Fixed a hot water heater issue
Adam was prompt and extremely helpful. Had a minor issue with my hot water heater not lighting and he identified the problem quickly and saved me a lot of hassle. Thank you!
Daniel thanks for kind words!!
Excellent work and attention to detail
I realize that all my Homestar reviews have been negative, so I've decided to go back and recount the positive experiences I've had with contractors (few as they've been). I was referred to Schuit from my home inspector, who noticed damage to my rear stucco wall. Brad from Schuit came over to inspect the condition of the wood behind the stucco and found that water had been leaking behind the wall for years, resulting in rot and potential structural problems. The company sent two of the most competent and reliable workers I've ever met, and they spent two weeks completely rebuilding the wall from stud to plaster. It's been over a year since the work was done and it looks as good as new (though I suspect water is still getting behind the wall somehow, but that's likely an issue with the flat roof, not Schuit's workmanship). One quick anecdote: After Schuit completed the work, I was getting some water leaking on my window sill, and suspected it was a caulking problem. Schuit sent a crew to inspect their work and determined that the issue was with a newly-installed door that wasn't properly caulked; they resolved a problem caused by another contractor (the poorly-reviewed Encore Windows and Doors, who I would not recommend to my worst enemy), which I thoroughly appreciated. Schuit's excellent work was also several thousand dollars less than two other Toronto-based companies. Recommended!
It took me a long time to decide to write this, but as I sit in my office next to a window that inadequately keeps the cold air out, and after countless (literally more than I can count) calls to my salesperson, Dave (who has admittedly been responsive, if not helpful, each time), I feel this negative review needs to be left, along with an explanation. Encore was brought to my attention through a contractor I trust, and the initial quote and sales process was superb. Dave walked through the house, sent people to measure the windows (seven in all) and scheduled the work promptly. The windows themselves appeared to be of extremely high quality and I was happy with the decisions. But problems started with the installers themselves who, because they wanted to get it done in a single day, cut corners that led to dozens of hours of followup and additional issues. Not only was a profound mess left inside my house, with my walls not just scuffed but scratched from various boxes and other sharp objects careless dragged across them, but the windows themselves were not adequately caulked, leading to leaks inside the house causing damage. The installers also failed to properly install a door, leading to even more leaks. Throughout all this, Dave has been responsive and has put up with a lot. I do appreciate that. But the install was so bad, and the problems so pervasive, that unless the company compensates me for my trouble, or pays for installation, I will stand by my lack of a recommendation. I am happy to chat with anyone who wants to use this company beforehand, as people need to understand what they're getting themselves into.
Daniel it took us a long time to write a response as your review score has left us dumbfounded.You acknowledge in your review that we did follow up and address all your concerns as they arose. We tested the windows, we had them inspected by a Window Wise engineer.We re-caulk the whole front of the house when there was a possible deficiency. The door issue was attributed to a design weakness associated with outswing doors which was rectified. You also acknowledge that some of the issues stemmed from a deficiency in your roof. Our communication has been open and has been always followed up with action. Our last visit was on December 21st from an email we received the same day about a possible air leakage in your living room window; we used a candle (simple and effective) and determined the cold air you felt was due to convection which is prevalent when the glass area is large in relation to the size of the wall it occupies. We offered a plan and solutions and the response we received was this review. Daniel our line of communication is open if you wish to discuss this further.
The windows are fine -- the quality of the end product is adequate, though there was some damage to some of the window frames. More importantly, the service was atrocious. The workers broke one of our windows, leading to a large amount of broken glass strewn all over the garden and porch. They only cleaned the mess after an angry phone call and further monitoring of their work, which took time out of our work day. Furthermore, there was a terrible mess in each room they changed a window. Soil and leaves were strewn over one of the bedrooms, with small shards of glass found on the carpet. Items were knocked over negligently and not put back, and there was no attempt to cover or shield any valuables from damage. For the money we spent, we would not recommend these guys to anyone else.
