Diane in Thornhill

I hired New Era Moving to move furniture from my late father's apartment (retirement home) to four different destinations (different family members were receiving different pieces). I chose the company based on a prior positive experience with them and based on their continuing track record of positive reviews. They were very accommodating of the many different elements of the move, and the owner made preparations in advance to take extra care with some of the more delicate items. The crew that performed the move was very experienced, efficient, and pleasant. They were also very kind to the elderly residents on the floor who wandered into the apartment asking questions during the move (curious neighbours came in wondering if someone was moving in or out, and the crew was very pleasant and sensitive in responding to the visitors). The crew worked very efficiently and completed the move within the time estimated (despite the sweltering heat on the day of the move). The amount quoted was the same as the final amount billed - no changes or surprises. I would definitely hire them again.

I been using Maple Window & Eaves for my annual eavestrough cleaning for the past three years. I found them from a google search, relied on the reviews, and those reviews turned out to be very accurate. They continue to be the most professional and reliable company that I have found for eavestrough work. In addition to respecting my property (being careful not to damage the eaves and leaving the site nice and clean), they do a thorough job and go the added step of making sure the downspouts are clear. I watched last year as they unscrewed the bend in the downspouts and removed a mass of packed in leaves (they were the first company to ever do that for my house). Their pricing is competitive and reasonable. They are pleasant to deal with and provide great flexibility in scheduling (they come based on the needs of my property - which is based on when my maple trees are finished dropping their leaves). This year was particularly challenging as snow and ice arrived much earlier than usual, which affected our scheduled appointment. But they didn't let me down, and they made sure to come as soon as the mess of snow cleared. Glad that I finally found a reliable company to do this work. I wish all of my contractors were this reliable and pleasant.

After calling three companies to seek advice about how to deal with a persistent earwig problem, I hired York Pest Control. Bryan provided helpful and honest advice about how best to deal with the situation, and his quoted price was very reasonable. When he arrived at the house to apply the treatment for the earwigs, we discovered a large wasp's nest. The thing was huge and way up high in a second-floor dormer. For both the insect treatment and the wasp nest removal, he explained what he was going to do so there would be no surprises. Once the work was complete, the final cost ended up being less than the quoted price. Bryan patiently answered my questions, listened to my insect stories, and provided advice on products to use and steps to take to help keep the insects in check throughout the season. He also provides a warranty following the work that was done. Definitely someone that I would recommend using - professional, easy to deal with, prompt and effective at addressing the insect issues, and the prices are very reasonable.

I originally found this store on the internet when I was looking to purchase a bed from a particular manufacturer. I was fortunate to come on a day when Debi, the owner, was there to assist me in person. She is a pleasure to deal with and gave me a very good price on the bed. I also needed two new mattresses, and I am so glad that I found this store. They have a very good selection, but more importantly, the atmosphere is helpful and low-pressure. I was able to come and try out different mattresses on different days - I cannot buy a mattress on a whim or under pressure - I need to try them on different occasions to make sure that what feels comfortable one day still feels comfortable two weeks later when I am in a different mood. Debi was great at providing helpful advice, and was also very kind and understanding about the comparison shopping process. In the end, I purchased my mattresses here because they had one that was perfect for me, the price was very competitive, and doing business with Debi was a delight. The delivery process was also pleasant - the delivery men arrived on time and were very respectful and careful in my home. I would definitely recommend this store.

To facilitate exterior foundation repairs, it was necessary to disconnect the air conditioning unit beside my house, and then reconnect it following the foundation work (it was also necessary to install an exterior shut-off switch to meet newer code requirements). I called a number of companies to obtain price quotes and information about the work to be done. I was impressed with the professionalism and helpfulness of all the staff at Laird & Son. They were happy to answer all of my questions before the work commenced. The technician who performed the work was experienced and pleasant (always a plus). I plan to continue using Laird & Son for my routine furnace and A/C maintenance. Happy to have found this company.

