Stephen J. Kostyshyn in Hamilton

Ill be honest. My wife and I had consulted two, bathroom renovation companies and one contractor before we even considered that the Bathtub King might be an option. It was almost as an afterthought that we contacted them. We wanted to see what they had to say. What a fortuitous decision that was. We made an appointment, Frederick came down to see the bathroom late on a Friday morning, discussed with us and noted our requirements, and said he would get back to us with an estimate early the following week. On Tuesday we were invited to their showroom and Alisha, along with Frederick, had laid out three sets of options. Each had a suggested ceramic floor tile, cabinet and sink-top, and cultured marble for the shower. Unbeknownst to them, we had already picked out a floor tile. That was no problem, and they adjusted their suggestions to harmonize with our tile. Alisha is real expert decorator. She knows her stock well. We made our selection, picked out a faucet for the sink and shower hardware, Bathtub King prepared a final estimate, and we said we would think about it. This was all done before we received estimates from the two renovation companies we had contacted earlier. One eliminated themselves when they said they wanted over $800 just to come to our home to take measurements and offer design suggestions. They also said the job would take four to six weeks. The other reno company did provide an estimate, but the choices given on a software program that only provided b/w photos were not of the quality we were seeking, and there was no breakdown of the construction costs. There was on the Bathtub King estimate. Two weeks after seeing our bathroom, the contractor still had not provided an estimate. We finally told him not to bother. What we really liked about the Bathtub King was that they broke down their estimate into component parts giving costs for the demolition and subsequent replacement materials. Most importantly, they dont schedule and start a job until all the material for the renovation is in-house. They start and finish a job without any delays. Several weeks later, my wife and I went back to the Bathtub King showroom and discussed with Alisha some of the changes we wanted to make. We eliminated a few things and upgraded the shower fixtures. Gary, the project manager, prepared a new estimate. We booked them to do the job and gave them a downpayment that covered one third of the cost. They contacted us about a month later and scheduled the renovation for a month after that. They said the reno would take a week and a half or eight working days. It is my understanding that Bathtub King has four different crews working for them. We had Ryan, the expert builder, Marco the plumber and Angelo the painter. None are employees of Bathtub King, all are subcontracted, but dont let that worry you. Bathtub King has kept Ryan so busy that he hasnt worked for anyone else for over twenty years. Work started on a Monday morning. Ryan and a helper showed up and completely gutted the bathroom that first day. Our bathroom is small, roughly 4 ½ X 6 ½ feet, and the main reason for the reno was to remove the bulkhead and our original, 70-year-old, steel tub and install a walk-in shower. On day 2, Ryan installed the shower base and Marco roughed in all the plumbing. For the next five days, it was Ryans show, and what a job he did. He put up all the wallboard (Denshield) and prepared it for painting. Before the weekend he laid the tile floor so it could cure for a few days. He put up the cultured marble panels on the ceiling and around the shower area that were cut to precision. He installed the sliding shower doors, grab bar and shower seat, new floor moulding, a new wall vent, the medicine cabinet and the vanity with its quartz top. Most remarkable was what Ryan did to the window that was in the shower area. Not only did he reframe it in cultured marble, but he also framed the inside of the window as well. It was a piece of virtuoso craftmanship. People that have seen it since just shake their heads in astonishment. Angelo painted the bathroom on the morning of day 8. He used his own primer, but we bought the paint we wanted to use for the final coat. Marco was supposed to finish the plumbing that afternoon, but he ran into a complication on the job he was doing. He apologized and asked if he could come early the next morning to install the toilet and hook up the fixtures, which he did. Gary dropped in several times to make sure that the work was progressing smoothly. Ryan knows what he hopes to accomplish each day. If its done by 1:30, then that is it for that day. If it takes until 5:00, he stays until 5:00. One word of warning; Ryan does not like customers standing over his shoulder watching him work. If the bathroom door does not have to be removed, it will probably be shut. You can look at what he has done after he leaves for the day and on the weekend. Let him do his thing. You will be ecstatic with the final result. I dont care who it is, no one, and I mean no one, will do a better job. You cant improve upon perfection. My wife and I could not be happier with our new bathroom. What was achieved in nine days was simply amazing. The quality of the materials and the craftmanship were exquisite. Dont make our mistake. Look to the Bathtub King first. Do your due diligence if you like, get another estimate or two, but I can almost guarantee that you will go back to the Bathtub King. The best testimonial I can give comes from my nephew who was also looking to have his bathroom renovated. When he saw our finished bathroom, he called the Bathtub King the next day and said: I want the same thing as them. Of course, he chose different patterns and colours, but the Bathtub King will be doing his bathroom sometime in the Fall.

