CEA

Prompt on time as promised.. Professional appearance, and cleanliness.. The flat fee of $340 to snake my drain for 20 mins is a bit excessive, and no one warned me they work like this (plus a fuel surcharge of $15).. I will give them props for pointing out the mold damage from my clogged drain is covered by insurance.. Overall I will advise people to hire these guys BUT be very aware of their fee structure in advance.. You should asses if your scope of work is worth their flat fee structure (which can act as cost containment or cost growth depending on your situation)..

Discovered mold in my laundry room on Thursday (cursing at the whole situation).. On Saturday I found the time to call insurance after the plumber told me insurance covers the flood-mold damage.. I called Restore1 at 9.45am.. At 10.30am I get a call from Restore1 (Ken), they can start the work at 2pm !! WHAAAAT ?? The drywall rip out takes most of the afternoon, and the dryers are left for a few days.. The crew comes back once the insurance company approves the costs (took rest of week).. The crew was very attentive to my finishing requests to bring back better than new.. Replace the pink batt in the drywall, and add caulking into the tile edges unlike before when the home builder was deficient.. The final cost to me was only the $800 deductible, whilst the actual bill was just over $2k.. All in all very reasonable costing for such fast prompt professional service..

These guys were my 2nd choice because the 1st choice couldn't start soon enough.. The job involved diagnosing a leak in my foundation, and then performing external sealing, and internal crack healing, and install a new sump pump w/ battery pack.. The pieces of Dryshield ARE GOOD, but the execution from stage to stage is mediocre.. The salesman IS HONEST and punctual, but very hard to get a hold of.. I'm not too fond of the Dryshield dispatch, the office dispatch isn't always at the office same time of day, and the after 5pm Call Center can only take messages (which only get returned till next day).. So it can be frustrating trying to deal with Dryshield dispatch on a busy work day, when your only calling window is at start or end of day.. The digging crew was semi-supervised by a decent pro, but the crew themselves seemed more like (decent) jobbers than pros.. Once the pit was dug, no one told me what and when the next stage was.. Once the external was done, the internal work of installing the sump pump didn't go smooth.. Firstly, they brought a no-name pump despite promising a Zoller brand on their site.. Next the dig was a mess and concrete stains were left on my carpet, wiped off with a rag, but still visible.. There were also dust tracks around the house from the dig, no one backtracked the house for a good vacuum or track wipe.. The crew did come back to install a Zoller brand pump, and also clean the carpet.. Last was the crack sealing which no one told me was happening until the day of.. The company is legit, the sales man was honest.. I just wasn't fond of the piece meal approach to communication, and (lack of) continuity from stage to stage.. I was warned most contractors play a game of "start right away" just to land the work, then they continue the project piece meal as they juggle all the other work they are starting but not finishing straight through, just to land as much work as possible.. It seems these guys did that to me.. This can be improved by next time keeping the customer in the loop on the stages of work, and when each stage will happen.. I may hire these guys again; the end result is good, even if the middle was not smooth..

My work involved a patching up the drywall (and insulation) from a basement wall crack fix.. Most contractors gave me the Linda Evangelista Treatment "I don't get out of bed for less than a million".. They all declined the work, saying was too small for them, despite being downtown based near my home.. Hamid was good enough to take on the work, but also start right away on time.. Because some of the work was behind the drywall, Hamid took pictures of his work before the cover up, just to prove he did what he's paid.. Hamid was FULL SERVICE: willing to quote the work on a weekend, started on time, willing to coordinate 3 trades, and complete the work with value added carpet cleaning.. He is a pro, and I will hire him for other misc general contractor work in my home.. HE DESERVES YOUR BUSINESS..

I hired Todd and the crew to finish my framed basement and turn it into a home office. He ran the electrical, insulated the perimeter walls, erected the drywall, ran pot lights, and installed a cantilever desktop. He can do lots more being a general contractor so I will certainly consider him for future work in my house. The company is legit licensed and insured, also with the BBB.. You will also see their name in a plaque in Sick Kids....

GNI came to install purple spray foam onto my ceiling. The crew was fast to set up but diligent in how they protected the rest of my house. The work was completed as scheduled. Their pricing was not cheap, but their foam has no off gassing, which is the most important.. Since it is not fun to tear out from your ceiling improperly mixed spray foam that is off gassing all the time. Hire the pros, don't go to the fly-by-nighters..

