Peter in Etobicoke

Blue Sky delivered a pod to our driveway and placed it precisely where we wanted. They have a cute tug-motor with forks that get it into a tight space. When the reno work ran a couple of weeks over they pro-rated the extra time. I was very happy with their speedy delivery and pick-up.

Kaayla arrived as scheduled and spent the whole day steam-cleaning and re-caulking our tub and shower. She was meticulous, careful, and spent a lot of extra time scrubbing our 4 grab bars. Before leaving, she gave us some cleaning tips to help keep our tiles and grout free of mould and soap scum. We were very impressed. She takes pride in her work and does a great job.

This year, those sneaky wasps set up a nest inside double-faced fence boards. Carlo came the next day at the appointed time. He sprayed them through the cracks and they are GONE!

Drape Master was referred to us by another dry-cleaning company, since they also do removal and re-installation. Max came to our house, removed our lined drapes and sheers 8' x 12' window), and re-hung them one week later looking clean and new. We were impressed with his professionalism, courtesy, answered all questions, and was incredibly speedy and deft. Max did in minutes what would have taken us hours (even in our healthier days). Job well done! Highly recommended!

We and our neighbour (sharing a semi-detached) had rogue wasps in our basements. Carlo was quick to answer the call for help. He found the nest entrance in the chimney, bombed it, and --- no more wasps!

From the moment Rick came over to give us a quote I knew how meticulous he would be. Every item was costed out. He picked up and delivered our chosen flooring ahead of time. The installation was done on the appointed day. All cutting (even the doors) was done outside to minimize the mess. He and Jordan did a wonderful job, and the floor looks great. I highly recommend McLaughlin Flooring.

Sean and Nick showed up on time and replaced our old drum-type humidifier with a GeneralAire 1042. They also installed the add-on "Water Savor [sic]" board, which limits the amount of water wasted in this flow-through design. Why this can't be controlled with a simple ball-valve is beyond me, but I'm not an engineer. They did a great job, explained everything, had me install the evaporator pad (to save on labour next time) and overall we are very pleased. The humidifier works well.

We hired Mr. Hardwood Floors to refinish our old hardwood floors in the living room, dining room, and hallway: 340 ft sq. Initially we were looking to install new floors but some bigger companies (that advertise on TV) wanted a fortune. Manuel is very honest and recommended sanding and refinishing for much less. We initially had trouble contacting him (he was referred by a family relative) but he and his helpers did a wonderful job, including moving furniture, despite the fact Manuel was suffering from a shoulder injury. He replaced two cracked boards with extras taken from other removals. I would recommend Manuel to anybody. Our 55 year old floor was worn in spots but it looks new again. I deducted one point because he can be hard to get hold of and is slow returning calls. Best to call him between 7pm and 10pm.

After the city gave me a hard time about unclogging my sewer on their property, Chris (and Jimmy) from Mr Rooter installed a new cleanout and backwater valve in my cold cellar. They were very professional, knowledgeable, and arrived as scheduled. All dirt etc was removed and area restored like new. Chris suggested I have a liner installed but it was pricey. I will call them again if it becomes blocked.

Having trouble climbing in and out of your bathtub? This company did a first-class job of cutting our tall fibreglass bathtub and installing an insert (XL size). The installer (Bill?) also reinforced the tub below the insert, which is something the "duck-guys" (TV ad) don't do. Included was an 18" grab bar, installed. The shower was ready to use in 24 hours. The adhesive used is smelly for a day. Only nit-pick was the misspelling of my name on the invoice, but Glen e-mailed me another.

Our 8-year-old over-the-stove microwave was acting up, so I looked around and found this deal on-line at C.A.S. This offer was legit, no bait-and-switch - a Maytag 2.0 cu ft microwave for only $239!! Less than half price (I think it's last-year's model, but who cares). My wife and I visited the Ronson Dr store and was assisted by salesman Ray. We purchased it on the spot and carried it home, brand-new in the box. Had it installed that evening thanks to a good (strong) friend/handyman and it works great. Added an extra 4-years (3rd party) warranty for $85, because appliances don't last forever any more. Very happy with the shopping experience and help at the loading dock at Canadian Appliance Source.

