Sundeep Takhar from Oakville

I was seeking to get my entire house recaulked, especially, after I had my windows replaced where the installers did a poor job on caulking. I contacted several companies and Vemex was the most competitive. The workmanship was good and I witnessed them remove most of the caulking, except for garage doors trims. I presume these were too difficult to remove and they were covered up with new caulking which I am okay with for the garage door trims. Unfortunately, I had a rocky start with Vemex, hence the minus point, where the workers showed with a no-name Chinese brand of caulking when I specifically requested Dow Corning caulking upfront. This resulted in a rescheduling of the service at which point Vemex returned with the correct product. Overall, I would recommend Vemex as they provided good value for money based on the services rendered, however, do recommend supervision in ensuring work is done as required (i.e correct brand of caulking and removal of old caulking)

I shopped around several places in the removal of two large pine trees ( over 30 feet tall) including stump grounding (12" below grade) and the best price by far was from Lakeshore Tree Services! James was prompt and easy to deal with where he answered all of my questions. They had the appropriate equipment to complete the job and the level of service, including clean-up, was great. I would recommend Lakeshore Tree Services when compared to the other big companies in Oakville/Burlington/Mississauga who wanted to charge me $2K for the same job!

I have been using Mirage Pools for several years for my pool service needs (i.e. openings & closing, liners, safety covers ,etc.) and I have seen a drastic drop in their customer service and quality of service in the work performed. Not sure what has changed, but have raised my concern multiple times with management (Amanda) where I have mostly received an inadequate response in satisfying my concerns. I have now switched to another pool supplier as the only way I can enforce my dissatisfaction is to take my money elsewhere.

Brad visited me late spring of 2020 and provided me with multiple options of repairing the damaged stairs which had sunk over the years due to poor installation practices by the initial contractor (see first two pictures). He was courteous and professional. After shopping around during the pandemic year where good contractors are hard to come by, I decided on Cols Landscaping. Brad kept me on his waitlist and keep me informed as to when he would be able to perform the work. The work started in October and involved removal flagstone caps and rises where the emphasis was to save as many as stones possible. A full excavation about 4 feet deep occurred and rebar was used to so the pour concrete foundation would be pinned to the house foundation. Once the foundation dried, cinder blocks filled with mortar were used as the foundation for the steps. The flagstone caps and risers were then added. Lastly, about eight feet of interlock walkway was lifted with additional bedding so the interlock was higher to the first step. Last two pictures shown final result. The job took about six working days to complete. Overall, great job by Cols Landscaping, but I subtracted half a point for not providing clear communication on using cinder blocks instead formed concrete and also the tread on the first step was too short compared to others which was rectified. The second half a point was subtracted as I felt the price was slightly higher than it should be for this type of work. In conclusion, I am satisfied with Cols Landscaping and must give full credit to Brad's crew who work exceptionally hard. In addition, Brad was customer centric and responsive when we were unhappy with the tread of one the steps being short and not uniform with the others. He is a problem solver and rectified the issues promptly. I do recommend Cols Landscaping to others.

Hired Tree Specialists to prune and trim multiple trees on my property including 2 x Austrian Pines, 3x Blue Spruce, white birch, Ivory silk lilac, Pyramidal Oak, and Little leaf linden. A job done well by a crew of three men and clean up was done well, except for a few twigs left behind (1 star lost). I was happy with their services.

Had my aging, noisy chain driven Craftsman door openers replaced. I decided to replace both (2x) of my openers with the Liftmaster Elite 8550W. Communication over the phone and email was clear and concise with Ron. The installation was quick and well done. J. S. Home Improvement has been around for decades as my parents had a central vacuum installed in the late 1980's. Their service and price is still exceptional. I shopped around and they had the most competitive price for Liftmaster Elite garage door openers. Highly recommended!