We spent a small fortune on my wife's dream couch with Restoration. We tried looking elsewhere, in every well known furniture store/brand: Elte, Natuzzi, Sears Home, EQ3, Pavilion, Shelter, Klaus, Stylegarage.. NOTHING made my wife happy, the last couch she purchased (Natuzzi) took her 8 months to shop for, she's picky.. Anyway, we decided to bite the bullet and pay upper end for a couch my wife would be happy with. The staff at Restoration were top notch: relaxed, not pushy, but well versed in aesthetics. We mixed and matched design elements to come up with the Parisian dream couch (down filled) my wife wanted. After weeks of guilt and second thoughts, the couch arrived, barely fitting in our door, but expertly moved by the movers. After months, suffice to say, the couch has magic powers !! Two of us can lye on the couch side by side to watch a movie, it's that deep for the extra $$.. Our 4 year old manages to nap on that couch despite being hyper that day. I can fall asleep now and then on the couch. When our bedroom was a construction zone, we had no problem using the couch as a 2nd bedroom, this despite our bedroom mattress being a Queen Tempur !! I have yet to meet a guest who hasn't marvelled at the comfort of our couch.. Every week I look forward to catching my episodes of: Arrow, Flash, and SHIELD on _THAT_ couch.. Months later, the pleasure the couch has given us makes us forget the bill.

I got 3 quotes for a his & hers walk in closet. I expected NOT to go with California Closets, and just pick a mid-range quote.. I was however surprised how CLOSE Califorina Closets was to the mid range quote. So with only a few hundred dollars (maybe $500 at most) separating California Closets from the next guy, we just opted to pay for the company that wouldn't feel like "settling".. We were impressed with the finish quality in our closets. The custom hardware purpose made for CC, and not sold by Richeleau (to Home Depot or smaller cabinet builders). The hardware is really impressive, good robust fit, and clean. No Cost Engineering evident in the manufacturing quality of the hardware. The MDF panels are very smooth, and the veneer seams are undetectable to touch. We were so impressed with the pricing and quality for our closets, we decided a few months later to get CC to quote our custom in-built entertainment unit. This was a slightly less positive experience due to the lead time and delays involved. The start time was delayed due to a backlog with CC's supplier, CC was professional enough to disclose this upfront, and held to the forecast delayed start. When the install was done, we got a less experienced installer due to the more experienced ones busy with the new CC showroom. This guy took 3 trips to complete the work, from missing a particular tool, to a panel that was cut short (not his fault). Despite all this the end product was amazing, catalog worthy. I collaborated with the designer and installer so the in-built TV unit could withstand my TV on an extendible cantilever arm. They even wanted a photo for their showcase (though I think they like to flatter customers like that) but I declined the request.. I will recommend people not let the nice showroom and nice finishes intimidate them from getting a quote from California Closets. If you are for above average, they are worth a look. If all you want is cheap, and not a refined product, then there are other businesses to serve you.

Reno'd my washroom fully. Great crew. On target, and no shortcuts. When they get busy, it's hard to get a quote, but when they say they will do the work, they are on time starting and finishing. Rhys and the crew made recommendations where they felt a better approach in the long term was more productive.

I have used KO Electric on a few occasions for some commercial jobs. His pricing and flexibility are great. I have started to use him on residential jobs for myself, and I am just as happy with him. John and Franco give you personable service, and care, no shortcuts. Small warning, John has a very heavy accent, and it will take a while to get used to his speech patterns.. But his work is great.

I quoted Mr Roof Repair amongst 4 other roofers for a Roof Assesment & Report, and also small modifications to the drainage system on my roof. I expected them to be amongst the expensive bids, but they were in the mid to low-mid range. I needed a Roof Report as no one besides my faulty builder has seen the roof of my 2 year old 3 floor 40 foot tall townhome. I needed the Assesment before the Tarion 2 year warranty on my home was going to expire. Anyway Mr Roof Repair responded fast, and was very professional. Their report was pictorial, quantitative, and detailed. I also asked them to make tweaks to the drainage system of my roof, as the builder had a very defective and risky system.. 5 other homes in my project used Mr Roof Repair through my referral, and were pleased with them. One owner in my project also proceeded to use them on his 3 rental properties. TOP NOTCH GUYS !! Their pricing is reasonable in the mid range, yet their service is in the high range.

