Penguin Basements

What an amazing experience from start to finish. From the day my wife and I started the process of looking for a company to take on our basement reno, Penguin Basements made the journey so simple but took the time and care to help us design our dream basement.

First step was with Matt, who helped us design our basement. He was so careful to collect our feedback and put our (sometimes vague) vision on to paper. He offered his recommendations, based on his experiences from other projects and suggested so many great ideas that helped bring it all together. Once we were done with that phase, they put the quote together in short order. I must have received quotes form six companies, and Penguin was by far the most reasonable (and competitive).

Next came the design phase where we worked with Rodrigo at their great design centre. He was very clear, and full of great suggestions making the process of selecting our finishes a very painless and enjoyable experience.

Then came the fun part. Project kickoff. From day 1, these guys worked so respectfully, carefully but at a good clip to make sure the disruption to our daily life was minimized as much as possible. They treated our home like it was their own, covering every surface to avoid any incidental damage, saying hello to my young son every day and offering our dog a nice pat on the head when he went to go see what all the commotion was about.

Every crew was as kind, respectful and skilled as the next. There was NEVER a point over the course of the project where I saw any task being done incorrectly or poorly. These guys know what they are doing. The framers, the electricians, the plumbers, the drywallers, the tapers, the painters, the flooring crew, the tilers and the cleaners were all top notch at what they do.

But without the foreman, it doesn’t all come together as smoothly as it did. Our foreman Vince was, simply put, the BEST at his job. It’s rare to see someone care about their job and their customers like Vince. Any time I had a concern or question, he was there. I tend to micromanage and I thought to myself that this guy is nuts for giving me his cell number so I could text him all the time. But every time i did, he answered extremely quickly and always took me seriously. He liaised with all his crews on my behalf and always knew how to deal with any situation that arose. His kindness and engaging nature makes him the ideal person for the job and I wish there were enough Vinces to be the foreman on every job.

All in all, my wife and I were nervous about undertaking such a huge project like this, but the month flew by and before we knew it, we were in our new basement watching movies and loving every minute down there.

Do yourself a favour and call Penguin if you’re thinking of finishing your basement. They’re the best at what they do.