I started my search for a solar pool heating vendor/contractor when I was told Union Gas that I was not able to install a larger NG meter without paying an astronomical fee ($20K). So, I decided to look into solar heating and received multiple quotes. I had a contractor representing Enersol product line come and give me a quote for ~$4400. I did a bit more researching and discovered that EcoSun had much higher performance rating of 1,100 BTU per square foot per day than Enersol. I seeked an EcoSun representative and found Solar Wave located out of Burlington, ON! The first time I called upon Solar Wave for a quote, Jesse came out and took measurements and after a thorough review said solar heating was not possible as I did not have sufficient roof space in the southern direction. Initially, Jesse turned me down to avoid an upset and disappointed customer, but I asked him if a hybrid solar and NG heater solution was possible. Jesse came again and explained in detail that it would be possible, but I would only get limited results with the solar panel themselves. He also took the time in explaining the differences between the Enersol and Ecosun products at which time I was able to inspect samples of both and can say that Enersol product is not as robust as the Ecosun product based on the connection mechanism used. I was impressed by Jesse’s honesty and integrity and hired him for the job. His crew was on-time on the day of the install and completed it within a day. We had a few minor issues that required my assistance (cracked PVC housing and missing O-ring in union), but in all the installation was done well. However, we had a major problem when the Pentair Intelliflo pump failed to communicate with the solar controller. Jesse tried many times himself to fix it, but it was obvious that the Pentair Intelliflo pump had software issues and the pump manufacture Pentair needed to be contacted. After three months of Jesse’s perseverance and multiple trips by him and Pentair representatives the issue was resolved. Jesse continued to show his commitment to quality and Customer Service and did not give up or charge me the remaining amount standing balance until the issue was resolved. I strongly commend him for that as others contractors may have given up! My only recommendation or wish would have been if Solar Wave also painted the white ‘eye sore’ PVC piping coming down to my equipment. They did a great job in matching the paint colour to the roof and painting the PVC plumbing on the roof, but stopped short on the piping going towards the ground. The performance of the solar heater is amazing. My pool water temperature has reached 34 Celsius or 94 Fahrenheit with a solar blanket on and without the use of the NG heater. However, the limitations are that it needs to be sunny and a few cold days with cloud overcast can result in poor performance, but then again I have my NG heater to make up for it! The automation is now seamless and the controller speaks to the pump to ramp up the flow/pressure of the water prior to switching the valve and pushing water to the solar collectors on my roof. In summary, my family and I are happy with the system and I highly recommend Solar Wave for your pool! Pool size: ~14’ x ~36’ (irregular shape) Estimated pool surface area: 450 Sq.Ft % of solar collector to pool surface: 62% Total rated solar BTU output: 308,000 Total Cost: ~$5600

After numerous quotes for a liner replacment, I finally came across Mirage Pool Services which provided the liner replacement for $3200 for a 20' x 35' humpback kidney pool which also included pool opening. I spoke with Terry, the GM, who was courteous and polite and explained in detail about the manufacture, quality and installation process for a new liner. I did take note that the liner manufacture was Latham which is the same company as the reputable Kafko with their Ultra-Seam technology. The old liner was cleaned removed and taken for measurements within the week I decided to go with Mirage. Within less than a month as promised by Terry the new liner was in and installed by once again a polite and professional crew led by Mike. Mike also took the time to answer my questions and it was obvious he had the experience and knowledge in replacing liners. At this time I had decided to also have my old chlorine system replaced and Terry was quick enough in responding with a quote for a Hayward Aquarite salt water system (T-15) which came to $1350 with installation (including check valve and sacrificial anode for the heater). I must commend Terry for maintaining constant communication with me even though it was the busy season for them where they are dealing with multiple customers at once. Since, the liner was installed and ready to operated, Terry moved quickly in scheduling Greg, Mirage's Head Service Technician, who was once again very polite and courteous in answering all of my questions and he also went further by providing me in-depth knowledge in the working of my system. Greg, also detected several leaks which he repaired for me. I can go on and on about the excellent Customer Serivce was given by Mirage, but there so many words I can type! I would highly recommedn Mirage Pool Services for all your pool needs. Thank you Terry, Mike and Greg!

After three quotes, Michael was the most responsive and had the most detailed and professional quotation. Also, he was the lowest bidder and was one of the two companies that actually went out to see the home before quoting. Further, he was very organized in scheduling a date and then also maintainted constant communication with me in letting me know of any delays well in advance. The workmanship was excellent and the detail shown in colour matching the caulking to the surrounding surfaces was impeccable. Gold Seal Caulking went beyond our expectations by also completing the caulking on the garage doors which was not part of the scope of work. Lastly, Michael understands the concept of Customer Service as he agreed to fix some minor 'bubbling' of caulking I noticed afterwards. I highly recommend Gold Seal Caulking and will be recommending him to others who are seeking to replace the cheap, cracking caulking done by the home builders.

I hired Vision Builders in the summer of 2012 in completing a Bathroom Renovation project. The project scope was: Master Ensuite: *Demoiltion *Plumbing,Framing,Drywall,Painting *Porcelain tile flooring *Repalce existing tiled shower with glass sidings and modern tiles. Also, upgrade plumbing with rain style shower header (plumbing fittings were supplied by customer (me)) *Remove jazzuci and relocate shower in place of. *Replace toilet (toilet supplied by customer) Bedroom Ensuite: *Demoilition *Plumbing,Framing,Drywall,Painting *Porcelain tile flooring *Replace existing tiled shower with glass sidings and modern tiles * Replace toilet (toilet supplied by customer) Main Bathroom: *Remove second enterance from adjacent bedroom. *Replace toilet Basement Bathroom: *Replace existing fibreglass shower with glass sidings and modern tiles The above scope of work was promised to be completed in 4 weeks, but instead was completed in 8 weeks hence delaying our move-in date to our new house. Both Joseph and David are very nice to speak to, but unforunately when it came down to getting things done it was difficult at times and required multiple phones calls in chasing them. It was obvious my project was a lower priority for them probably because they build houses. There were weeks where no progress was made on my bathrooms and I would be calling continuously asking why the previous dates promised were missed. Also, had to ask again and again to provide me a price for the minor scope changes I had requested. It was a mutual understanding that I hired other contractors to supply the vanities, sinks, toilets,granite counter tops and plumbing fixtures. However, in the positive light my wife and I were happy with the outcome and Vision Builders does delivery on quality. In summary, great selling and planning at the beginning, but poor execution/management. Good quality in workmanship and materials.

