Marianne from Mississauga

I am a retired Project Manager and as such I prefer to plan ahead. I live in a two-bedroom condo and plan to age in place which will probably mean at some point I will need safe sit-down shower capability. My guest bathroom had a small corner shower stall and a fairly large vanity. While my floor space would not accommodate a shower bench, I believed that I could meet my needs by widening the shower, replacing the vanity with a smaller one and using a fold-down shower seat. With that in mind I contacted two different contractors who would not listen to my needs and suggestions. Instead, they told me what I needed and what they would do. Neither recommendation seemed to take my comfort or safety into consideration so I decided not to pursue my plans with either of these contractors. I was discouraged and put my plans on hold. Then I decided I needed to move on this so I contacted the Home Depot who put me in touch with Cera Stone. From my first meeting I knew I had found the right contractors. Their Designer John met with me and listened to my ideas, my needs and my safety concerns. Once he determined all of that he then went to work to find a solution that would make it all happen. The plans included reinforcing the walls to ensure that they would carry the weight for the sit-down shower and the grab bars. We worked together to come up with a design and selected the materials that were needed. He kept me informed every step of the way, worked with me to select alternate materials if something was out of stock and kept me on track and on budget. My project started on Nov. 30 and I was assured it would be done before Christmas. I admit I was skeptical. The Project Manager Charlie had a very aggressive schedule. I need not have worried. Charlie was on top of the job every step of the way and made sure the materials arrived when they were needed and on occasion even tracked a missing piece down and delivered it himself. The construction crew, Danny and Philip, did a great job – especially with the wall reinforcements. They were extremely concerned with ensuring my safety. The job was completed in 8 working days and it looks fantastic. While I wanted the shower to be handicapped equipped, I did not want it to look institutional. I found grab bars that look like corner soap dishes, a toiletries shelf and a shower head slide bar. The walls supporting them are heavily reinforced and I know they are all safe as am I. I could not be happier. Cera Stone made my vision a reality and it looks even better than I could have imagined. Several of my neighbours have already asked me who did my renovation and I happily passed along Cera Stone’s contact information.

The toilet in my guest bathroom started running causing condensation to form on the tank and the bowl. As I live in a condo I was concerned that the toilet was leaking as well and called Mr. Rooter. How is this my lucky day? Mr. Rooter sent Gurveer. He checked and assured me there was no leak, but my toilet was over 30 years old and the seals had eroded. It was easy for me to decide to replace the toilet - I had been considering getting a comfort height toilet for some time anyway. But I did not want it in the guest bath, I wanted it in the master bath. No problem for Gurveer - he agreed to move the existing toilet from my master bath to the guest bath and then install the new one in the master bath. And he could do it immediately! I selected the model I wanted, he picked it up, brought it back and installed it. From the time I called until the job was completed was just over 3 hours. Gurveer's customer service approach was so refreshing - nothing I wanted to do was too much trouble. So that is why this turned out to be my lucky day. I got exactly what I wanted, a lot faster than I expected and the work was done by a true professional who obviously was happy in his work and extremely customer focused.

I have used Painting Transformations for all my painting needs since 2001 when I had the living room/dining room/halls painted in my condo. Since then, they have done all the rooms in my home and most recently redid my living room/dining room/ halls when I decided I needed to redecorate. I know what I want to do but do not have a good colour sense. Mike McGrath, the owner, has the ability to pick the perfect colour and I have never been disappointed with his recommendations. His painter Guy was a real perfectionist - a trait I really appreciated - but he still worked quickly and cleanly and was always very respectful of my home. If I could, I would rate Painting Transformations a 20+.

Classic Kitchen Designs renovated my kitchen in 2004 and did a very good job. But that is not what my story is about. Earlier this year I had a problem with some of the cupboard doors peeling. The owner, Wes Kehler came to assess the damage himself. Without hesitation he honoured the warrantee and contacted the manufacturer. He had all the damaged doors replaced in a timely manner even though that particular style had been discontinued. The new doors match perfectly and I am very happy. Because Classic Kitchen Designs is a family business they take pride in their work and go that extra mile to satisfy their customers. That is why they have remained in business as long as they have. A friend recommended them to me and I would not hesitate to recommend them.

In October, 2012 I had another company come to fix a squeaky door on my side by side fridge. The repairman came three times but the squeak kept getting worse so I asked them to send another repairman. But before that could happen, late one night the fridge door just fell off on me. It was extremely heavy with full bins on the inside and a wood panel insert on the outside but I did manage to get it leaning against the freezer side of the fridge. I immediately called that company's emergency number but they refused to come and help me. The said they would order a part but it would take 6 - 8 weeks. They would do nothing to help me put the door back on!!! So I went on line to Home Stars and found Cascade Appliance Service. I called first thing in the morning and Steve came within 2 hours. He was a godsend!! He found that the hinge had been broken off, was missing and would have to be replaced. He checked availability of the replacement hinge and determined that it would take 6 - 8 weeks. But in the meantime he created a temporary hinge out of parts in his tool box and put the door back on so I could use the fridge until the replacement hinge came in. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give Cascade a 20.