John from Mississauga

We contacted this company because a friend used them previously and was happy with the work done. Back then the company would repair or replace any necessary ripping up of the finished basement if the workers needed to do repairs in that area. However, they no longer provide that service as it's not the forte. We contacted the company and the principal came out to give us a quote. He strongly recommended we get quotes from others. He also indicated his company wasn't the cheapest and it wasn't the most expensive. John also advised that although he does not agree with products that expand into cracks, other than a patented product he uses, he still advised us to go with certain products if we went that route instead of other products that are designed more for floor (horizontal?) cracks instead of wall (vertical) cracks. On his advise we contacted a couple of other companies that are highly rated on HomeStars with significant number of reviews. One was over $2,000 more expensive and the other company had an answering service/receptionist that was unprofessional and led one to suspect the level of competency of the company based on the clowns it hired to answer its phone lines. We were happy with the work, but can't really comment at this time on the effectiveness of the repair as we have not had the level of rain we did in July when we got a month's worth of rain in 3 hours. We can't put it to the test until we get significant rainfall where the ground is saturated with water and no additional water can be absorbed by the soil and the water starts to build up. Having say this, I don't see anything during the period the work was done to suggest it wasn't done properly or that it won't be effective at preventing water from coming into the basement. So at this time, based on our experience and that of our friend we would recommend people strongly consider this company.

310Reno was very easy to work with. From the very beginning in the negotiating stage, Mike made sure to listen to our needs and concerns and made sure to add in a few details to make us feel comfortable. As you can imagine, it wasn't easy to choose fixtures and finishes during a pandemic, much less a lock-down, and Mike went out of his way to deliver samples to us via Uber. It was important to us to be able to see and touch things in person, and he made that possible. Alexandria was also easy to work with. Despite most of our meetings being virtual, she made us feel comfortable and made sure to include our opinions in the design process. Arie and his work crew were punctual, respectful and very hard workers. Again, having this project done during the pandemic, while the whole family either worked or did schooling from home brought a few challenges, but they made sure to respect our space, and we were able to work harmoniously together, without any issues. All in all, I would highly recommend 310Reno for your project! They are eager to please and honour what's in the signed contract! We would definitely consider using them again for any future projects in our home.

We decided on Brock because we wanted North Star windows (we realize they are better windows, worse windows & roughly equivalent windows out there from other manufacturers). Brock eventually gave us the best price for triple glazed windows that other installers of North Star windows couldn't match. Furthermore, we were looking for warranty coverage on the installation side. Brock belongs to an industry group that provides improved warranty on the installation of the windows and patio door. The group will also mediate any possible dispositions. Many smaller installers and installers owned by the window manufacturer don't belong to this industry group. We also liked the fact that Brock included trim for around the windows that was wider than standard trim. This resulted in a lot touch up work & paint to the walls around where the windows were replaced. Small, but an important point that saved us lots of time & effort in the end. We did notice a significant improvement over the previous manufacturer windows (Fenbrook circa 1995). Less drafts and less noise. Can't comment on energy savings as this past winter was worse than the previous one and we haven't owned the house for more than two winters. I will say the interior frames for the windows are no longer cold the way they were with the old windows. As for the installation Brock assigned it to a team of two installers. The installers did a good job and pointed out areas where attention would be required. For example, the bricks below the windows on the southern facing exterior wall. This was expected as rain, snow and trickling water over the brick will eventually erode it based on the wall it was laid. I knew at some point in time I would have to hire a brick mason to look at this - replace the brick with cement (will look better too). However, the installation job really required a 3 person team so it took longer than expected. No real complaints on the installation side. One of the main windows (centre one) came with too many vertical grills that did not match the other two. Brock was advised of the error and the contact person confirmed that on the contract and a replacement was ordered and installed. The only issue I really had was after sale communication. I generally wasn't able to get quick replies either from the sales person or from the office reception. However, once I got in contact with Jim Weir from Brock I never had a communication issue with Brock. As a salesperson, Brian Vuckovic was good at suggesting options and colours. In addition, instead of trying to up-sell us on a front entrance he suggested we simply change the glass in the door and paint the entrance a colour that would complement the windows and the brick. This would give us a few more years without having to replace the front entrance with a new one. That's what we did and Brock will be our first choice in going with a new front entrance when it's time to replace it.

