Gillian

Team leader Billy, carpenter Jimmy, and assistant Justin were absolutely fantastic workers. They arrived promptly, worked diligently, took great care to protect our property and went the extra mile in giving us two fabulous new roofs and decks. Most important, they knew what they were doing. There were several tricky problems associated with this project. Yet they never complained, they never hesitated, they remained polite, professional, cheerful. I cannot recommend them highly enough! We had been searching literally for years to find solutions for the leaks related to our two flat roofs. They had been finished in ceramic tiles laid with mortar and a Schluter system. The larger one (300 sqf) had an additional layer of tile on top of a thick layer of concrete. Turns out that using tile on a flat roof is a no no in our Canadian climate. Almost from the beginning, unsightly ooze from the tiles drooled down the outer walls. Then after 5 years, both roofs developed leaks. We worked with two eavestrough companies and two roofing companies (spending $10,000 overall) without the problems being solved. Finally we called in Dan at the Roofer, and he came in and gave us the news we'd anticipated: the original roofs had to be completely removed, proper flat roofs installed, and decking built on top of that. The removal of the old roofs was a major project in itself -- particularly as it revealed extensive damage from water leakage in some places as you can see in the photo below. Then there was the creation of the new flat roofs. And then there was the addition of two gorgeous decks floating on top of the newly prepared surfaces. It was a huge job with 3 to 4 men working steadily for two weeks. But my word the results are worth it. And we have total confidence that these structures are here to last. Thank you SO MUCH!

We had a wonderful plumber for 15 years, a real master at his craft, but in the last five years since he retired, we have tried three others without much success. But now the hunt is over! We've found our plumber of choice-- the one we will always turn to. Valentin is a total professional who is knowledgeable, efficient, and careful in his work. We really appreciated his asking for photos before he came to the job so he knew what he was going to be working with. He also came within a day of our contacting him and at the exact time he told us. He was careful both to explain everything he was doing and to clean up the worksite, leaving everything tidy and in its place. He even took away the old parts that had to be replaced. And as for those replacement parts, he had them ready at hand in his truck and they were of high quality -- both plusses. I can't tell you how happy we are to have had such good service. Ours is a large, old house with multiple fixtures to be taken care of. We can now relax knowing Valentin is available to look after them.

We were impressed from the outset with Mark Somani's professionalism. He made a thorough inspection of the job site and made some excellent design suggestions before giving us a detailed and comprehensive quote. The job itself was done in 4.5 days by Carlos and his associate (I feel terrible that I never caught his name). Carlos himself was fantastic -- incredibly hard working and skilled while at the same time completely obliging and patient. Nothing was a problem for him. When I wanted a change in the layout of one section -- no problem. When we had difficulty arranging parking for his truck -- no problem. He was always cheerful and accommodating. The worksite was always kept orderly and safe. And -- what is most important -- he did a simply fantastic job. We are thrilled with how our pathways turned out and are delighted to be able to recommend Blue Circle.

Choosing Mike and BestFence was the contracting best decision I've made. My husband and I are thrilled with the new fence he designed and built -- it's added immeasurably to our property value and has improved the look enormously. What's more, it was a delight to work with Mike as he is a total professional. He came when he said he would come. He responded promptly to my emails. The project took exactly the length of time he predicted. And the quality of his work was and is impressive: no skimping or cheap quality materials here. For example, Mike insisted on 6X6 posts because he recognized that our property would be subject to strong winds. And he was always conscious of our need for privacy as our property partly borders on a public parking lot. Altogether I would recommend Mike and BestFence without hesitation. If you have to wait to get on his schedule, trust me, he'll be honest about the timing, and any wait is definitely worth it!

In the end I didn't purchase the part I'd come for, taking Mateo's advice to re-configure the faulty piping rather than put my money for the second time in five years on the same frost-free hose bib. Thanks, Mateo, for losing the sale and being so graciously helpful about my next steps.

Justin was at my door the morning after I called about a malfunctioning frost-free outdoor faucet. I wanted to have it changed to a standard outdoor faucet and interior shut-off valve combination. He and his assistant Joel worked carefully, making the necessary but neat cuts on the inside plaster wall, positioning the shut off valve so as not to intrude into the room, extending the outside pipe so that it no longer threatened to drip on the badly positioned electric outlet below. In short, they were attentive to detail and did their job with utmost professionalism. I'd have them back in a minute.

After 25 years the front door dead bolt we had originally purchased from the Baldwin location was beginning to be tricky -- sometimes refusing to turn with the key. We arranged a service call to replace the original dead bolt. The technician arrived, took the original apart, said we'd be better off keeping it than installing a new one, cleaned it, replaced the pins, oiled and cleaned the interior, re-adjusted the door hinges so it didn't scrape and BINGO! the lock works like new.

I wanted to replace some patio chair cushions that had completely worn out after 12 year's use. Darong not only copied them beautifully -- but he made them even better, taking care to put firmer padding in the seat area in comparison to that used for the back rest. The workmanship is superb -- fine, straight seams, no puckering of fabric, perfectly spaced buttons, carefully positioned fabric pattern. I'm thrilled with the work. And on top of that the service was warm, friendly, accommodating and swift. I'll be back with my next upholstery project, that's for sure.

I have lived in my three-storey, 1909 brick house since 1988, and whenever I've needed masonry work done, I've used Wilkens. Ernie (the patriarch of this family firm) writes detailed quotes that include sensible commentary regarding work to be done (he's twice told me NOT to do something as the stone was doing just fine). His workers are talented, careful, perfectionists who do top quality work. They are always willing to take the time to explain what they are doing. And they leave the worksite absolutely clean. I can't recommend this firm highly enough.

I had a very tricky parking area to be paved -- one with a considerable slope, several tree stumps, and a significant drainage problem. The Landmark team, led by Jim, were professional, meticulous, and careful workers. They used quality materials. They completed the job swiftly and with minimal disruption. And they were diplomatic with and thoughtful about our neighbours. Theirs wasn't the cheapest quote, nor was it the most expensive. It has been money well spent. The final product is fantastic.

Peter has been our electrician for the past seven years. Our rambling 1909 home has posed a number of challenges -- from replacement of knob and tube wiring, to upgrading of service, to relocation of panel boxes, to the complete electrical contract on a difficult third floor bathroom renovation. We've given him tricky little jobs, too, like illuminating a painting that hangs against a brick fireplace. And in every case, Peter has been exceptional. He has the most intelligent solutions for complicated problems. When he installs something new like a bathroom fan, he takes care to ensure that the item will be easy to service many years down the road. He keeps his workplace impeccably clean. He appears when he says he will. He sources intriguing and unusual fixtures. He once drove right across the city after hours to help us with an emergency. And he's been equally wonderful, caring, and thoughtful in doing work for my 94-year-old mother in law. We've had two other good electricians over the past 35 years of (old) home ownership. But Peter stands out as the absolute best.

I've had great service from this company in the past. But on October 24 I contracted for some additional shelving. There was no date for service. I started calling the company to find out when they would be coming. No one answered the phone. I left voice mails. I sent an e-mail message. I called my sales agent --- she reported that the warehouse has been emptied and the suppliers have taken back all the materials. Is this the end of Closet Factory in Toronto?