Ellen Z in North york

Since the day we brought this beautiful Second Life wool carpet home, our dog has relieved himself on it, puked on it, knocked items over on it, chewed on it and generally attempted to destroy it. Fiber Protection has come to the rescue twice so far, replacing actual wool fibers, cleaning out un-cleanable stains and re-dying the carpet to match the original - perhaps even better than the original. Their custom touch and need for perfection defies logic. From one picky person to another, they are the ONLY ones capable of this level of cleaning and restoration. And yes, that's the carpet in the photo, and our wonderful dog.

After getting a few plumbers to quote a bunkie plumbing job at the cottage, we hired Highlands Plumbing based on their visit (to our island), their written quote AND on a recommendation from our contractor. They showed up on time and started the work, but stopped halfway stating incorrectly that they weren't doing the actual fixture install and had to wait for a second date to return anyway. On the second visit, they completed the work, but after leaving, the toilet would not stop running and I had to get them back to the island at a third date. The final invoice was 25% higher than the quote to our surprise, and at no time during the job did the plumber nor their office let us know there were extra charges over and above the quote. It's now months later, and they continue to ignore my emails. Bottom line: bad business practices. I would recommend them ONLY with caution around quotes and what they determine to be changes - legit or not.

Josh and his team took over window cleaning from our previous cleaner, and frankly they didn't just do as good a job; they did even better. I'm talking clean aluminum trim, clean 2 story mirror inside, clean skylight inside and out. Clean, clean, clean. Even their attitude is 'squeaky'. Thanks Josh.

The Pump Shop is my go-to service provider for my water and pump service at the cottage. Since we're on an "island", it's not easy getting any type of repair or service at the cottage, and we're used to waiting weeks or months for someone to show up, typically needing a lift from the marina. Pump Shop is different: these guys (and always the same guys) show up whether I'm there or not, WITH their own boat, and within hours of my call, to service our pumps and water lines. They're trustworthy, friendly, prompt, proficient, knowledgeable...did I forget anything?! No. 1 guy there: BJ. BEST!

After a number of let-downs by supposedly reputable pool service companies, I turned to PoolMaster to take over my pool maintenance. They were responsive and professional from the get-go, and over the last two months, seem eager to please in person but very difficult to get a hold of. I've seen plenty of glowing reviews mentioning Talon (the Manager), but he/they seem to struggle with the volume of work, making them incapable of responding in a timely fashion. I've committed myself to giving them more chances, considering their eagerness to please (when in person), and we'll see how it goes.

HomeStars is the 10 star concierge of everything you need done at home. I can't imagine navigating the home improvement and renovation world without this website now and the trusted homeowner reviews that go with it. Avoid the worst; hire the best!

This is the second year we're using this pool maintenance company, and on reflection, only continuing because there are sadly so few reliable, professional companies that do what they say they will. Pool opening and closings have been pretty seamless due to their simplified process, but this year full of small problems like not putting in the correct plugs, jets and equipment leading to even more problems. Last year, there were a couple of issues like equipment work without our approval (turned out it wasn't even needed and they cut a line), and liquid chlorine being splashed on our pool deck. I believe the senior folks want to do things right, but those doing the actual maintenance are too inexperienced to carry through. UPDATE: this pool company resigned our business, after they couldn't solve an algae issue. Another company stepped in temporarily, added some algae killer to the pool, and voila...problem solved.

With the rash of break-ins in our area, we asked Paul to come by and do an updated 'review' of our Pre-Lock system, and address the latest break-in trends. His expertise was invaluable: of course he quoted various new accessories to beef up our system, but more importantly, suggested simple no-cost tips to keep the burglars out.

When E-Z Lawn came out for their annual spring opening, one of my sprinklers was broken, and they replaced it and charged me accordingly. The sprinkler was not however installed correctly in the ground - sticking up approx 4" above the grass line. I called E-Z Lawn (actually the owner), and he came out to look but never came back to fix that sprinkler head - even after multiple calls to do so. I did not pay for the service call (and repeated to them again on the phone what the issue was, when they called for payment), did not go ahead with any additional work, and called a competitor for the Fall. There's no excuse for shoddy work, and especially after giving them multiple opps to fix it.

I've done a few projects - big and small - through Royal, and I don't need to worry nor second guess if I made the right choice. They just get it done right, with quality materials, exactly as ordered. PROfessionals. I've already recommended them to family, friends...everyone.