Tina from Barrie

Our front steps were literally falling apart and because we had Thane from A&E Masonry in to do our patio out back and were thrilled with the work he did there, we decided to use him again for the new job. Thane was extremely helpful and his professional advice was right on the mark! He helped us choose the right stone and colour and even met us at the stone dealer so he could make some suggestions for us - that alone was invaluable, as we had never had this type of work done before. Thane dug in and went to work and was finished on time and within budget. He was always punctual, arriving first thing in the morning and not leaving until suppertime - he didn't even take a lunch break. Really focused on the work at hand and extremely meticulous, his workmanship is above and beyond (you can see the before and after photos for proof). In fact, as the front steps started coming together, people would walk or drive past and either stop to stare or slow down to take a look. Our neighbours were blown away with how great our front steps look now. We have no hesitation in recommending Thane and A&E Masonry for all your masonry/concrete needs. We will have him come back again to finish off the sides of our driveway in another year. There is no one else I would want to come in to do any masonry work, except for Thane. He's a great guy with fantastic workmanship and fair prices - and it makes using A&E Masonry a no brainer - HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

First off, we actually found A&E Masonry through HomeStars and decided to contact them due to their excellent reviews here! A&E Masonry owner Thane came out to see the jobs that we wanted to have done - our front porch was crumbling and falling apart, and the patio in our backyard had been piecemealed together over the years with 3 or 4 different types and combinations of inexpensive stone, patio slabs and pressure treated wood - and both areas looked horrible! Thane was prompt in getting back to us with a quote, as a matter of fact, he took the time to personally deliver the quote and to further discuss our needs and how we would like the job completed (the type of stone we wanted, color options and so on). Thane was incredibly easy to work with - a total professional all the way! He excavated the backyard first and then broke apart the front steps. He took us over to a stone yard and helped us choose the stone that was used for the sides of the front steps, helped us determine what would look best and what would work best - his expertise was invaluable! We found the stone we wanted for the risers and he was quick to head over there to make sure the stone would work for our needs and placed an order for delivery right away. Even with all the rain he had to contend with while working, both jobs were completed in 2 weeks! Not only did he arrive early and prompt each day, he treated the job as if he was working on his own home - the immense care and attention that was taken in every detail were so appreciated! He made sure to clean up before leaving each evening and worked through the day without so much as a lunch break. Thane's workmanship is impeccable, a master mason (as you can see from the before and after photos) and we have never known any contractor, let alone an owner of a company, to spend so much time personally ensuring that everything was to perfection, incorporating our wishes and making sure we were happy - just a real pleasure to deal with and to have someone care so much (kind of the way it should be, but often isn't in this day and age!). Everyone in the neighborhood stopped to comment on the front steps, people driving by would slow down and some would literally stop so they could take a better look. Friends and neighbors couldn't believe the difference and the excellent workmanship, it turned out incredible! The patio out back turned out fantastic as well and now our furniture looks even better with an attractive base to sit on - what a difference quality makes! A&E Masonry is a company I would highly recommend for all your masonry jobs - stonework, cement, pavers, patios, etc. I have absolutely NO hesitation in recommending this company - top notch expertise, professionalism on all levels, hard working, punctual and caring. And the owner Thane is just a really great guy all around. We'll be using A&E Masonry again next spring for some finishing touches along our driveway! Thanks again for everything Thane, Brian and I are so incredibly happy with the way everything turned out and how amazing it all looks - you need to stop by and see it with the new railing out front and the patio furniture with our little spa out back, it just looks great - we couldn't be happier!

I honestly can't say enough about Garage One, their employees (especially Nick) and their professionalism! I was at the Home Show in Toronto last month, specifically looking for a new garage door as ours was over 20 years old. I met Nick at the show, we discussed options, price and decided to go ahead and purchase a new garage door. BEST DECISION EVER! First of all the door is made in Canada by Canadians and is built for our winters - great quality door! Second, I spoke with a variety of garage door people there, but the price with Garage One couldn't be beat (we took advantage of the included windows as part of the Home Show Special). A small deposit was made to lock in our price and as promised, 2 weeks later Nick called to arrange a visit for accurate measuring of the new door and a discussion on finalizing our window options, as well as hardware decisions. Nick arrived on the set date and time and explained all options to us, it was at this time we decided to have a new garage door opener installed, to go along with the beautiful new door - a top of the line Lift Master. We were told that the new door would be ready around the end of this month (April) and we would be given a call a few days prior to set up delivery and an installation date. To our amazement, Garage One called us almost 3 weeks early to inform us the door was ready and arrangements were made for them to install the following week. As promised, they arrived on time with all necessary pieces to complete the install (including the upgraded hinges and handles we had chosen, as well as the Lift Master door opener. In just over 3 hours, our old door was removed (they were careful to preserve the old garage door opener so we could re-sell it), the new door and opener installed, light bulbs, along with inside wall mount and outdoor key pad and they even set up our truck to work with the new opener. They cleaned up and took the old door away. Efficient, prompt, promises followed through - we just couldn't have asked for better, Nick and his helper exceeded all expectations and that's saying something in this day and age! It's also the first time a home reno project went EXACTLY as planned and promised, with no hidden costs, changes in scheduling or other issues or problems - I would highly recommend Garage One as your 'go to' dealer and installer, you won't regret it!! Thanks again Nick, you were great throughout the entire process and we plan on telling everyone in our neighborhood about you and Garage One!!

