Dave in New Toronto

I had V & E install my antenna back in 2009. Very professional installation - a team of two employees worked safely with a harness to install a tripod mount on my roof, set up a 4-bay and an 8-bay antenna, route the cables in, add a frequency modulator, and run the connection to two locations in my home. Roof installation was very good, they wrapped the feet in some kind of asphalt wrap and melted it down with a torch to ensure full water proof seal around the mounting hardware. Inside they tested the installation via walkie-talkie, testing signal strength inside, and adjusting on the outside until it was best possible. Got about 30 channels. Took about 3-4 hours in total. About a year later I lost a couple of channels and Eric came out and adjusted it under the warranty. It turned out they just needed to be re-scanned (I thought I had done it, oops) but Eric was good about it and tested out the signal strength anyway to ensure I was getting best signal. Still happy 5 years later, still getting excellent reception. Have also recommended them to another person in the neighbourhood and they were also very happy.

I had a backup and the camera showed significant damage to the drain at a spot right underneath the edge of a 2-year old driveway. Armando was a big help in diagnosing the problem and showing/explaining as much as possible to me. Walter and his crew came out to excavate and repair the problem and they were extremely professional, considerate and careful. Because the excavation had to take place half on my neighbour's lawn, half on my driveway, I was very concerned that the excavation be done with as little inconvenience to the neighbour as possible. The hole was really about as small as it could possibly be and still leave room to repair the pipe. The excavated material was carefully contained on top of a tarp and the crew showed me the problem once they got to it, as well as the repaired drain pipe, and the new cleanouts. Once the drain was fully repaired, the material was replaced with care (good crushed stone base, soil compacted with a 'jumping jack' to minimize subsequent settling). The cleanouts were levelled at exactly the right height, with stone where the small section of driveway used to be, and topsoil over the lawn part. Even the stone edging was replaced with care. Walter even insisted on washing down the driveway of any little patches of tracked dirt so that literally the only thing you could see was the excavation spot. Armando came back to do a final camera inspection to show the drain from one end of my house right to the city sewer. When my neighbour got home, he was amazed by how small the impact to his lawn was, how clean a job they did, and how nicely they had left the soil. He pretty much insisted I write a review. Although I hope this is the last time I ever need any drain services, I wouldn't consider calling anyone but Drainworks in the future.

We had 4 windows replaced initially - two casements, two double hung, then 3 single sliders in 3 separate installations (due to separate renovation projects). We were very happy with the advice and options provided to us during the sales visit, with the quality of the windows, and with the speed and craftsmanship of the installation.

I had an excellent experience. The owners were involved at every point, from measuring, to sales (some advice turned out to be excellent in the end), to installation. During the process I was concerned about colour because the sample in the store did not match the one they gave me to take home and I wanted to be sure which one I was getting because I planned to take the sample to choose paint. They let me drive to the their supplier to look at and choose whichever slab I wanted. It turned out they were all identical to what I was expecting, and just one of the samples I had been given was old (I told them they should get rid of it and use newer scraps for samples). I don't understand why people get angry because one piece of stone doesn't match another perfectly - they are natural materials, if you need to be certain, then ask to see *your* slab first, it's really that simple - this is true of any stone, even boxes of stone tile. The installation was timely. Since I waited until the cabinets were done to have them measure, I was ready for them to install as soon as possible, but of course they could not. It took 2-3 weeks, but that is pretty fast for custom granite. I won't say the end product was perfect, but it was very close to it, and the combination of service and value was top notch in my opinion - no extra costs for thickness, or edge, or cut outs, or all the additional fees the big boxes add on to the cost of the stone. The pieces didn't fit perfectly when they brought them, but that was good and I think intentional, because they ground them down for a perfect fit based on actual stove/fridge width, for instance (can't fit a crumb between the counter and stove!). There were some slight gaps to the wall but small enough that the backsplash easily covered them anyway. Everything was level, no problems with cabinet door clearance, and they put additional protectant on once they were finished. They even made me a granite cutting board.

I had a backed up sewage pipe. The first company I called didn't even lift the top of the drain - this was a supposedly reputable one with a full page ad in the yellow pages and numerous "best of" awards! The man said he didn't even have to look at it, it was definitely my trap or near it based on the strength of the odour (yes, he really said that!). He said I had an old clay trap and for certain it was broken somewhere close, and scoping or snaking would be a waste of money. He said he would have to break up the floor and replace the trap and up to 5 feet and then he could see whether any further work was required to clear the problem. He could have a crew in the next morning with a deposit. I was skeptical that someone could know for sure with no inspection whatsoever so I found another company to call. I am glad I did because not only was the first company wrong, but it would have cost me far more money to fix in the end. I called Drainworks and they sent someone out. After a snake pulled out a piece of cloth, Matt was able to pinpoint the problem with the scope. There was a cracked pipe with a triangular section sticking in about 1.5 inches. - but it was 38ft away and nowhere near the trap and everything but the cracked section was in great shape! Matt was knowledgeable, happy to explain everything in detail, described several possible scenarios, and happily answered all my questions. He was professional, thorough and courteous. I now know the pipe will have to be repaired but at least I know for sure where the problem is and have visual confirmation. I did not pay a sketchy company a fortune to dig first and look later, and I can do the repair on my own terms.

I hired better contracting to replace eavestroughs and install a couple of roof vents. I have no complaints. Prices seemed reasonable, have not had any problems with anything they installed. Crews came when scheduled, worked quickly. Paperwork was clear.

Had 4 retrofit windows done, two large casements and two double hung. Good, no-draft seals. Completed all installation and fitting work from outside (thereby preserving all interior window trim). They are quality windows with good mechanics, no problems to date. Friendly service, came when promised.

I didn't know of Faulkners before moving nearby, but I found that they were very competitive, friendly, good service. Bought an energy star front loading washer and a matching dryer for just over $1000 for the pair. A friend bought the same pair, but with less features and paid more. Also, we just bought a demo fridge from them at about half off of the list price. It could not have been demo'd much as all the accessories were still in plastic. If you like to support smaller independents, Faulkners is a great place to check out. If you don't care and just want a good deal, it's still a great place.