In August 2022, I contacted Ontario Rubber Installations to get a quote on getting my front porch, as well as the one at my mothers house, resurfaced. They had been recommended to me by Maria from Action Paving and Concrete who I had hired to do paving and concrete work in 2023. I sent pictures and dimensions, Sean from ORI came out immediately to see the two sites, and I received a quote the next day. They treated the two porches as a single job, I paid a deposit, and it was agreed that they would do the work in 2023 after the concrete and paving on my driveway had been completed. I was surprised to get a call during that very warm week in April asking if they could resurface the two porches. I reminded them that we had agreed not to do it until the paving and concrete had been completed. That was finished on 11 May. I informed ORI, and they said I would be scheduled during the second week of June. When I contacted them to change the colour I had selected, they said I was rescheduled for the week of 4 June. On 3 June, I received a call asking if 5 June was free for them to do the porches. It was. A little after seven I was called and told that the guys were leaving the yard and would be at my house shortly. They were there by 7:30. Great communication and prompt arrival. If Brendan, Nathan and Garin show up to do the work on your property, you are in excellent hands. For the next four hours, these guys worked their butts off, non-stop. They stripped the old rug off, prepared the surface then painstakingly applied ORIs rubber coating, one trowel at a time. A few issues were problem-solved on the spot. The finished product looks great. They cleaned up. An observer would have been hard-pressed to determine that anyone had been there working. My moms house is two blocks away. Brendan, Nathan and Garin ate their lunch on the go and went to work immediately. They repeated the process all over again with the same superb results. The guys even left a bag of rubber granules from the same dye-lot just in case a repair had to made should there be a future accident. Great communication throughout, extremely hard-working installers, and a superb, finished product. ORI gets a 10-star recommendation from me.

When I first called Action Paving and Concrete Ltd. In the Spring of 2022, I was told that they were already booked for the rest of the year. They were my first choice, and I was disappointed. I did get a quote from another company, but when my neighbour, whose driveway abuts mine, backed out, so did the paving company. They said it was too difficult to cut the asphalt and install a curb between the two driveways. No problem, they were not going to get my business anyway. I called Action Paving again, said I knew they were booked, told them I would be willing to wait until 2023, and asked if they would come and tell me if they could do the work the previous company said was too difficult to do. Maria showed up the next day, said they could do the install, and we agreed on a six-inch raised curb between the two driveways, a flat curb on the lawn-side with a cement pad in front of the front-porch steps, and asphalt paving in between. I also hired them to re-pave my mothers driveway a few blocks away. Maria called in mid April 2023, and we agreed on a start date. Al, and his two sons, Telmo and Brian, showed up on schedule, cut the pavement between the two driveways, removed the old asphalt then did the same at my mothers house. They then dug out and framed the curbs on both sides of the driveway. This is a family run business and their work-ethic and the pride they take in doing what they do is evident. I have never seen a group of guys work so hard and so efficiently. They know what they are doing, and they dont waste any time. Shortly after they started to pour the concrete for the curbing, it started to rain. That didnt phase them. Out came the long rolls of plastic and as the concrete was being poured Telmo crawled under and applied the finishing touches. He barely came up for air. The curb on the lawn-side was flat and slightly sloped towards the driveway, which was a nice touch. When I removed the glued-down rug from the lower front step, a piece of concrete broke away where the iron railing post was positioned. Al went above and beyond and repaired it. It rained so much over the next few days that it took two weeks for the driveway to dry out before paving could begin. That was scheduled for May 11. Action Paving brought a few extra crew members with them to help lay the asphalt, and it was installed and graded to perfection. They then finished the paving at my mothers house. I am glad I waited a year for Action Paving to do the work. It was worth it because I have the satisfaction of knowing that true professionals did the job right. Maria handles the estimates and the business side, Al, her husband, and their sons, Telmo and Brian, take care of all the rest. And they work very hard. This family-run business gets a 10-star recommendation from me. Keep the coffee hot, and everyone will be happy, especially Maria.

Two weeks ago, Lancaster Heating & Cooling installed a new Trane gas furnace as well as a gas hot water tank that I had purchased separately. I could not be more pleased with all aspects of the installation. The three man crew did a fantastic job. I did not know that drilling holes through walls and laying pipe could be an art form. Mark proved that it was. Neighbours have commented how neat everything looks. Jeff was a relatively new employee, and he took care of many of the little things. He even noticed that a previously installed thermostat had a mistake in its wiring. The highest praise is reserved for Eric, the main furnace installer. He was personable, answered all of our questions, and he did a superb job with the installation. When the inspector from Enbridge/Union Gas came to inspect the installation, he said it was perfect, something he rarely sees. He said there is always one or two little things that need to be corrected. Not here. It was a perfect install. Eric came back the next day and installed the hot water tank. It was another perfect install. Thanks guys. I have no hesitation in giving Lancaster my highest recommendation.