D & N in Danforth

After an initial phone call on Tuesday, Denis visited our house on Friday to inspect a skylight that was possibly leaking. His diagnosis was condensation instead. So he provided lots of advice and explanation for maintenance and monitoring. He also gave friendly explanation for what was happening with the hardware and the environment, which helped. If any future work is needed, my wife and I will definitely call Skylights Unlimited.

We called Safe Electrical Solutions at 7 AM on New Year's Day. By noon that day, an electrician had already arrived at our house. Our initial problem was a smoke alarm that chirped at 5:00 in the morning several days in a row, even after we had replaced the battery and then the unit itself. The electrician tested all three smoke alarms in the house, as well as the electrical board in the basement. He recommended replacing all of the smoke alarms with newer, smarter units. These units combine smoke detectors with carbon-monoxide detectors. In addition, he recommended replacing two problem circuit breakers. Finally, he recommended installing a power-surge protector, which will be of great utility in our neighborhood, which is prone to power fluctuations and outages. We approved all of these recommendations, since the electrician was already on site and the problems seemed clear once pointed out. The electrician then worked hard and completed the work within 90 minutes. Helpfully, he explained the rationale and method for his work, so that we could be more educated consumers and homeowners. The conversation was amiable and professional. We appreciated this combo, especially on a holiday. Helpfully, the electrician called the next day to follow up on the work. We appreciated his call, and we reported that everything was in order. We had gotten our first good night's sleep for several days, as a result of the replaced (and correctly installed) smoke alarms. For future work, we won't hesitate to call Safe Electrical Solutions. Highly recommended.

WaterWorks visited our house to fix two problems - a leaky bathroom faucet and a leaky bathroom drain elsewhere. The plumber was friendly, arrived on time, explained his work, and fixed the first problem with hard work in about an hour. For the second problem, he provided advice on where to source a new vanity and quoted a price for the labor. We definitely plan to do this. At no extra charge, the plumber also offered advice on how to fix what sounded like water hammer - but was actually a problem with the water heater's ball-check valve instead. So a quick phone call to our third-party water-heater company got this problem fixed for free on the same day! All in all, we're happy with the professional and friendly service from WaterWorks, with lots of extra value added. We plan to use this company in the future, and we feel that we're in safe hands.

This store has a great selection of contemporary lighting, but the service is terrible. I must agree with other reviewers here, reluctantly. In the space of two days, the store made the following three mistakes: told me that a product was in stock, but when I arrived to pick it up, told me that it was actually out of stock; showed me a nice lamp, and then 'accidentally' found that the price was 50% higher at the cash register; and sold me a product that was the wrong color (inside the correct box), even though the clerk had inspected the product directly in order to insert new bulbs. The store gets high marks for selection and friendly attitude, but their service is dysfunctional.

Mayatech came on referral from Euro Lighting. The installer arrived on time, worked courteously and professionally, and made a quick job of hanging a designer pendant lamp. This lamp required swagging for optimal location. The installer measured carefully, and then took care of all the necessary cabling and mounting. While working, he chatted pleasantly about the mounting, the lamp, and the room in general. The lamp ended up at the perfect location and height to the millimeter. It looks great! After completing the installation proper, the installer provided extra advice about installing a dimmer, which was my next project. The installer unmounted the existing light switch briefly, explained about the important wires, and then sealed everything up again (so that I could do the work on another day). Much appreciated. The installer has years of experience with lamp fixtures. This was reflected in his comments and his work. I'd have no hesitations about recommending him for projects of this sort.

After last winter's heavy snows, the spring run-off was exceptional. Unknown to us, the hose on our sump pump had become disconnected some months before. So when the run-off hit, our basement was flooded with an inch of water one night. We called Canada Wide the next night, and they came out around midnight. (That is, a couple of hours after we called.) Their service was exemplary. They were fast, friendly, and informative. They diagnosed and fixed the problem promptly - by replacing the disconnected hose with superior PVC piping. They also looked around outside the house and gave us advice about water table and run-off. Finally, during each step of the work, they explained what they were doing in a friendly way. We were much relieved to have the problem fixed with a net improvement to the house. Highly recommended.

Our house was built in 1931, and it was showing its age: a few bricks were missing; the entire east wall (and half of the front) had amateurish pointing in white mortar and gray caulking; caulking strips were left from a removed porch enclosure; and the whole house was dirty. It looked awful! Jim and his crew transformed it from tired to fresh. Jim impressed us from the beginning with his knowledge, courtesy, and energy. He really cares! He and his crew worked hard and on time; they cleaned up; and they were sociable and friendly to neighbors. Now our house looks clean, well-maintained, bright, and attractive. The project came in on time and on budget. Jim and his crew are as much artists as tradesmen. We can't recommend them highly enough.