Healthy Home Center

Back in January, after a thaw, I noticed a water stain on the living room ceiling. There were no pipes in the area so I knew it had to be coming in from outside. With all the snow, freezing rain, rain, thaws and refreezing we had this winter, I didn't manage to track the leak down until late April. It was discovered that when the previous home owners had had the roof redone, the roofer had not bothered to recaulk around the chimney base. The old caulk had deteriorated and water was coming in. I got that fixed but started to notice a mouldy smell in the master bedroom so knew I needed mould remediation done.

I got a couple of estimates, which were competitive, but decided to go with Healthy Home Center because I was impressed by Gabriel's knowledge and honesty. I was also very concerned about any remediation products and building materials that would be used because I am very allergic to most VOCs. Gabriel had no problem whatsoever using the brands of insulation, drywall, and drywall compound that I knew I wouldn't react to. He assured me all the remediation products he uses on mould are very low or zero VOC. He said this, combined with the work being done in a contained area and vented outside, should assure I had no problems.

Gabriel and his team arrived and started work in the living room. A bit of mould and water damage was discovered behind the walls around the fireplace and in the ceiling. The drywall, vapour barrier, insulation and part of the ceiling were removed. All the remaining surfaces were treated for mould and thoroughly dried out.

Upstairs in the bedroom, the only sign of water damage was a bit of bubbled hardwood. I'd told Gabriel, when he came to do the estimate, that I thought the leak had occurred on and off for about five months. Once he'd removed the drywall in the bedroom though, he saw that the damage was extensive. He said it looked like the water had been coming in behind the bedroom wall for years. It had come down from the roof, somehow missing the bedroom ceiling, had soaked through the insulation in the wall and then run under the floor. The vapour barrier had stopped any water from damaging the drywall which is why I had no idea how long it had been leaking before it finally came through the ceiling below in the living room.

Gabriel showed me pictures he'd taken of the damage. There was a lot of mould on all the surfaces. The studs, the bottom plate, the floor joists, and the subfloor had all sustained water damage. Some were so badly rotted they could be picked apart by a finger nail! There was so much more damage than had been expected that the job ran an extra day and extra materials had to be purchased. I was kept fully informed by Gabriel and although this meant the cost would be higher than the original estimate, I had no problem with that. I didn't want to fall through the floor!

Gabriel and his team were working during the few really hot days we had in June. Although they were in the house, the vents were blocked off inside the containment areas, so they had no air conditioning. On top of that, they had to wear haz mat suits and masks. Through it all, everyone worked hard and were unfailingly polite and pleasant.

After the decontamination was done, they rebuilt everything with the materials I'd specified. Gabriel brought in a finishing specialist who repaired the popcorn ceiling in the living room and did the painting. The painting wasn't in the estimate because I was trying to save money and was going to do it myself. Gabriel said it wasn't a big area that needed to be done and that they'd throw it in. I was stunned and very thankful. I am a senior and while I do know how to paint, their results were so much more professional (not to mention quicker) than anything I could have done.

When they replaced the bubbled hardwood flooring in the bedroom, they replaced more than just the few damaged bits. I had extra flooring so they replaced quite a few rows so that it all looked seamless.

It's obvious Gabriel and his team take great pride in their work, it shows in the finished job. Although mould remediation is a very noisy job with the big fans venting outside 24/7, it was managed with the least possible disruption to me and my home. There was very little drywall dust after the repairs were finished and because of that, and the products they used, I had no allergic reactions.

If anyone has need of any of the services Healthy Home Center offers, I'd recommend Gabriel and his team very highly.

I am a clean freak. Imagine my horror when I walked into our basement and found mold growing underneath antique tables we were storing for our daughters. When I called Gabriel, I was in a panicked state...he visited our home the next day, and put us at ease. He answered my many questions on that day, and then later when I had more questions by email. He understood that this was confusing and that we wanted to clean it up in the best and most efficient manner.

Gabriel and his team did most of the work while we were at the cottage, and when we returned the basement was completely changed. They went above and beyond to make sure that the work was done properly, and that we were pleased. He took many pictures before, during and after so that we can show these to potential buyers of our home in the future.

The basement is now completely transformed - it smells so fresh and clean, and looks amazing. The entire house smells fresher. They also made sure that our main floor did not have any contaminants.

We highly recommend Gabriel and his team, and appreciate their courteous and friendly approach to what was a very difficult time. They were able to fit us into their busy schedule was very important to our peace of mind.

Gabriel and his staff were most helpful during a difficult time. Imagine my shock to find mold on the baseboards of a newly built studio basement apartment.! Everyone put me at ease and ensured that everything would be cleaned in a very professional and environmentally friendly way. This is a rented studio apartment so I wanted to be certain that everything was cleaned 100% for my tenant. I won’t hesitate to refer Gabriel and his company to others.

Gabriel and his team explained everything that was done including chemicals, assured us of no risk and answered all our questions.
Put us at ease during a stressful situation knowing it was being done right.
Vaccumed the clean area every night before they left. His team was very hard working, stayed extra to get the job done right. Added in other bits and pieces at no extra cost when we noted aditional mould in stairwell. Gave us the HEPA vaccum and scrubber at no extra cost to clean the rest of the housed. Covered up the vents upstairs, sealed upstairs and downstairs. Professional, polite, experienced. Overall extremely pleased with the process.

Our basement needed to be professionally cleaned to remove mold from the environment. Gabriel and his team isolated the basement area with barriers to contain the mold and then we worked together to remove the contents of the basement before his team professionally cleaned the environment with specialized equipment and cleaning products. Gabriel and his staff were very pleasant, flexible and accommodating to deal with and I am very satisfied with the work that they did from start to finish.

Needed a small amount of asbestos removed from basement. Gabriel and his service were fast, efficient and well versed in their trade. Compete every pricing. I would highly recimmend this service.

During the wet spring of 2017 our sump pump failed. Although our basement was nearly empty there was signficant mold damage. Mr. Zaragoza and his team provided responsive and thorough service for a one price solution. The team worked very hard and discretely to remove all the contamination. In addition he provided a professional report and remediation certificate. He is very well qualified and known in the air quality field. In addition he and his team are very courteous and professional.

Healthy Homes carried out 2 inspections prior to prospective home purchases in the Ottawa area.
On both occasions the company carried out the inspection at short notice, did a thorough job and communicated their results very quickly in a format that I was able to easily understand. I have complete confidence in this companies ability and honesty and would certainly use them again if I require an opinion on the status of any property.

We hired Healthy Home Center to remove some old shelving and flooring in our cold storage and give it a good cleaning to prevent mold/mildew from taking hold. Gabriel was always a pleasure to talk to, answered all of our questions, and is clearly very knowledgeable of and attentive to the job at hand. The work was completed exactly when and as promised. Gabriel also carefully re-caulked and patched the mortar on one of our windows that we inquired about, without charge. Very happy with their services! Thanks Gabriel and Diego!

Gabriel was fantastic from the moment I called for a quote to the last handshake when the work was completed. This man is a gem! He takes great pride in his work and treated my home like his own. I trusted him immediately. He put my mind at ease over the removal of asbestos from around our floor vents and a few other places on the duct work. When one particular vent proved difficult for removal, he persevered. He photo documented the asbestos and sent pictures in the quote. Then, he
provided pictures of the removal in the abatement certificate. He was professional and kind. His method of duct cleaning is second to none. You will be hard pressed to find a better company to remove your asbestos and clean your ducts. Gabriel is an absolute rockstar! I would hire him again without hesitation.