We were indecisive on whether we should simply have our dryer vent cleaned, or move the venting out to the side wall (which actually made more sense), so we called Dryer Vent Wizard to have someone come out and talk to us about it. Tyler and his son Leighton came over to take a look and explained what each job entailed, and after giving me the price of the 2 different services, we decided to move the vent out through the side wall. The proximity was only 2 or 3 feet, compared to the almost 20 foot span that the builder installed originally. I am thrilled we changed the venting placement, the guys did an excellent job and it took just over an hour to complete! Very nice father and son team, pleasant, professional, friendly and had some laughs with them. We would highly recommend them for any dryer venting needs you may have. Professional job, reasonable cost and no mess. What more could you ask for? Thanks again Tyler and Leighton, we really enjoyed meeting you both...oh and you were right, the sheets would normally take 35 minutes to dry, now it only takes HALF that time!! This will save us money for sure (especially with that fancy "European" dryer we bought)!!

We purchased a prefab shed and had hired someone to come in and build a base for us in our backyard. I called Bruce at You Buy It - We Build it to get a quote to build the shed on the finished base and his communication was spot on! We discussed price, date for install and a time via email and I was requested to pay a small deposit. As promised 2 people (a husband and wife team!) showed up on our agreed date and time, very punctual! They worked very well together and were extremely organized and polite. My husband was in the hospital during this time, so it was nice to know that the shed was being assembled properly and not have to worry it. Later that afternoon, I was politely asked to come outside and to my surprise, the shed was fully completed and up!! Not only that, they cleaned up their work site so well, that you would never have known they were even there - and the shed looked fantastic! I was extremely happy and satisfied with the shed assembly and it was worth the money to have someone come in to do this for us, as well as the look on hubby's face when he came home from the hospital! On a side note, about a week or so later it finally rained and I wanted to make sure the shed wasn't leaking. It was totally dry inside, but I did notice that the windows had a bit of water running down on the inside of them. This was in NO WAY the fault of the installers, but rather, the way the windows were built for the shed. I emailed Bruce to explain what was happening and he had the gentleman come out to re-caulk the 2 side windows for us. There was no hesitation on his part to offer this service and the windows are now completely sealed and 100% dry inside! Thanks again Bruce for everything and I'm sorry for my tardy review, things have been pretty hectic around here since August! I really appreciated you accommodating us in your schedule to get the job done quickly. I would recommend You Buy It - We Build It to anyone!

Unbeknownst to us, we had a leaky toilet and the water finally made it's way into the ceiling of our family room before we realized it. We had to tear out approximately a 3' x 6' area of ceiling drywall, fixed the toilet upstairs and had the mold treated. I called Al at Quality Finishes Interior Drywall Systems for a quote. Al came over that same afternoon to take a look and gave us a reasonable quote for the work to be done. I had one concern and that was our stippled (popcorn) ceiling. It wasn't cost effective for us to have it all removed, but I was worried that Al might have a problem matching the new stipple with the older builders stipple. He assured me that he would match it up so it wouldn't be noticeable. Al and his son arrived on the agreed day and time, punctual and ready to start. They completely closed off the section to be repaired and went to work. When the job was completed, they left the area immaculate, not only that, you couldn't tell where the ceiling had been repaired, it was flawless!! We were so happy with their work, we decided to ask them to do another job for us - to replace the drywall around our old fireplace with Durock, because we wanted to add stone around a new gas fireplace that was arriving the following week. Once again, we received a reasonable quote and Al and his son arrived once again on the agreed date and time. They did an amazing job, not just replacing the existing drywall with Durock, but moving a wall outlet for us and taping and mudding the old hole (Al's son is an expert taper and mudder), and building a "box" for our new fireplace to sit on. They supplied all the materials and their workmanship was of the highest quality!! I would highly recommend them for any drywall needs - experts in their field, great advice and they know what they're doing! I know it's taken me a while to get this review up, but the family room was just finished at the end of November and then Christmas was around the corner, so I apologize for the tardiness. We want you to know that we appreciated everything you did for us Al and we're wishing you continued success in 2016!

