Andrew in Mississauga

We asked the Mississauga branch of Molly Maid to clean our large new (6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, two kitchen) home as we were moving in. They had to work around boxes and items that had not yet found a home. In four hours, two cleaners transformed the place into something we can look forward to living in. Compared to another company I hired to do an apartment clean, they did a wonderful job and have won our ongoing business.

I don't think I have ever given a zero ranking or written a bad review but there is a first time for everything. Long story short, go elsewhere! I asked the Mississauga office of the Cleaning Authority to clean my apartment that had been sold. The promotional materials seemed good and their prices were very competitive at $120/hr for three people. As it was an empty two bedroom highrise apartment, I figured three people would be more than enough to clean the bathroom, kitchen including fridge and stove and sweep the rest of the apartment over 2 hours. About 45 minutes into the appointment, I got a call saying they had stopped work because of two cockroaches, which unfortunately is a problem in the building. I now understand it is standard policy with most cleaners including this one to not clean house with cockroaches, and I appreciate the reason why (to prevent carrying the pests to other places). However, they did not ask if it was an issue claiming that they rarely see them even in other 30 year old highrise buildings (really?) nor did they inform me of this policy prior to booking. According to the concierge, they were only in my place for 15 minutes but according to them, they had done a hour of work so I figured the worst of it would be done and I could just go wipe/sweep/mop up the remainder. Based on what I saw, I believe the concierge more. I arrived and found the fridge door open, and racks all over the place half cleaned. The stove, which I was asked to spray with cleaner prior to the appointment, was untouched and while the bathroom may have been cleaned, the floor was still dirty. They claimed to have aborted the vacuuming but I saw no evidence they had done any and was able to sweep up debris from every room. I was charged a full hour but from what I could see they had done at most 30 minutes of work. The manager refused to come see the state of the apartment and instead demanded I provide photographic proof. He also promised to refund me 25% but that was never done. I am not upset they stopped work (a policy is a policy) but If this is what three people do in 1 hour, then they are completely incompetent. For the equivalent of 3 hours of effort they barely did anything. We had another well known company do a full house almost five times the size over four hours (equivalent to 8 hours effort) do a better job for the same rate with only two people. The other company won our ongoing business. My recommendation to you is stay away from this company. You may think you are saving money but based on what I saw you will end up having to get someone else to do again or do it yourself as I did. Bottom line, while their price may seem good, you barely get what you pay for and they do not following through on their promises.

My 35 year old shower dripped constantly, was difficult to turn on and off and stopped working as a shower. All the quotes I received involved opening the bathroom wall to replace the faucet and then hiring someone else to come in to fix the wall and tiles. A basic repair of the wall would have been hundred dollars more. Alan's quote was highly competitive, he was exactly on time and not only did he fix my shower but he did it without ripping out the tiles and instead using cover plate to access the plumbing to install the controller. The whole operation to less than 3 hours. My only reservations was that the grinding of the tiles caused a fine film of dust to settle on everything in the bathroom and his shoes left a foot prints on a carpet. I would recommend he consider bringing drop clothes and foot ware covers for other similar jobs. Also, his paperwork could be more professional. Otherwise, it was a pleasure to do business with Alan and I would both employ him again and recommend his services.

