Richard T. W. in Toronto

These guys did a fantastic job in the most inclement weather imaginable. They could not work in high winds, obviously, but they were not in the slightest deterred by the snow and freezing rain, and banks of ice around the house (a back split, 3 storeys at the rear)! A very professional crew, led by Dean, always willing to go the extra yard. We are extremely happy with the result. We discovered this company through Homestars; free consultation with the very personable Vlaznim, no payments until the job was completed. His choice of colours for the soffit, fascia, eavestroughs, drainpipes, and siding was spot- on, and they also did insulation and flashing.

We had a family of skunks living under my garden shed for the best part of a year. I had tried to block up entrance holes to no avail, so waited for them to grow up and leave (we once saw the mother and four babies emerge from under the shed while we were having a late supper outside). But when a new hole appeared on Monday I called Pest Protection Plus, and Alison arrived within an hour to lay the trap and give advice. The next morning the trap had sprung, so I called, and Anthony arrived within 10 minutes! It turned out to be a possum! This is an efficient service, although they could be clearer that their price is only for animal disposal, and the other things they mention (such as putting down wire mesh to block entry at $20 a foot) is not included in the initial price.

My parents-in-law needed to have a new toilet installed, and a new faucet for their kitchen sink. Additionally, the valve under the toilet would not turn off. Brian MacDonald came promptly, was courteous to my in-laws (aged 88 and 95), and did a highly professional job with minimum fuss. The price included a new valve, a splendid new Moen "67315C" Integra Chrome One-Handle Low Arc Pullout Kitchen Faucet, a $20 fuel surcharge, and a $50 fee for disposing of the old toilet.

Bill Mitchell has been doing roofs in Toronto for over 40 years in a company started by his Dad. He really knows what he is doing. We had a very large roof, and he and his team removed the existing shingles (2 tons of them), put on a protective layer of plastic, and a brand new roof, completing the work in one day. (The previous owners had had a cheap job done before we moved in, adding another layer of shingles on top of the existing one.) In two weather events since then, our neighbours' roof was taken off by a near-twister, and I have found other neighbour's shingles all over my garden after high winds. But ours has remained solid and intact. If you want a good job done properly, this is the company you should get.

In the process of renovating the living room, we found water damage by the sliding door. We had received advice on how it was coming under the door (which had only been installed a couple of years ago), but decided to call Sobol (who we have dealt with for 10 years, but had been unavailable to replace the door when we had that done.) Archie came over promptly, and showed us what the problem was: the installers had capped the sliding door (and this applied also to the windows), covering the iron lintel. Condensation then collects on the lintel (rusts it) and travels down inside the capping and to the bottom, where it comes through the wall. He and his co-worker removed the capping, and sealed the door (as well as three windows where we had had the same problem). Bottom line: installers put in this smart-looking capping all around on the outside when it should never be put on doors and windows with iron lintels: these should be left exposed. Sobol know how to do things properly.