Anne

This review is a little late but highly deserving. The service was rendered back in May 2020. We chose Neolith for our countertop - a material that requires skillful cutting and installation, otherwise you'll end up with quality issues like cracking. Finding a fabricator whom we could trust was a challenge. Here is our experience. Fabricator #1 (not Max Space) - Not the best in upfront customer service, but that's ok. This is not a field where I expect it. Quality work is what matters. Initially, they were our first choice. However, when you don't return my e-mails, I wonder what will happen if we really do run into issues later. Fabricator #2 (not Max Space) - A premium fabricator. It was obvious the customer service person wasn't interested in our business. Their quote was a little higher but if we had confidence in their work, we might have given them the business. We got an initial quote and returned for a 2nd visit with additional questions. That's when things got weird. Suddenly the extra backing to install the countertop was an additional cost? Why? The other 2 fabricators didn't charge extra. It was built into the price. That's sort of normal. Your tile installer doesn't tell you last minute that glue is extra after providing a quote. We needed some additional info back from the fabricator. The person promised to get back to us. Never heard back. Fabricator #3 (Max Space) - Luna was a breath of fresh air. She answered all our questions and didn't get annoyed with us for asking. She explained their process, their machinery, and emphasized that they used metal backings (unliked Fabricator #2 who suddenly realized last minute that it was an extra charge). Although Luna was nice and informative, how could I assure that the actual fabrication was going to be top notch? I could only go by these HomeStar ratings and going back to their showroom and inspecting their work. In the end, we felt most comfortable with Max Space and paid our deposit. We've had countertops installed in a condo unit - I know what a shoddy job looks like (poor measurements, drawers not opening properly because it hits the counter, sloppy caulking, etc.) I think that bad experience set me up for lower expectations. So I was actually surprised when Tony did a superb job and exceeding my expectation. When inspecting his work, I was surprised that the fit, measurement, and caulking was IMPECCABLY done. An OCD person's dream! It has now been 6 months since installation. We're so pleased and highly recommend Max Space. Those other good reviews about Tony's fantastic team - yes, it's all true. At least from our experience. I know this review is long. But it provides proper context and hopefully will help others when choosing a fabricator for Neolith or other porcelain materials.

A year ago, we suspected that our rented on-demand water heater wasn't going to last too much longer. The challenge with our furnace room is extremely limited space. When the time came, we were considering migrating to a proper boiler. I called a few HVAC companies for a quote. Some weren't interested, and one guy gave a quote after inspecting our existing unit for exactly 30 seconds. Incredible, right? But my favourite was a respected HVAC company that gets high ratings on HomeStars: they were arrogant on the phone and gave me a quote ON THE PHONE without even bothering to come over and inspect our existing setup! They insisted that they didn't need to come over to provide a quote! I suppose business is good for them. Sipco was actually the last HVAC company I contacted. Andy, the owner, came over with another HVAC expert. They took note of our furnace, existing setup, BTUs, and all that good stuff. I asked a few questions and they answered and never rushed to leave like Mr. 30 Second Quote or Mr. High Ratings on HomeStars. Andy stressed that any equipment they install is done properly. They do not take shortcuts or minimize use of good materials. He emphasized this a few times. Fast forward a year. A day before the major cold spell, our heat and hot water is gone. The rental company sent their technician who promptly declared our unit officially dead. (The company had gone bankrupt years back, and there were no replacement parts available.) At first, we considered renting a new unit. But when we saw the quote (2.7 times our existing monthly fees) and horrible terms & conditions in their favour (it is really that bad / please read the fine print, especially the part about Big Rental Company acting as your attorney to basically take a lien against your house without having to provide you with copies of documentation - this is buried in the contract with clever wording), we decided 100% to buy our own boiler. It didn't sound like the math or terms would ever work in our favour. So Andy sent his people over the same day our heat / hot water broke down. I received a detailed quote and cost for a premium equipment that fit our small space. He answered any questions I had. I suspect I repeated some questions because I'm not an HVAC expert, so the answers don't always stick in my head. And again, he stressed that the installation would be done properly. The next morning, two technicians showed up at my house at 8AM. There were some challenges because of our limited space, but they made it work. Except for a few short breaks, they worked straight until 11:30PM to make sure I had heat AND hot water. I cannot thank Igor and Terry enough for their hard work! The final verdict: Just looking at the before and after pictures of my furnace room, the upgrade was very obvious. Thicker pipes, chunky flow valve, etc. But most importantly, properly working heat and hot water. The heat flowing through the vent is definitely hotter than before. And we have an endless supply of hot water compared to before. Of course installing your own boiler and water heater will require upfront cash. But if you do the math on a 7 year rental contract and take into consideration that on-demand heaters have a short life span of maybe 7-10 years, you basically paid for the cost of a new PREMIUM boiler and heater in the same time period. So financing on a line of credit to purchase your own boiler (which should last at least double the time) will make more sense. Because after the 7 year rental period, Big Rental Company will not replace your on-demand system unless you sign ANOTHER long-term contract. Not to mention, the hassle of constantly calling them for repairs (even if it's covered) because of an inferior on-demand system. If you plan to sell your house, so rental will be more cost effective, that's fine. Just hope that your buyers won't force you to buyout equipment at an inflated price prior to closing. Probably not in this heated Toronto market, but you never know. Also, if you ever plan major renovations that require changing your heating system, good luck with the really high buyout price. It always works in the favour of Big Rental Company.

Brendan and Scott were knowledgeable, honest, and very patient in answering my questions. We could not ask for a better team to perform a thorough job in our 4 story townhouse. Bonus: They were less expensive than the previous duct guys (who were a joke). I don't write on-line endorsements. In fact, this is my first review and the exception because they are 100% deserving.