Almost new Samsung French-door refrigerator had a problem with the vertical flap not closing properly. Mike showed up on time, was familiar with the problem, and fixed it in minutes by installing some spacers. He was courteous, removed his shoes, answered my questions and gave some suggestions. Job well done! Fixed free under warranty. job ref No. 4144253680

Our old aluminum windows were replaced with triple-glazed krypton-gas vinyl frame casement windows. It took only one month from the salesman's estimate until installation day. The two installers were professional, courteous, and stayed late to finish as evening came. We were impressed with their speed and attention to detail. There were a couple of scrap slivers and loose screws around the house which were difficult to see during cleanup as it was getting dark. Also there were 4 missing plunger clips which keep the screens (2 per screen) in place. We had to wait a week for the manufacturer's rep (Northstar Windows) to bring us some spares. The installers should have a baggy of extra small parts handy because they can be easily lost. We also had to paint in a few spots where they used wood trim on the inside.

We hired Green Lanes in April of 2013 to fix up the master bedroom in our 50 year old bungalow. The ceiling and walls were cracking around the old plasterboard seams. Also, the room was hot in the summer and cold in winter. This is a corner room, and in the 60's they did not believe in wall insulation. John Lawrence and his crew insulated the main wall with Styrofoam SM, drywalled over it, smoothed over the ceiling with several coats of drywall compound, adjusted the curtain rods and fascia to fit the thicker wall, repaired some other minor damage, and painted it with 2 coats. The cleanup afterwards was spotless. The room now looks brand new and perfectly smooth, and the temperature is much improved. John Lawrence is an experienced contractor in Etobicoke for at least 25 years. He's done several jobs for us in the past and has always done excellent work. I recommend him highly.

These roofers came all the way from Georgetown to Etobicoke because they dealt previously with the owner of the other half of the building (semi). Despite the rain, and a low quote, they finished the job in 2 days. Usher and his crew did a professional job. The A/C and plants were covered to prevent damage, and they cleaned everything up afterwards. I highly recommend them. Unfortunately they don't normally travel as far as Etobicoke.

After receiving several quotes from reno places, we decided to go with Harmony Kitchens near Kipling and Lake Shore. The reason? Tom and his family made a good impression on us as being honest and reliable. He also had some good ideas to make our awkward corner cabinet more accessible. Harmony Kitchens is more of a cabinet maker/installer than a complete renovator, but they use trusted sub contractors for much of the additional work, in our case demolition, flooring, tiling, electrical, and drywall repair. Our only complaint was the fine dust left through the house. The subcontractor sealed the kitchen off during the demo but not during the drywall sanding. To make a long story short, we are extremely pleased with our updated kitchen. I would recommend Harmony Kitchens to anyone who wants a good job done for a fair price. The cost of the appliances and lighting fixtures was not included.

Convertible was the lowest of 4 quotes I received, and was also recommended by a family member. The salesman was knowledgable and easy to deal with. They installed a hi-eff American Standard furnace and 14 SEER Goodman A/C. The two installers did an OK job, but I had to talk them into installing the intake pipe as specified in the contract. It should have been no big deal - they would have had to replace the existing exhaust anyways with the "white" PVC pipe. Instead they used the old exhaust as the new intake. The thermostat supplied was for a single stage burner (the furnace has a 2-stage) and although this is not really a big deal when I called later they wanted big bucks to upgrade, with trade. I bought my own 2-stage thermo from Lowes for less. They did an OK job for a good price, it's been running well for a year now, but I feel a bit slighted they tried to save $50 on the thermostat and extra work on the intake vent. Insist on a 2-stage heat thermo - your furnace will warm your house faster when cranking the heat.