James did a couple great jobs for us - stainless handrails inside the house and a neat steel fence outside. On both occasions Steelworks was prompt, professional, courteous and creative. Above all reliable and he really takes pride in his work. i would not hesitate to recommend.

We just finished a project with James - building a deck and stairs to our backyard. we found James to be professional, experienced, and helpful. His knowledge was a great asset in the planning process, helping us avoid mistakes in advance and offering solutions in a timely manner. He arrived on time and worked efficiently to the project's conclusion. We are very happy with the results, and would recommend The Steelworks highly.

We would never recommend this company!! Be VERY careful. The owner was the only installer, delayed our project for months stating that he was too busy, and when he finally came in to instal he damaged our new flooring by not being careful. Furthermore, he demanded more money and attempted to hold the project hostage. He never did come back to complete the work Be very careful with this company!!!!

Company Response:

Reader,here is the exchange between Kristian and the "The Steelworks"emails at the end of this project. Kristian has tried to miss lead this forum and the truth. Please read. Difficulties that I am having building you a staircase and glass railing. Inbox x James McLeod Jun 6 to Kristian Att: Mr. Kristian I am writing this email to out line the difficulties I am having building a staircase and glass railing for you. When I quoted you this project I explained the problems in working in a finished home. Here is list of them for your review. (1) I would have to do metalwork on site in your home. I did all welding in my shop and mechanically fastened it on site. (2) I would need a cleared area to install the structural steel and wood treads without constant interruptions. (3) I would try to do my best to clean up and install a staircase so as not to impede access to your second floor. (4) I would need to have access to do this work that is very difficult because you have chosen to do it after the renovation of your house. This type of work is usually done at the beginning of a renovation, not as the last thing to do. (5) I have explain the building code and what is expected from the inspector. (6) For your request to stain the wood yourself , I have supplied the wood for the treads and hand capping to match the propitiatory flooring finish.Also the need for the finisher to supply you with stain for touch ups, which has not been done. To build you this project at the best of times is very problematic, yet alone having at every step to work around your schedule, fix your favorite belt buckles work on weekends , work in a house with two pets with having to enter in and out with hands full , to do ruff work outside. There has been a filing cabinet right under the stairs were I am installing the whole time. Being under constant examination of everything I do, the moment I do it. I have to constantly request communication with scheduling of the times I can come, and if work that you are taking care (staining of wood) is complete. You complain at every turn and examine everything with a microscope. The first time I came to install the wood treads that I was told were ready, you decided to return them to your wood finisher when I got to your house , because they didn't match up to what you wanted. This caused a delay for me. I have also supported you when dealing with your inspector. I did two sets of auto-cad drawings for you to present to him for his review. That is clearly not in my scope of work. The final thing was last night after installing the wood treads and hand capping for six hours and finally after six weeks of waiting for you to get this done, I get a phone call from Natalie demanding that I come back that night and start removing the treads because she doesn't like the order . Also that the treads that you have had in your house for six weeks are not what she expected. I not sure of the level of service you expect, but you have not payed for this in my quote. To accommodate you I have incurred extra cost. I would need to have compensation for them agreed to, and the remainder owning to be payed in full before I can finish your project. The reason for this is, the agreement we came to has changed do to your needs, level of service, and unpredictable understanding of our agreement. I would be more than happy to do so, over the phone. I am away this morning but available this afternoon doing business hours. I hope that you understand my concerns and reflect on the service I have given you. James McLeod / The Steelworks Kristian --------------------------------------------------------- Jun 6 James It is alarming to see an email for you attempting to extort us for more money, while suggesting that you intend to delay the completion of our project. Furthermore, we are also perplexed at your attempt to renegotiating the terms of payment to your advantage -- mid project -- while also attempting to create a narrative that is not based on fact. Natalie and I do not view this as professional behaviour, nor do we perceive this to be conducive to a mutually respectable business relationship. We ask that you reconsider your position and honour the terms of our agreement, without delay. Please Note: 1) We have documented a large scratch in our finished flooring, which was caused by you yesterday. The scratch is located immediately under the stair case, and in the immediate area to where you were working. We have asked our flooring supplier to send our a repair tech to assess and quote the repairs. We will provide you with the quote once we have further details. 2) The staircase treads have been damaged by you during your install and will require replacement. We have also requested that our flooring supplier provide us with a detailed assessment and quote for the replacement and re-staining of these treads. We will also provide you with further details once we have the replacement/refinish quote in hand. As we have set aside a work day (Thursday June 7th 2012) to accommodate your request to complete the project (dated 12-05-24 via email), we will be here and awaiting your crews arrival. We are confident that you will reconsider your position/statements and will opt to complete the project without further delays. Going forward, kindly forward all correspondence pertaining to this matter via email. Kindly advise. Best, Kristian ______________________ Kristian ----------------------------------------------------------------- James McLeod Jun 7 to Kristian Att: Mr Kristian Graziano I would suggest that you send me a copy of the terms of our agreement so that we both can compare them. Mind doesn't have all the items listed in my last email. Your inflammatory language that is in your return email, is unbelievable. You asked for all this extra service and I am sorry that you feel you don't want to pay for it. The reason is very clear why I wanted to discuss these extra costs that I have incurred before I proceed . Your expectations of service and your constant blaming of outside contractors (wood finishing company) for not meeting your standards, is your way of not having to pay them. Natalia personally told me how she made the wood finisher's redo the wood I supplied, or she wouldn't pay them and would not send them any more work from the company she works for. This type of behavior pattern clearly shows me how you operate. Blame others and pay less. I will not even address these claims of damage you have listed for this again is the pattern of blame showing it's self. I have done no damage to your house. Your hot headed approach to every situation and lack of respect for the service I have supplied is why I requested to be payed after discussing the extra costs with you that have added up. I would fine it very difficult to come back into your house with the way you act and with what you have said in the return email. You have seven days to consider your position. If you pay your bill , I would be glad to deliver you the glass for another glass installer to put in. Kristian Jun 7 to me, Natalie James, Your narratives of blame are baseless and unfounded. In fact, the wood finisher that we chose to stain our stairs would be more than happy to provide a reference on our behalf. As it stands, there has been no attempt to discuss a discount with you; however there is (on record - see below) an attempt by you to request additional monies while threatening to delay our project. We find it of no surprise to see this shift in position by you, immediately after the damage to our wood flooring has been done. Furthermore, we have assumed that you would opt out of the project and not return (which you clearly have stated in your email below). We are in the process of having 3 different professional quotes for the repairs/replacement of the flooring and wood stair treads. Once we have acquired all three quotes, we will scan and forward copies for your records. We hope that you will acknowledge the damages and reimburse us for the damages you have cause to our home. Please note: Natalie has taken a day off today to accommodate your request to be onsite. As our email was sent early yesterday morning (9:21am EST), it would have been perceived as a professional courtesy to have notified us in advance of your intentions to not be onsite this morning. After all, she could have recuperated her loss of wages. Best, Kristian. It's too bad these people feel so hard done by, they seem intent on being as miserable as they are. I wish them good luck on they marriage. James McLeod / The Steelworks

