Robert from Toronto

Resurfacing my rear laneway driveway was the last step of a multi year plan to revitalize the rear area of my house. For the past couple of years, my parking pad has been comprised of compacted soil mixed with some gravel that my general contractor put down for me when they were constructing the rear addition. Every time it rained, I would have to be inconvenienced by getting mud on my shoes as I got into the car to drive to the office,or not being able to shovel the snow around the car during winter time. Well enough is enough. This year, my plan was to hire a company to resurface it with three options: Concrete, Asphalt and Interlocking Stone. I started my research back in January here on Homestars and selected 3 companies I felt good about contacting after reading the reviews. Of the three companies, Epic was the only company that replied and followed up promptly. My parking area is approximately 300 sq/ft and in an older downtown Toronto neighbourhood. From my past experiences of trying to obtain estimates for work on my house, a lot of companies will not respond due to the location (citing the difficulty in finding parking or the small contained space to stage & work) or the smaller scope of work. This wasn’t the case with Epic. They assigned Giovanni, a project manager to help document my requirements and offer resurfacing options with associated estimates. Giovanni made arrangements to come visit the site and take measurements for a proper estimate. This was during the winter season when there was snow on the ground. I was impressed by the professionalism of Epic and how they value their (potential at the time) customers. After multiple discussions, I decided to go with interlock paving stones over asphalt and concrete. Giovanni understood that I was going for an old world Europe cobblestone look and referred me to their partner stone supplier’s catalogue (Bestway Stone) to select the right style of stone. Meanwhile, I shared project details and the positive engagement with Epic with my neighbour. He also had a mud & gravel parking pad and was interested in resurfacing it this year. Encouraged by my dealings with Epic, he also signed up to be part of this project. As most of you know, it was an extremely wet spring with lots of rainfall. Giovanni was in touch with me almost on a weekly basis to share updates on their project schedule and a forecast of when my project would start. I read a lot of reviews here about project delays but I can’t see how any company has control over the inclement weather that we get here. Giovanni gave us a heads up a week before when the work was slated to start on our driveways giving us ample time to make arrangements to find alternative parking for our cars and for some of our adjacent neighbours. The crew completed both projects in a timely fashion (less than week) . They arrived early at the same time each day and worked very diligently through out the day. There were some unforeseen issues with my property as there was an old tree stump that eat up half the day to clear out to ensure we had enough depth. There was no complaints or extra charge for the effort. The results speak for itself. Both my neighbour and I are very satisfied with our new driveways and the entire process with Epic was smooth. Thanks to Giovanni, Anthony and the entire crew.

I needed to remove a Sycamore Maple tree in my backyard. Toronto Trees came with up with the best estimate quote and answered all my questions about the process of the removal. Also ensured I had the proper permit and sign off from Toronto Forestry and my hired arborist. Heather worked with me on the scheduling of when the work would be done and was accommodating to my work schedule as I like to be on site when any work is done to my property. The guys showed up on the day and took care of everything especially in a old Toronto neighbourhoods where space is limited and access to the backyard can be difficult. Cleaned up the site afterwards. Great job. I recommended them to my friends & family.

Found out about Andy through a family referral. Owning a 120+ old house in Toronto will definitely present challenges when it comes to building essentials such as a proper rain water management system. The rain gutters, soffit and fascia were in dire need of replacement the moment when we purchased the house but its been something we've delayed until now. Noticing our great neighbours also had older gutters due for replacement, we coordinated together and reached out to Andy for a quote. Andy came by and took his time to comment on what was required for each household and mentioned he would provide a quote for each household. We appreciated how organized and fair this approach was as each of the households had a different body of work due to some having rear additions. Andy provided very fair quotes and we were happy to agree to a contract of work. He did mention that fall/winter is usually a busy time for his services and that it would be at least a week before he can do our job. Right on queue, Andy arrived next week with Anthony and Sammi to start the job. They came across some dry rot wood fascia boards on the front porch area and replaced them without asking for more money. We appreciated this as we know this was extra labour and materials required. Andy was also happy to work with us in terms of colour choices for all the installed materials. This was great as replacing these elements presents an opportunity to add some curb appeal to our respective houses. Andy's attention to detail and his willingness to work with each of his clients on their needs is what separates him from other contractors. Talk straight and deliver. Contractors that embody these values are the ones I want to deal with. Home owners don't have a issue with paying for something, they just want it done right, on time and on the committed budget. Thanks to Andy and team for modernizing our row house complex!

