Michael Craig from Toronto

We hired Ben to hand-clean five Persian carpets including one in our dining room that had been repeatedly soiled by cat urine. (It's so hard to bid adieu to cats who are over 20, even when they're incontinent.) Ben did a terrific job; the big carpet, especially, is brighter and rejuvenated. Initially, however, we were alarmed at a bit of colour bleeding. Ben returned within hours to explain that this was an inevitable effect of the urine in that one corner. He was right but, still concerned by our distress, he gave us a small carpet that still graces our kitchen. He's a decent, honest guy with a real passion for Persian carpets: highly recommended!

Dreadful flood but good news. When my basement flooded, a one-bedroom apartment was destroyed – carpeting trashed throughout, the wallboard soaked, with mould on the way. Luckily I was insured, with the restoration cost specified by the insurer, subject to a substantial deductible. After the cleanup crew departed, I worked with Aquata Bath to rebuild the walls, repair the wiring, replace the kitchen cabinets, paint and supervise the installation of new carpets. He and his crew did a terrific job in all respects at a reasonable price that recouped some of the deductible, saving me a bundle. What I like about Peter is that he knows all the trades – drywalling, tiling, plumbing, electrical – and he has good taste in design and decorating. Bottom line: the apartment was attractively upgraded, and I didn’t get burned. Thanks Peter!

Chico Umengan and his company, Aquashield, won this job after I got several quotes. He and his brother, Rico, were the only people who dug a hole near the foundation to see the footings and nature of the soil. That attitude of going above and beyond to scope out the job and promptly solve every problem carried on to the end. It turned out that we had to replace the old brick, load-bearing columns. They knew exactly what to do and didn't charge extravagantly for this and other 'extras' He has a great crew of slightly looney but nice guys who were unfailingly polite, helpful and quick to clean up. The work is excellent, the price was right and Chico is almost pathologically dedicated to doing the job properly and making the customer, me, happy. Good, 10-star people! Michael Craig - Toronto