Katalin Rudzicz in Scarborough

Our house was badly in need of a new front landing and a step to the side door. A&A Masonry came to the rescue. We consulted with Maryanna and she found our preferred interlock, even though it was late in the season. I received an email a day prior to the expected installation. The date had to be changed due to inclement weather but Justin always responded quickly to queries and kept us posted as to the eventual installation date. Bill and Thomas arrived when they said they would. They were professional, accommodating and very pleasant to work with. We had a discussion about whether to keep part of the old edging or replace it and Bill was ready to hop in his truck and get the necessary pieces, if we chose to go with all new curbs. In the end, we kept some of the old curbs but I really appreciated Bill's willingness to step up, if need be. The side step was a huge, solid, heavy piece of slate and I was impressed how the guys worked out a way to move it into place. It was also reassuring how well Bill and Thomas worked together, there was never a discouraging word between them. We are really pleased with the results, I would unreservedly recommend A&A Masonry and call on them for any other masonry work. Thanks, guys!

Our house badly needed cement parging all around the base. We hired Straight Up Masonry based on the excellent reviews and were not disappointed. Tony clearly explained what would be done, when our turn came. We were happy the work was done a week before we expected. David and Nick were very professional, punctual, polite, pleasant, hard-working and they cleaned up nicely after the work was completed. This is the best our house has looked, since we bought it 5 years ago. Thanks, guys!

Our six basement windows needed replacing, they were over 60 years old. After some research, I found Galaxy Windows. I was very impressed from the very first meeting. Alex came with a sample window cross section, talked about materials and warranty. I had to stop him right there, in the many years and many houses where I have had the windows changed, this was the first time anyone has broached these subjects with me! The delay from ordering the windows to their being delivered and installed were very reasonable, better than expected. The installers (another Alex and his assistant) were punctual, polite and very professional. I have some oddly placed windows and was expecting some complaining but not a word from these guys. They worked conscientiously and cheerfully till the work was done. I am so happy with their work and the quality of the windows, I wish I had called these guys when we were having the upstairs windows replaced. I will definitely call on Galaxy Windows again the next time I need similar work done and would unreservedly recommend them to friends. In fact, I have already done so. Thanks!

Our old furnace was getting tempermental, shutting off at random and this sometimes on the coldest days of winter. I called Boris on the morning of February 29th and explained our problem. He came over in just over an hour, explained what kind of furnace we would need for the size of our house, etc. Soon after he left, Fred the technician arrived. He was very punctual and worked very hard. The installation was challenging but he got it all done to our satisfaction. The work done is very clean and professional and Fred even managed to make the drain pipe into the laundry room unobtrusive. I couldn't believe it, all this was done on the same day that I called. And Boris was right, the new furnace is whisper quiet! In addition, Boris applied for an OPA rebate on our behalf. It took much patience and persistence because the site wasn't ready but finally, it is done. Thanks, Boris!

Last fall, we had shut off the water valve to the outside for the winter. When my husband tried to turn it back on this spring, there was water everywhere, the pipe had burst beyond the shutoff valve. Being new to Toronto, we had no local plumbers so found Mister Plumber on HomeStars. I called them in the morning and as promised, one hour later, Vlad showed up. He was very polite, explained what he was going to do to fix the problem. He worked nearly three hours because the shutoff valve inside the house, the pipes leading to the garden and the shutoff valve outside were all awkwardly placed and hard to get at. I was sure he'd have to cut into the wall to improve access but he did his best and avoided the mess that would have made. He did a very neat job, cleaned up after himself and even connected my garden hose! We are so happy with the work done, from now on it will be Mister Plumber for all our plumbing needs! Thanks!

We needed two big tree branches cut down. These branches (from our neighbour's tree) were overhanging our back yard and casting deep shade over almost half of our garden. The first arborist I contacted responded soon enough but never followed through. Then we talked to Riley of Elite Tree Care. He came over to assess the situation, explained what needed to be done and wrote up a very reasonable quote. We had to get the neighbour's permission first, since it was his tree. Once that was obtained, Riley and his team arrived the very next day! They were all very polite, pleasant, efficient and cleaned up after themselves. We are so happy with the work done and the whole experience, I wish we had called them earlier. From now on, Elite Tree Care is our go-to company for any tree- related work and I will happily recommend them to anyone who asks. Thanks, guys!