We had Roof Pro + first do a small job to install a vent, which they competently did for a very reasonable amount. Later we contracted them to replace the whole roof with 50 year Corning shingles which includes an underlayment. They fixed at no additional cost a poorly installed bathroom vent ducting and replaced a few roof boards. The roof looks great and we have had no issues with leaks. Communication was good. Clean up excellent. The only issue is they did not complete the installation in one day due to insufficient roof tiles. I have no reservations recommending Roof Pro Plus.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT: Solsmart did a quality installation of our 7540W Microfit Solar panel including grid hookup. I highly recommend them. Very few issues to report and they delivered more than promised. THE JOB: We contacted Solsmart and 3 other companies to quote on the installation of solar panels on our home. Solsmart responded very quickly and provided a detailed quote with all pertinent information including references and insurance details. Based on satellite imaging they claimed they could install 34 panels for a 8500W system. which was 2000W more than the nearest competitor. In the end they could only fit 29 panels for contracted size of 7250W but honoured their original cost per Watt price. We chose to go with 250W Panasonic panels (made in Ontario by Eclipsal) and Enphase microinverters. Either Solsmart or Panasonic upgraded panels to 260W at no cost providing an extra 290W capacity (I believe this was due to product shortages). Solsmart took care of all paperwork including applications, permits, inspections and hookups. They worked within our budget constraints. They completed the work with all required hardware and installed, at no extra cost, a squirrel guard to prevent nesting under the panels. QUALITY OF WORK: As far as I can tell work quality was excellent. Mounts correctly went into rafters and there are no signs of water leaks even after the torrential rains of July 2013. WORK AREA APPEARANCE AND CLEANUP: No issues to report. Clean up was efficient and thorough. SCHEDULING: No Scheduling issues to report. They met or exceeded all commitments. COMMUNICATION: By far Solsmart had the best offer in terms of information provided including extra potential operating costs I might expect (i.e. fees, insurance, etc). Our sales representative, Peter, provided lots of additional information and patiently answered many questions. Our communication with the management team was uneven but generally excellent. Solsmart was able to clearly indicate why they offered a superior service. On the negative side, I have a little less confidence the assessment of our projected electricity generation was sufficiently studied. Solsmart provided projection numbers but never talked about potential issues caused by shading, for example. Only time will tell if the projections are accurate but I have some concern they may have been too optimistic. COMPANY ASSESSMENT: Solsmart has both good Homestar ratings and an A+ BBB rating. They have been in the solar business longer than the Microfit program has been in existence and appear to be committed to staying in business after the program winds down. They appear to be well run. Their employees are very motivated and polite (when asked, one said he had the best job in Ontario). I believe they are honest and ethical. VALUE FOR MONEY: Solsmart’s quote was middle of the pack but I believe they provide excellent quality for the money. BOTTOM LINE: As part of my research I communicated with multiple clients all of whom where resounding in support of the company. I also spoke with suppliers who indicated the company was one of the best in the province. I wish they gave me more confidence I could rely on the projections they provided and I was concerned about how far off they were on installation size. I would have prefered they under promise and over deliver. However, overall based on my experience and what I have learned I have no reservations recommending Solsmart. GENERAL COMMENTS: The solar industry is still developing in Ontario and as such there are both good and bad practices. One of my concerns is the industry as a whole slags their competition and generates fear and uncertainty in the process. While accusations may be valid the negativity tarnishes the whole industry and may turn off potential investment. Unfortunately, no company seems to be immune from this practice. I hope the industry can learn to exist without this negativity. I also believe the FIT and MicroFit programs are good for the long term health of the Ontario economy. As a participant I have put up the money, taken the risk and hope to receive a modest return on my investment. In the process, I have help support good companies like Solsmart and others to develop new technologies and services and eventually generate tax revenue in the process. I hope we as a province can recognize this benefit. -------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST YEAR RESULTS In the first year of production I have had no issue with either the installation or equipment. Actual output was 6.5MWh compared to a promised 9.0MWHh (72%). The lower output can be attributed to shading due to nearby trees and roof layout and fixtures plus an overly harsh winter when no energy was produced.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT: Dave and company provided very good value for the work done and while I do have some nitpicky concerns I believe they deserve a full ten points. I soundly recommend them. THE JOB: We originally called about having a garage slab repaired and Dave came promptly and provided a clear quote indicating why his work was superior to prevent the slab from collapsing again (using rebar and wire mesh). We expanded the job to include rebuilding our front patio with flagstone. Due to our concerns regarding the labour practices of Indian sandstone quarrying Dave was able to source local limestone to match our budget. Finally, the crumbling foundation needed to be ground down and parged and Dave once again worked within our budget to get the work done. QUALITY OF WORK: Quality of work was good to excellent. Some cosmetic deficiencies do exist but none significant enough to warrant a downgrade. Overall the work was done with care and artistry and attention to quality that meets or exceeds industry norms. Dave was very concerned we are happy with the work done. WORK AREA APPEARANCE AND CLEANUP: This is perhaps a weak area for the team. The end of day work area was a bit messy and final cleanup left bits of rock and cement scatter about. At his own initiative Dave offered to have his team come and clean up better. SCHEDULING: Scheduling was good although I needed to contact them several times to complete the final stage of work which was a few weeks later than originally promised. COMMUNICATION: Dave and team are generally very good at responding to questions but we did have some issues with miscommunication. I suggest this be an area they work to improve. COMPANY ASSESSMENT: Employees are dedicated to quality and seem to enjoy their work. Company is honest and fulfills promises. I liked how they had both good Homestar ratings plus A+ BBB rating with no complaints. This is a solid company. VALUE FOR MONEY: Despite the minor issues listed Three Little Pigs provided very good value for the money. He offers a very generous warranty. BOTTOM LINE: I would hire them again.