After discovering a large puddle of water in one room of my basement and a section of mold on the carpet in another room, and after determining that there were no internal causes for the moisture, I began calling foundation repair and waterproofing companies. Through this process, I discovered that my foundation had two leaking cracks - ones that were not suitable to repair effectively from the inside. Of the six companies that I called and the four companies that I met with, I was the most impressed with RCC. The estimator was helpful, honest, and knowledgeable, and the price quoted by RCC was very competitive. I checked into their company history, looked up their record with the Better Business Bureau, and read the reviews on Homestars. These confirmed my positive impression of RCC and I hired them to repair the two cracks. It was originally estimated that the work on both sides of the house could be done in a single day, but complications with the location of the cracks (one located beside a gas line and one located beneath a thick poured concrete patio) required extra time and care, with the result that the work required a second day to complete. The two-man crews who were dispatched to do the work (a different crew on each day) were both very impressive – I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly they were. They were very nice about explaining things to me when I had questions or wanted to watch what they were doing, they were very hard-working and were clearly skilled at their trade. I was amazed that they were able to do such back-breaking and dangerous work in difficult weather conditions while maintaining their enthusiasm and being so pleasant. My compliments to both of the crews who came to work at my house. The price that RCC quoted at the outset was the final price. Even though the work took longer than expected to complete, there was no extra charge. I was reluctant to leave this review so soon after having the work done (the work was just completed a week ago), because I won’t know until some time in the future whether the repairs are truly effective. We just had heavy rain for two days, and so far so good. I will revisit this review in a few months time, and will revise it if necessary. In the mean time, I am pleased to recommend this company. UPDATE: As promised, I am following up -- it is now almost a year after the work was completed, and I am pleased to report that everything still looks good -- no sign of water penetration around the areas where the foundation cracks were repaired. Also, after leaving my original review, I discovered that RCC offered to return in the spring to do a free regrading of the areas where the digging took place -- I took them up on that offer, and they arrived promptly and cheerfully to level out the areas where the freshly dug ground had settled over the winter. It all looks great now. Will happily use them again if the need arises. Thanks again.

My experience with Appliance Canada was, overall, very positive. My sales rep (Dan) was great - very patient (no matter how many questions I asked and how many times I came in to look at different items, he remained patient), he was helpful, he answered all of my questions with useful information, and he is knowledgeable about the products. I had done my research before coming to the store and I found that Appliance Canada’s prices were lower than every other store, at least for the products that I was looking at. After a few months of indecision, I finally decided on a fridge and an oven and made the purchase. When it came to scheduling delivery, the store provided amazing flexibility. My contractors kept missing the target dates for completion of my kitchen, and it was a huge relief to discover that Appliance Canada offers a great deal of flexibility in rescheduling delivery to future dates. The delivery process itself was not fun. It is the one aspect of my experience that I did not enjoy. The first challenge is that you have absolutely no choice over delivery times – for example, you cannot request morning or afternoon delivery – you will be assigned a block of time (usually a five-hour timeframe) and you have no choice in the matter. As I discovered, there is no guarantee that they will arrive within that assigned block of time (for one delivery, I was told the delivery men would arrive between 12:00-5:00 p.m. but they showed up at 9:45 a.m., which would have been great if I had actually been home). Also, the store insists that the delivery truck will phone you an hour before they arrive – do not rely on this – for my first delivery, they phoned from my driveway – for the second delivery, they called 20 minutes ahead – and for the third delivery, they did not phone at all. My advice for other customers is that whatever date you confirm for delivery, just stay home until the delivery arrives. On my first delivery date, the fridge and oven arrived within the scheduled timeframe. The fridge was unwrapped by the delivery men and it looked good. The oven was covered in sticky protective plastic (it’s very sticky and is not easy to pull off – the delivery men did not unwrap it). The store had advised me to examine the products carefully before the drivers left, but the driver wasn’t very patient and I felt very rushed, so I signed the paperwork and he left. Naturally, ten minutes after they left, I noticed damage on two different areas of the oven. I called customer service at the store and they were really great. They offered me three choices, and I chose the option of a replacement oven. The second delivery (the replacement oven) arrived with the same damage as the first oven, and the drivers and I figured out that the problem was with the manufacturer’s packaging (or more specifically, their lack of packaging). The store took it back without any problem and arranged for a third oven, which arrived two days later in good condition. I compliment the store on its policy of ensuring that the customer receives a satisfactory product. Overall, I was very impressed with my sales rep (Dan) and with the customer service staff (Susan and Robbie in particular). The delivery process was admittedly a nuisance, but the sales and customer service side was so positive that I felt it more than made up for the inconveniences of the delivery experience. I have recommended, and will continue to recommend, this store to others.

