I wish to contribute to your Home Depot installation commentaries. I have obtained quotes from Home Depot for installed sales items on three occasions. In two of the instances, I had Home Depot install the products. They offered to out source the installation each time, subcontracting the work to a local installer.

The first time was to install a storm door. The installer did not secure the door jam plate with the two screws provided, but used one screw in the elongated hole for adjustments. The plate slid during use and on a windy day a week later, the door blew open hard, bent both control bars, and cracked the door jam at both hinges. They came back and bent back the door, but they said the door jam could not be replaced as it was not an easy job to do. This was not Home Depot's direct fault, but that screw was an unfortunate minor detail that cost my new house a door jam.

The second time was to install carpeting. Home Depot had good prices on carpeting but after they added the cost of the outsourced installation, the prices were higher than going directly to the local carpet store, which I ended up doing.

The third time, they had a local plumber install a General Electric 12-year self-cleaning 50-gallon water heater. If you have Home Depot install this product, they extend the warranty on parts and labor to lifetime. I was extremely pleased with the product, the installation, and the lifetime warranty. Even though I am moving to a new house and the warranty is not transferable to the new owners, it was a good purchase and I'm sure I will be doing it again in six years when once again the cheap water heater that comes with new houses ends it short and fuel-inefficient life.

Author's Note: Victor, there is a good chance that Home Depot is aware of data available through the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That data clearly shows that a large percentage of people only live in a particular home for a period of time less than the manufacturer's warranty period of an average water heater. If you are one of these people who moves from time to time just as the NAR data shows, Home Depot's liability ends the moment you move into the new home.