When it came time to replacing the existing “fence” (a combination of overgrown shrubs & a 30+ year chain link fence that somehow became part of the shrubs), I simply could not ignore the number of great reviews given to FCF on Homestars. They were one of three companies I called for a consultation and a quote. FCF was the quickest to respond to schedule an onsite meeting the same week. But it wasn’t the cheaper pricing that sold me on choosing FCF. Upon meeting with owner Pratema, I liked how deliberate the discussions were on my fence requirements. She was very good at managing expectations in terms what’s possible and what the best value to the home owner is. Often as a homeowner, there is a gap in terms of what we want/imagine possible vs. the technical reality. There was a real desire to want to work with me on building what my vision of my backyard. Being a home owner in downtown Toronto, access to the property has always been a challenge for all my previous contractors that have worked on site. One of the fence companies [reputable one I heard about on a TV show] I reached out to, quickly responded “they did not service my area” after learning of my street address. Pratema did not complain about the smaller job site but instead paid close attention to the surroundings that her team would have to work with. As a homeowner, these are the type of people I want to deal with, people who bring solutions forth and have problem solving skills. Often, constructing a new fence is a “production” that involves multiple home owners especially in the smaller confines of older Toronto neighbourhoods. Pratema was able to work with me and two of my neighbours to come up with a design and price that worked for all parties involved. This was impressive as the other fence company that came on site made a disclaimer statement to me that it was up to me to talk with my neighbours to make it all work out. The workmanship of the fence is professional and looks great. FCF was fast and worked thorough the days to complete the build. They also made an effort to clean up general garbage and the other garbage (excess soil) they couldn’t take was communicated to everyone. There was no surprise in terms of how they left the site condition. Good luck booking an appointment with FCF. These guys are rock stars and I noticed that while I was having onsite meetings with owners Mohan & Pratema, the phone was constantly buzzing from messages and calls. Fairly obvious that they are busy and have a full schedule this summer. My advice to all homeowners is be reasonable, understand that reputable trades companies such as FCF “choose” their customers, as much as customers choose them.

In preparation for the warmer weather and upcoming BBQ season, I contacted Cody @ Climate Experts again to help out. As I found out, most natural gas BBQs (and any outdoor gas appliance) require Quick Connectors to tap into your natural gas source. From my previous renovation, I already had a gas line roughed in (through basement) and accessible in the backyard. I inquired about having the ability to hook up a patio heater as well as the BBQ. Cody and his team were able to provide an elegant solution that included two (access to ½” and 3/8”) quick connections, dedicated shut off valves for each connection and a master shut off for the entire outdoor gas line. On top of that, they took the time to paint the gas lines black to match the rest of the house’s exterior components (windows, doors and siding). Thanks to the service techs (Jason & assistant) for the good work and bring on the BBQ season!

After posting my initial review [5/10 dated October 2015] on the challenges of getting personnel from Tall Basements to help close off the build permits with the City, Kevin reached out to me to begin the process to get a final inspection. Kudos to Kevin for taking the corrective action for assisting with this. He got in touch with the engineering firm to provide revisions to the document that the city inspector had requested. Kevin also put together a package of documents (drawings, plans, reports) to ensure the final inspection went smoothly. On inspection day, Kevin was kind enough to move a previous commitment and do the walkthrough with the city inspector on my behalf. I really appreciate the all effort put into getting the build permits closed and finishing what we started together in a collaborative manner.

Ionic was subcontracted by my general contractor to do all the wall and floor tile work in my basement reno (bathroom & laundry alcove). We chose and supplied the wall and floor tiles. Chris and his team were on schedule each day and completed the work in the time estimated. Thanks to Ionic for being part of our project.