My townhome builder did not insulate my ceiling properly. The builder had to open the ceiling and put proper insulation due to the evident water stains in my ceiling.. There was condensation trapped and lots of staining in the joists & roof deck. I needed a reputable and accredited 3rd party to objectively asses my ceiling's condition. Tony came by and performed air tests all over the unit, and a swab test on my worst spot. The lab results were all in Latin; Tony performed a detailed and pragmatic analysis of the results (in simple lay English). His report allowed me to compel the builder to pay for mold remediation, this was a $12k++ cost I'm glad a simple $600 test from Tony achieved. Tony was very detailed in explaining his approach and methodology. He took his time doing the tests, and observing the visual condition of the area. Tony was also willing to entertain quoting, and testing on a weekend.

BUYER BEWARE !! Slick marketing, but you won't get anything of this.. Lots of bait & switch, not just in finishes but SIGNIFICANT structural details.. The Sales Agreement has ZERO connection to the marketing glossies and showroom.. Do not expect them to deliver per marketing, and you will be content.. Other developers do not disclose much; but URBANCORP L1ES !! Try to amend the Sales Agreement to link this to the marketing material, they won't let you.. WHY ?? Notice if the floor plan shows room sizing, because it's interesting they tell you the total sq ft of your unit, but never show where it came from.. Make sure the room sizes are on the Sales Agreement, not only in marketing.. Talk to owners of the Queen East towns.. Lots of downgrading specs, mechanical rooms doubling, loss of gas fireplace, missing top deck.. The Riverdale project is already SIX months occupancy and counting !! The Reassignment clause is under Urbancorp's terms.. They won't approve your Reassignment unless they can sneak in extra terms in their favor eg: forfeit Delayed Closing Compensation..

I called Atiar based on his great reviews on HomeStars.. He is not the cheapest, but the most skilled people usually are not.. In Mid August, I asked Atiar to remove my old over-the-hood microwave and install my new one.. The work took longer than his estimate, and he had to improvise some things on the spot (some patchwork steel tape, and different mount holes).. In the end the install was done and looked OK.. Atiar was clear to my wife on what + why he was doing certain things.. After 2 months of using the microwave, we used the high power hood fan for the first time (has been on low fan since the install).. We noticed a lot of air leakage between the top of the hood and bottom of the cabinet.. We called Atiar not expecting him to come back to rectify this, HE DID !! After a diagnosis, Atiar decided with his injured hand, he could not rectify our issue (involving lifting the microwave), AND OFFERED A REFUND FULLY !! Remember, this is 2 months after his work was done !! I wish Atiar could rectify the issue, as he has now earned my trust for further work.. We received our payment FULLY refunded, and now have to look for another repair person BESIDES Atiar.. I recommend ANYONE trust their appliance repair to this genuinely honest and skilled person.. He deserves every dollar of his success and payment.. HIRE ATIAR for your repair needs, he will restore your faith in GOOD CONTRACTORS !!

I broke my vac hose SUNDAY AFTERNOON, called Dyson not expecting a person on Sunday.. THEY HAD PEOPLE ON SUNDAY !! I told them of my damaged hose, and asked "where do I bring my vacuum for service ?".. They said nothing to bring in, Dyson will cover the warranty with a brand new replacement hose COURIERED TO ME !! Besides the great product, paying more for a Dyson is worth the service and no ring-a-ma-roll to claim a Warranty.. Because of this, I bought a DC31 handheld vac as well.. My dream is to own AT ANY TIME, all 3 classes of Dyson product: large vac, hand vac, and heater fan !! They call Dyson "The iPhone/Mac of vacuums", I can see why with great design, and superb service.. I am as passionate about my Dysons as people are about their iPhones or Vitamix blenders !!

We picked Perfect Touch interiors for a few reasons: pricing (they were not high, or low, but fair), constant communication (Lucas was easy to reach, and quick to respond), and the extra mile (Lucas offered sample pickup, paint pickup, and a contractor's discount).. Lucas is a paint-ninja: quick, effective, and disappears into the night.. He quoted our condo as 2 days 2 guys (just like all others), but he finished in a day to our delight.. It says a lot when a trade does his job, and leaves you for 2 days to digest before asking for payment; faith in the quality of work.. There were a few hiccups but Lucas was willing to remedy.. I was very concerned for our overly sensitive quasi-hardwood floors, but no probs there.. I would recommend Perfect Touch, but would suggest clients be at home for a walkthrough before Perfect Touch leaves, just to avoid minor surprises..