We had Insta-Insulation install blown in cellulous fibre into our back split (with two attics) and the price was the best by a far margin (it may have been a slow time of year) and the installers did a good job. Work included adding R30 insulation and baffles for every rafter. The EcoEnergy Auditor that we had indicated the job was done well and we likely exceeded R50 in parts of the attic. The work was mostly cleaned up after (some residue did remain). We have noticed the difference in both summer and winter.

After what seemed like a long wait (10 weeks from signing), we finally had our new Dorplex entry door installed by a Home Depot subcontractor. The quality and appearance of the door seems good and we noted immediately that it was warmer with the new door. The quality of the installation is good although I did note some interior trim was not pefectly aligned. The installer pointed out that our previous door was permitting water ingress and took steps to help avoid that (I believe it demonstrated he was paying attention to his job). The work was completed in about 4 hours and cleaned up after. The price was slightly higher than other quotes but is mitigated by a 1 year deferred financing option. They are unwilling/unable to provide a quote in the store although the sales man how came was pleasant, knowledgable and and not pushy. We are satisfied with both the product and the installation.

As part of an Energy Audit Retrofit we had Sears install four (out of a total of 10) Renaissance Windows. The sales associate from Sears was very helpful in recommending styles and the best options for our house (i.e. going with a retrofit or a full ripout) and seemed knowledgeable about his and other products. We found the price to be a bit high but the Sears' equal billing financing option helped balance out the equation. The installers did an acceptable job with the installation but we did encounter some issues. In one case, the foam expanded out of the frame and through the outside caulking. I ended up cleaning that up. The other issue was with the interior side of the same window where the installer didn't remove a bracket and caulked around it and also didn't caulk down one side of the window. Another thing for me to address. At a later time when we pointed this out to the sales associate (when were looking to get additional windows) he indicated that he could fix the issue but he never followed up. With that said, I am mostly satisifed with the Sears product and installation and our Eco Audit did not reveal any significant issues although I did notice they seem to leak a bit more from the window drain (when compared to the other installation). We chose not to go with the additional five windows and a patio door because the second Sears quote was approximately 35% more than another quote for a product that was equal or better in quality. Based on my experience with the first set of windows I didn't see a good reason to justify that premium.

As part of an Energy Audit Retrofit we researched window manufactures on the NRC web site (http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/new-windows-doors.cfm?attr=4) and decided to go with Northstar Windows due to their high efficiency rating and quality manufacturing. In our area we initially found two companies who were dealers for that company and decided to go with Aurora Home Hardware. The sales people were helpful in answering questions, working through our options and explaining the benefits of the product. Their quote was very competitive. On installation day, the installers arrived a bit late but ultimately did a good job on the interior and exterior work. They cleaned up (mostly) but were unable to complete the installation of 5 windows and 1 patio door so a second appointment was required. The windows appear to be well manufactured and well finished and in the winter we find the double pane glass to be a vast improvement over our old windows. The final Energy Audit did reveal some minimal air leaks coming from the wall but the inspector indicated that was acceptable. The window units seemed air tight. We are very pleased with the product and the installation.

I had contacted a number of plumbers to rough-in a drain for a new powder room. 50% didn't return my initial call and of the four who actually came to see the job, two didn't follow-up and the third quoted an extrodinary amount for a job that would take just a few hours to complete. Roger's quote was reasonable and delivered as promised. He also recognized that one of the tasks that I as asking for didn't actually need to be done. The work was well done and cleaned up after it was complete. When I contacted them after the fact with a question from the building inspector they answered promptly. I highly recommend their services based on my experience.