We went with Josh because of the difference in the artificial turf he was selling vs other types and because he came off as being very personable. However, after the contract was signed with Josh we had to keep on pestering him to get the job done. We signed in early 2014 and wanted the job done before the end of the summer. As summer was approaching we contacted him to get a timeline as to when the work would commence and be completed. We sent numerous emails, texts and called him numerous times with Josh seeming to ignore most of them. Eventually when he did contact us we would get what seemed to be excuse after excuse. To be fair he did have personal matters that cut into company operations and his available time, but we feel we tried to work with him & gave him the time he needed. As for the work we agree that the workers would get to the job late and start late, but apparently they were coming from as far away as the Barrie area. They seemed to work hard and the crew leader was approachable and worked to ensure we were happy. However, having said that we would appreciated them listening a little more to what we wanted as we felt we had to compromise on a couple of things based on their ideas of how those things should be done. In addition, there seems to be one small area where the workers put s small piece of turf that appears to run the against the grain of the rest of the turf. In the end I would not recommend the this company due to communication issues - at one time I believed we were out the deposit or at the very least I was going to demand our deposit back. My better half convinced me to be persistent and not push the matter. In the end the work got done. The quality of the product and the work are not the deciding factors in not recommending the company. Based solely on the product and the work done I would neither recommend or not recommend the company.

We thought about refacing, but the savings weren't significant enough to warrant a mishmash of refaced cabinets and new cabinets. In addition, we wanted someone that would take care of everything from modifications to the plumbing and electrical if need be. After getting a few quotes for refacing and replacing the cabinets we decided to go with Kitchen Land. We met with Alex and he was extremely helpful in setting us up with G shaped cabinetry that was functional, aesthetically appealing and met our desires for functionality that worked for us. He also worked with us to get to a price point that we were comfortable with. Alex did mention that there might be some change in the quoted price for unforeseen things. And there were, but mainly for extra hardware and the difference was minor in relation to the total cost. In addition, he credited us for work that wasn't done. They did not use this as an opportunity to pad their profits. We were happy with the work and thoughtfulness show by Alex and Gregory. We are quite happy with the results. We will definitely consider them again when it's time to renovate the bathrooms. The only area that could use a bit of improvement is communication. Nothing that would have affected the outcome of the work done. The project took some extra time because of the choosing of the granite and its preparation for the installation. Although Alex had given the time frame prior to the commencement of the project we would have liked some friendly reminders that it was time to pick the granite we wanted and that the next schedule payment was due. In addition, there was an occasion or two when messages were left with the office and not returned. And we asked to have a piece of granite that was removed for the sink opening finished so that we could use it a "cutting" board we don't recall being advised that it would have cost $50. We weren't expecting to pay more for a piece of granite that we thought we had already paid. Nothing major on the communication front, but a small thing that could have relieved possible anxiety on everyone's end and addressed any misunderstanding there could have been.

We noticed a squirrel had made a nest in the roof above our front entrance (this roof is separate from the main roof and is separated from the rest of the house by the brick facade) by pushing up the aluminum casing beside the gutter. Upon scaring the squirrel to get a better look we noticed the squirrel was a mother with 4 little ones. Based on the reviews on HomeStars we called Pesticon. We were lighted they answered the call after business hours and would have come out immediately if needed. After describing the problem Waheed quoted me a price of $250. I called the following day to arrange for them to come out and take care of the problem. They came out installed metal wire around the opening with a one-way door. After about a week they came back and removed the door ensuring the mesh was secure. They guarantee that squirrels and racoons will not be able to enter for a year. They also charged what they quoted over the phone. They were very personable and we would recommend them again. The only possibly issue we noted was that the trap door was over the gutter and when the young squirrels looked out they didn't see any ground. I think this caused them to hesitate leaving. We came up with a temporary solution so that the squirrels saw ground underneath the door exit. They then exited without any problems. We advised Shakeel (hope I got the spelling correct) and that the placement of the door might be in a better area (if possible) so that young squirrels could walk out. He indicated this had never presented a problem before and they might just have been a little too timid at first. He is the expert and we have no reason to question his explanation or expertise on the matter. Two thumbs up.