I purchased a Lennox furance model SLP98UH090XV48C and A/C model XC14-036-230 with coil C33-49 for my 3100 square foot home. Also, received the iComfort(Wifi) thermostat and 5" pleated furnace filter. Being an engineer I specified the equipment after thorough research. I also obtain four (4) quotes from different dealers and after much debate I decided on Cosmopolitan due to the great pricing (~$8500CDN with rebates) and also taking advantage of their 15 month payment deferral program. Here are the negative points I have about Cosmopolitan is that first I was promised during the sales pitch that their 20 year veteran installer who previously was employed at Service Experts would come and do the install. However, on the day of installation (was a long weekend in February) a sub-contractor in an unmarked van showed up to install. I verified this fact when I looked at the TSSA gas fitter sticker and the company was noted down as 'HVAC Quick Solutions'. With two feet of snow outside he was adamant in installing the A/C compressor to which I had previously discussed with the Sales Rep is a big no! After calling the Sales Rep and the sub-contractor speaking to Head Office it was decided the compressor would not be installed until warmer weather so it can be installed properly! However, I allowed the sub-contractor to install (I was impatient) the furnace and coil and watched him like a hawk ensuring he did a proper job and asked numerous questions along the way. Second item of contention was the fact that there is poor communication/management of their technicians. When I scheduled the second installation visit for the compressor in late April the technicians showed up 4 hours earlier than agreed upon when I had spoken with service coordinator earlier in the week for a particular time. The service coordinator began selling me the fact that it was all outside work and I really did not need to be there. After giving him a piece of my mind, I was able to reschedule for the following week and the technicians showed up as promised and this time they were Cosmopolitan technicians. In summary, the installation was done properly and well, but this was after much supervision as a home owner and constantly asking questions. I do wonder how it would have been if I had not been there to supervise and if I was not as technically inclined as I am.

I am very impressed by Affordable Insulation as Jason and Sid both have gone well above my expectations. During the initial meeting, Jason was professional and took his time in explaining the type of insulation being used, advantages/disadvantages and the installation process. In his quotation he advised me that for a 3100 Sq ft. home it will be an all day installation and that my current R19 rating will be brought up to R52. On installation day Sid showed up a bit late, but quickly make up for it by not charging extra for the many issues found in my attic. Issues such as all three bathroom fans needed to have insulated ducting reconnected, blue vapour protection installed over the fan housing, reinstalled the attic window covering and repaired existing baffles. Great care was given to make sure no mess was made and sheets/mats were laid out. Further, Sid realized the smell of varnish in my home due to the newly installed hardwood flooring and offered to lend an air scrubber for a week! Wow! Who does that in this day and age! Absolutely amazing! Ever since the installation I have noticed the house retaining heat as the outside temperature at night falls in the low teens. Highly Recommended!

This family run bunsiness was a blessing of a find in an industry where custom vanities can cost up to $5000! We purchased three custom bathroom vanities with a large linen closet. Sunny was very professional and prompt in his dealings with us and was able to understand our style. He was to his word with regards to scheduling the installation date and his installers were quick and efficient in the installation. The installers even helped in me remove a mirror on the wall that my other contractor failed to removed. The counter tops, sinks and faucets were not included in their scope of work as shown in the pictures. Lastly, there pricing was extremely competitive and the workmanship speaks for itself. Highly recommended!

I am very happy with Toronto Granite as from start to finish they provided a great service. Wife and I selected three counter tops for our three bathroom vanities. We had a great amount of selection as we decided to pick from the left over scraps of other projects and were able to pick the colour and pattern of quartz we liked. Joe and staff were very friendly and punctual with regards to scheduling dates for measurements and installation. The workmanship and quality of the countertops was excellent as upon request they even cut the sink with more precision in reducing the over hanging sink lip from 1/4" to 1/8" which made the sink look bigger. The only negative part of the experience was the clean up the installers failed to perform. The adhesive used in joining the sinks to the quartz counter tops was at certain places all over the the vanities. Other than that I highly recommend Toronto Granite.com! Please note the sinks were supplied by me to Toronto Granite to install. The vanities and faucets were supplied by others as well.

I would highly recommend Danny and his team as they did an excellent job with great detail. I found Danny to be honest, reliable and an individual who takes great pride in his work. Danny adhered to every item we requested including replacing down pipes and installing a solar vent. My wife and I were really impressed with the clean up they performed at the end of each day and to date we have only found three nails! This is remarkable for a 3100 Sq Ft. home and the pricing was competitive for CertainTeed Landmark 50 Year shingles.