As part of my big renovation, I needed a total of new five windows installed. Four of the windows were for the finished basement and one was a feature window for the rear addition bump out. When I started to search for a windows company to take on the work, I went through many online reviews, combing through renovation forums and Homestar reviews. I came across Olympia Windows and my attention was directed to two primary things they brought to the table over other companies. They've been in the windows business for 30+ years and are partners with established window manufacters known for building quality windows. I called Olympia and spoke with Emilio (owner). We had a quick chat about the location of my house. I'm in the west end GTA on a one way street and row house configuration. Emilio expressed concern about the installers having safe and easy access to downtown Toronto houses where parking was limited. He explained to me that in a few of his past jobs, there was no access for his installers to bring the windows & doors and also all the necessary equipment to install them. I assured Emilio that I did have rear lane-way access and my other reno contractors had no issues with accessibility. Emilio sent out his sales rep (Lily Morton) to meet with me at my house. Lily was very helpful and extremely patient with teaching me about how a solid window should be constructed and highlighted the competitive edge of the windows manufacturer Olympia uses. We went through the different windows type for my basement application with Lily suggesting awning for the family room and bathroom (frosted) while double sliders for the bedroom taking egress into account. Egress was an important consideration as the basement bedroom will use for friends and in-laws. She also explained the difference between "brick to brick" vs. retrofit. Lily spent close to two hours with me and never once did I receive any pressure to sign off for an order. This was a sharp contrast to experience I had with a sales rep from a popular windows company. The sales rep spent less than 15 min with me (most of it was spent measuring the window opening sizes) and then pressured me to sign off and pay a deposit. I decided to move forward with a signed contract with Olympia and a large part of that was Lily's shared expertise and her desire to sincerely wanting to help a customer vs. looking to make a quick buck from them. My order was placed in October (2014). Emilio sent one of his techs (Alfredo) to my house to do the final measurements. There was a lot of conversation on the feature window. Since I was looking for an oversized modern (picture frame & casement combo) window for the rear bump out, it quickly became a production in which my general contractor, structural engineers and olympia had to work together on. Olympia was very accomondating and worked with their windows manufacturer to ensure the custom window could be made and a proper warranty would be applied on it as well. Unfortunately due to the extreme winter we experienced, Emilio was unable to dispatch his install teams to put in the windows. He did make an effort to keep me updated during the winter months that he would prioritize my install was the weather warmed up. I got a call from Emilio last week and arrangements were made for his team to come out and install the windows. Olympia uses their own experienced installers (vs. subcontracting). George & Flavia arrived in the morning (earlier than scheduled). They got set up and began work with the big feature window first. It did take a bit of work but it was installed and fitted. George always made sure the windows was level and plumb. In fact he's a perfectionist and even having the level ever so slightly off wasn't good enough that he insisted on adjusting it. George and Flavia had no issues with me shadowing them during their work either. They made it a point to explain each step of the installation process and what was being done next. I could see that they were performing the install like it was their own house. When a customer sees this type of effort being put in, there is an overwhelming sense of gratitude as it really is a mixed bag of service in the GTA contractor trade nowadays. George cleaned up both inside and outside after the install leaving my house clean. He even took my old windows away for recycling and disposal. Thanks to the Olympia Windows team of Emilio, Lily, Alfredo, George and Flavia for everything! The windows are installed and look amazing. I can also rest assured that if any issues arise, Olympia will still be in business to help me resolve it. Looking forward to working with Olympia again for future windows & doors requirements.

