door actually had existing latex caulking which was under the sill of the previous door removed by Mike's helper - now each door set would be certain to leak under aluminum sills
3. Doors were in place, not securely attached, not trued up and not moisture sealed to either the sills or exterior walls

However, Mike requested that I sign a 'completion form' as his helper was packing up. I declined and told him that I would like to wait until he is finished before signing that form. He replied that he was finished, everything is done now. I said you have at least another day of work to do on the doors, and have not even touched the windows yet. He told me that his job was only to install the doors and that was now done ... and became more insistent that I sign the form.

Around 4PM I refused to sign 'completion form' that Mike was now demanding, then about 6PM Dave Kerr arrived to 'referee'

Second "installation effort" occured almost a full year later, done by John Marchand, Rusco Plant Manager

John addressed only item 3 on the list of issues above. He arrived with a work item list that I believe he got from Dave Kerr. I raised the issue of the outstanding incomplete window installation with him and he denied responsibility for anything except some specific work items related to the door installation. I attempted to persuade him to address the first two issues with the door set instalation as well, but he dismissed my requests and told me that any problems with leaking will go away once the brick veneer is installed on the exterior walls.