This was the first time we've ever used professional painters because we normally do the work ourselves, but my husband wasn't well, so we decided to hire professionals to do the painting. The truth is, I was apprehensive about it, because you never know what kind of job will be done until the workers are in your home, and promises that are made are sometimes broken, or not fulfilled, but my fears were alleviated even before the painting started!! First, Brian offered to meet me at the local hardware store to help me choose the proper primer, as well as helped us decide on a color for the family room, then meeting again to pick up the paint and letting us take advantage of his company discount. On the 1st day of painting, he and his helper arrived on time as promised. They began spreading drop sheets on the carpet for protection (even though I told him the carpet was going to be replaced a couple of weeks later, he still took the extra time and care to do the job). The deal was to put one coat of primer on all closet doors, the walls and the ceiling, however, the doors were quite yellow and Brian decided to prime them again (without being asked and without charging extra for this!). The ceiling is stucco and it's often difficult to get a straight line around the room because stucco sometimes drops down to the top of a wall...but these guys knew what they were doing, no question about it! Straight as an arrow around the perimeter of our family room and they also took extra-special care of the new stone wall we had installed, so as not to get paint on it - it was a tedious job, but done to perfection! Not only that, we had a new built-in bookcase that we had primed ourselves, which I was going to paint afterwards myself. Brian offered to paint it, saying that "they had the paint anyway, it wouldn't take long and that would be another job off my 'to do' list!" Whaaaaaat?? Hard to believe I know, but it's 100% true! They also touched up the stair banister leading down into the family room and both sides of the stair risers. I could not have asked more of them, they were so accommodating! Brian even put on all the new handles for the closets and bathroom doors, as well, he took the time to install our new lock for the side door, leading to the garage - all done without charge! In this day and age, that in itself is truly unbelievable!! I loved the work ethic of Brian and that of his assistant and we have decided that any future painting will be done by Millar Sales & Services - no way could we have done a better job ourselves (and I never thought I'd be saying that!!)! Here are a list of pro's: - estimated 3 days of work and was finished in 3 days - punctual, arrived each morning at promised time - great care taken to set up and clean up - friendly and very accommodating - added extras free of charge, where others would not have - willingness to work with added requests - great workmanship and expertise, top notch painting skills - we could NOT have done a better job! If you're on the fence about hiring someone to paint your home, rest assured that you are in great hands with Brian! I'd also like to personally thank you Brian for all your hard work and commitment to do the job right, you exceeded our expectations and everyone who's seen the family room is astounded at the job! Sorry for getting this up a bit later than I anticipated, but the rest of the work we had to do in the family room wasn't completed until the end of November and then it was time to get ready for Christmas. Wishing you a Happy New Year and much continued success in 2016!!

I called Gaslink to enquire about adding a natural gas-line for a bbq and outdoor fireplace. After discussing what my husband and I wanted to have done, I was asked if we'd like Ray to come over and take a look that same evening? We agreed that would be wonderful and set a time for approximately 6pm. Ray arrived on time, took a look at the project (we wanted to add a gas-line for our bbq on the upstairs deck, as well as a line to our new outdoor gas fireplace). He said he would contact me the following day with a quote and true to his word, I received an email and quote the very next day. I asked whether it would be possible for Ray to be here that same week to do the job and as requested, he agreed to come back 2 days later. Once again, Ray showed up on time, worked non-stop for over 3 hours and did an amazing job!! He tested the gas-line for leaks (not one leak to be found - a perfect job!), gave us a receipt, as well as made sure to tag the new gas-line and cleaned up himself, leaving our home as if he hadn't even been there! Not only was Ray polite and friendly, but he was extremely knowledgeable, very punctual and tidy!! He did an excellent job of installing the new gas-lines and we can't wait to purchase our new natural gas bbq!! Ray even offered to come back once we have our new bbq to hook it up and set it up for us - free of charge!! I would highly recommend Ray and Gaslink to anyone looking for someone reliable and punctual - the price was reasonable and this is a gentleman who obviously cares about his customers!! Thank you so much Ray, we appreciate the great job and will recommend you to everyone we know!! Brian & Tina

Sorry this review is late, our carpets were cleaned in early November. I found Steam Kleen right here on HomeStars and because of all the great reviews, decided to give them a call and have them clean our wall-to-wall carpet! Jay was punctual, friendly, courteous and listened to all my concerns. He sprayed the carpets first, to sanitize them (due to our 2 dogs) and to spot clean areas that our dogs (when puppies) had had a few 'accidents' that I was unable to completely get out of the carpet. He did a fantastic job and I was so impressed with his work ethic - he did a thorough cleaning and made sure I was happy with the job. Not only that, he cleaned both our door mats/rugs and one of them had 2-sided tape underneath, which, over time, the glue had come off and glued itself on top of the carpet. No amount of scrubbing would get it off, but Jay and his assistant worked diligently untiI it was all removed! Before leaving, Jay handed me his business card and told me if I had any problems, to just give him a call. I would definitely use Steam Kleen again and would highly recommend them for all your carpet needs!!