Climate Experts was referred by my general contractor who had spoken very highly of their work and customer service from previous jobs. My big bang basement renovation involved underpinning the foundation to achieve a ceiling height of 8’. The previous owner had installed a top of the line Lennox SLP98V furnace but had reused the existing old ducts which unfortunately are bulky and ran down the middle of the basement. As part of finishing the basement, I wanted to take down the old ducting and install a new configuration in which it would run alongside the wall (opposite from the windows) giving the basement maximum exposure to natural light. Cody Johnson’s team installed modern slimmer ducts that were routed along the inner wall connecting back into the furnace manifold . A new gas line was run (1-1/4” black iron) from the gas meter at the front of the house to the back supplying natural gas to kitchen stove, hot water heater, furnace, standby generator, fireplace and BBQ. New lines for the A/C were also ran from my Lennox XC17 back to the furnace. Cody’s team designed it so that all the described runs were hidden in the ceiling joists and ran along the new duct run. This allowed me to have ONE finished bulkhead which all the HVAC runs were contained. Since I was getting a tank less hot water heater (HWH) rental from Reliance installed, Cody is a partner of theirs which meant he could complete the installation for me instead of having a separate installer come into the mix and not being familiar with the basement site. This was the obvious preferred arrangement as I would be getting the same workmanship as I did with the HVAC install. Cody took care of business by making arrangements with my Reliance rep to pick up and install the unit. He also helped me return my existing water tank rental back to Reliance. Finally, I also had Cody install the radiant flooring components needed activate my new floor heating. During the underpinning process, I had my general contractor run PEX piping in the concrete for the entire basement. His installs are tidy and well thought out in order to minimize the space required for the mechanics. This means more reclaimed space to put back into livable area for our family. Cody’s customer service was top notch. He was responsive in our communications by taking the time to addressing all the questions I had about the HVAC. Since our child has allergies and is very sensitive to the air quality and relative humidity of the environment. I wanted to ensure that we were doing all that we can with our HVAC system so that a comfortable and clean environment is created. Cody’s expertise was evident as he suggested multiple options in which we can could accomplish this (bypass vs. power fan assist humidifier) (replacing PureAir Filtration Kit)( whole house dehumidifier in standalone vs. integrated with furnace mode). I ended up having Cody install a fan assist humidifier and whole house dehumidifier to regulate humidity (RH). Cody Johnson and his team were extremely professional throughout the entire process. Cody always took the time to answer any questions I had and made it a point to arm the customer with the information and letting them make the decision. I always felt comfortable discussing options with Cody and never felt like I was being upsold on products/services I didn’t need. When it comes to your HVAC system you want a professional to not just provide the quality workmanship but also to look out for your best interests to deliver what you want out of your HVAC. This is where I felt Cody really came through well above other the HVAC companies I talked to. Thanks again to Cody and Climate Experts!

I found out about Tall Basements by word of mouth when I stopped in to talk to a homeowner on a neighbouring street who had the Tall Basements sign up on their lawn. Our home is a century old and the basement had very little head room (6 feet), so we were looking for a reputable contractor to underpin it and create a nice family living space. After reading about the houses that collapsed the past couple of years while undergoing a foundation underpinning, we wanted to ensure that we went with the right company that had experience and expertise in the trade and an understanding of the soil conditions in our old Toronto neighbourhood. We called and set up an on site meeting with Kevin (Robinson) and Tony (Esteves) to discuss our plans. They surveyed our basement, discussed our plans and took the time to explain the steps involved in underpinning. We were impressed by the professionalism and the technical expertise of both Kevin and Tony. They really took the time to translate a lot of the "construction speak" to language that the educated home owner could understand. After a week of thought, we entered a contract agreement with Tall Basements to have the work done. Our basement is around 650 sq/ft so the plan was to target a new height as close to 8 feet as possible (finished). The underpinning portion of work took about two months with either Kevin or Tony on site each day to manage the crew. They also made themselves available to myself and the adjacent neighbours to answer any questions related to the scope of work being done. All city permits and their respective inspections were managed by Kevin which was great. Kevin got us with a very reputable engineering company (K.H. Davis) for all the structural drawings. I was presented with an insurance certificate (covering the work), a draw schedule which explained when payments were due and frequent email/text correspondence for project updates and design changes. We were impressed by the customer service provided and having the level of support provided by Kevin and Tony helped alleviate the stress of a major renovation. We were so comfortable with Tall Basements that we agreed to have them work on our next phases of our renovation (New Addition and Interior Finishing) which I will review separately.