James was a pleasure to work with. We liked the designs displayed on his website and reached out to him to build custom railings in and outside our home. He responded promptly, set expectations appropriately and delivered on time and on budget. He intuitively understood what we were looking for when we provided little detail, knew building codes and could advise us appropriately and built stunning custom railings for us that we continue to admire. I highly recommend The Steelworks.

James' ability and craftsmanship is beyond question and beyond just metalwork as he not only remodelled the stair's for us but did the whole project including new wooden treads and patching the floor where the old stairs use to be; a turnkey solution from a client side which was really nice. He really goes the extra mile. What really set's James apart however is his respect for the homeowners and their home in everything he does from co-ordinating his time on site and making sure the work he does has minimal impact on those who have to live in the worksite. A real pleasure to work with and I highly recommend James for any such work.

When we changed insurance companies I knew the inspection would require us to install a railing on our stairs where the walls used to be in order to satisfy the building code. Instead of slapping up a "home depot special" we decided to hire james to fashion a glass and steel railing that would serve its function without creating a visual block in the middle of our small space. James helped to clarify our ideas and we came up with a design that really works. I have had many compliments and am so pleased with how it turned out. He was easy to get in touch with, always responded to emails and calls promptly, was a tidy worker and is an interesting and personable guy. An artist and a craftsman rather than a tradesman IMO. Quite honestly I did not compare quotes on this job since i was under a deadline and I felt good about James, so I cannot comment about the price except to say that it seemed more than fair for the amount of work involved. It wasn't easy to install the pieces since there is not one consistent angle along the stairs. Kudos for making a custom fit out of steel and glass in my wonky house. My only complaint was that the project took longer than expected because the glass fabrication was delayed. not really James' fault. If i could deduct only half a star from the rating i would do that instead of a full star. I would not hesitate to recommend James to others or to contract him again (the existing railings where the staircase continues look even more shoddy beside the gleaming new sections!)

James did a great job of interpreting what was needed. He pays the attention to details. The craftsmanship is outstanding. He is innovative and careful. The worksite was well organized and tidy. There was minimal disruption and he accommodated changes that were necessary, with practical solutions. He wants to create a good result and does so.

James taught me how much detail and consideration goes into turning function into art, and it is in the details. He was able to interpret what I was imagining perfectly and was completely professional throughout the job. He will tell you exactly when his stuff will be ready for and keeps to it. I was not sure how well he plays with others but I think that is simply because his working methods and attention to detail are so thorough. If there is anything you can imagine being done he can do it, and he is a great artist with a sense of timeless proportions, and clean beautiful lines. You will notice his work if you are looking and if youwant it to dissapear into the overall design it will do that as well.

When you deal with James you are dealing with the artisan who actually fabricates the work and he stands behind it if there are any issues or concerns. He listens carefully and responds effectively.