I contacted George about removing some unwanted gas pipe from my kitchen. He arrived promptly for the appointment and was very pleasant and professional. He provided me with the options for my current and future needs. When doing the work, he explained what he was doing. In addition to being impressed with his skill and friendly manner, I was very pleased with the respect that he showed for my home – he removed his shoes upon arrival and meticulously cleaned up the work area at the end. I would definitely recommend GasGuys.ca, and will certainly call George again for any future gas-related needs. Finally, I want to thank all of the other people who left reviews for GasGuys.ca on Homestars, because these reviews are what led me to contact this company.

My furnace wasn’t working properly. It was doing something referred to as “short cycling”. It would run for a minute or two, then stop for 10-15 minutes, then run for a minute or two, then stop for a while, etc. It started doing this at the end of last winter, so I called a company to have the furnace serviced – that company sent a rep who cleaned some things in the furnace and said everything was fine. But it wasn’t fine – it was still short cycling. This winter, on very cold days, the furnace couldn’t keep up – the temperature in the house wouldn’t go any higher than 14 degrees, no matter where I set the thermostat. So I finally decided to call a different company to try to get the problem fixed. On my father’s recommendation, I contacted Oliver Heating, because he had used them at three different properties over the years (once for a new furnace installation and twice for repairs) and he was very pleased each time. I was pleasantly surprised by my experience with Oliver Heating. My initial inquiry was responded to promptly, a service call was scheduled at my convenience, the technician arrived exactly on time, he put protective covers over his boots so as not to dirty my carpet, after looking at my furnace he quickly identified the problem, he fixed the furnace within a few minutes, and he left the work area clean and tidy. I felt frustrated because the problem was something that should have been noticed and corrected as part of the annual routine maintenance performed by the other company, but I also felt very happy and relieved to have found Oliver’s. From my own experience and the earlier experiences of my father, I feel confident that Oliver Heating’s technicians are thorough and competent, and all of the staff are courteous and respectful of the clients. I look forward to using Oliver Heating for my future furnace and air conditioning service needs.

It's me again. I just left a review for Markham Garage Doors a few weeks ago, but I had some new work done. It was another great experience and I couldn't resist leaving another review. I decided it was time for a new garage door opener (the old one from 20-30 years ago kept acting up). Knowing I had a great company to call made the decision easier. The people that I dealt with explained the opener options and price ranges, their prices were fair, and every person I spoke with (I called three times because I had lots of questions) was knowledgeable and friendly. Chris did a great job with the installation. He was very good humoured about me hovering over and watching the installation, and he was very pleasant about me wanting the wall-mounted openers measured and straightened just perfectly. He cleaned up the job site and took every last piece of waste with him. Coincidentally, a couple of weeks earlier, my parents' garage door opener suddenly stopped working. I assumed they needed a new opener and I was prepared to pay to have one installed the same day. I called Markham Garage Doors, Kevin went to the house right away, checked things over, and advised that the problem was likely electrical - nothing wrong with the opener. Turns out he was right. The electrical connection has been repaired and the opener is as good as new. I really appreciated the generosity of his time and his honesty in telling me what was needed, not taking advantage of the situation and selling me a new machine that was not needed. A great company to deal with.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the installation of my new roof by T. Simpson Roofing. After a year of heat, humidity, driving rain, heavy winds, and melting snow, I feel comfortable leaving this review and commenting on the quality of the roof installation. But first, I must comment on the customer service. After weeks of researching roofing companies and products, I chose to hire T. Simpson Roofing because: * Their price was at the low end of all the quotes that I received; * They provided a wide range of product options (whereas most roofers only deal with one shingle manufacturer); * They have an office and showroom that is open to the public where they have every brand and colour of shingle on display, along with the different underlayment products; * They provide large shingle samples that you can take home, and they provide lists of addresses of their previous jobs organized by shingle colour and manufacturer so that you can see their work and also check out the different colours; and * They answered all of my product questions and everyone was pleasant and professional to deal with. In terms of the installation itself, the roof has held up well during its first year. I have not had any leaks and the shingles remain intact. Prior to the installation, the office kept in regular communication in terms of the installation date (possible delays due to rain were communicated in advance), and they provided helpful hints on how to prepare for installation day (such as cutting the grass short to make it easier for the crew to pick up nails following installation, as well as advice on how to protect my property such as putting the cover on the outdoor A/C fan). I was pleasantly surprised by the crew that arrived to do the installation. They were a clean-cut, experienced and professional group of young men who explained what they were doing, pointed out any issues that they noticed with the roof (such as the uneven fascia over my garage and they explained how they would try to disguise the problem with the shingles), and they answered any questions that I had. The installation was not an easy one - my house has a very steep roof, had two layers of shingles to remove, has lots of peaks and valleys, and I had ordered extra underlayment which added to the work. The crew worked almost non-stop from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and they never lost their energy or enthusiasm. My only complaint, or perhaps more of a suggestion, is that the property would have benefitted from a few more protective boards and tarps. (I am still picking up nails and bits of shingles from the lawn and garden.) There were a couple of small issues that I noticed after installation was complete. I called the office and they sent someone over within two weeks to address the issues to my satisfaction (one was a bent piece of metal, and one was a shingle in the valley that required repair). A plastic window well was broken during the installation process, and the company offered to reimburse me for the full cost to replace it. I was pleasantly surprised (actually, I was shocked) when I found out that the office did not process my payment until they heard back from me that everything was resolved to my satisfaction and that I was happy with the job. That is the mark of a truly professional company that values their customers.

I recently purchased new hardwood flooring to replace older hardwood in four bedrooms of my home. I shopped around at several big-box stores as well as small specialty retailers but was not happy with the product selection, nor did I find the staff to be particularly helpful or knowledgeable. In frustration, I returned to the Yellow Pages to search for more stores, and I was fortunate to find Rowan Hardwood Floors. When I arrived at Rowan, I was greeted by a helpful person (Janet) who showed me a wide variety of flooring types and colours in my price range, and she exhibited great patience and interest in helping me find a colour that would match the existing hardwood in the rest of my home. Janet encouraged me to take home full-size sample boards so that I could see how the colours and grains would look on my floor at home. This was tremendously helpful in assisting me to make my decision on the wood species and colour of stain to purchase. During the three visits that I made to Rowan (looking, thinking, deciding and purchasing), all of the staff that assisted me were pleasant, professional and knowledgeable. Ultimately, I choose to purchase the flooring from Rowan. When I made the final purchase, I was notified promptly when the wood arrived, and I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived two days earlier than expected. Based on my experience, I feel confident that the staff at Rowan are up-front and honourable in their dealings with customers, and they are genuine in their desire to help their customers with the purchase and installation decisions so that the final product will be beautiful. Their prices are competitive and they have an excellent selection. I look forward to making future purchases from Rowan.

I purchased a house a few months ago and was struggling to make decisions on new paint colours as well as how best to update the decor. I hired Nanette for a colour consultation and was pleased to discover that she is also a trained design professional - one with skill, elegance, and good taste. As some of the other reviewers have noted, Nanette takes the time to listen to her clients, to understand their tastes and desires, and to recommend design elements that will suit the clients. Unlike some designers who want to paint everything the same shade of beige and who rigidly adhere to their own personal preferences, Nanette does what a talented designer is supposed to do - she offers design ideas that will appeal to the client's taste and that are well suited to the size and overall style of the house as well as the client's budget. I didn't agree with all of Nanette's suggestions at first - but when she suggested things that differed from my stated preferences, she made the suggestions ever so gently and tactfully without insulting me. Just because I disagreed with some of the suggestions doesn't mean they weren't good ideas - it just means that I am inexperienced in design myself. There were two particular suggestions that I didn't agree with at first, but I took the time to consider them, and ultimately I decided to implement Nanette's ideas. These two ideas have turned out beautifully. One idea was to install crown moulding in the living/dining room - these were two very plain rooms which stood in stark contrast to the abundance of colonial trim in the hallways - I just had my contractor install the crown moulding last week, and it is so beautiful that I almost cried the first time I saw it. Another recommendation was to paint the main bathroom a lighter version of the predominant wall tile rather than sticking with my preference for white - I broke free of my white obsession and am happy to report that the new paint colour does a lovely job of toning down the stark contrast between the tile and wall (even my contractor keeps saying how much nicer the room looks now). Overall, my experience with Nanette was a very positive one, and I look forward to hiring her for design advice on additional projects in the future.