A review for Vacuum Specialists

My husband and I stopped by this store to look at Central Vacuums. I had done some research online and had narrowed down my choices to 3 brands, and this was one of the stores that carries these brands. Even though we stopped into the store a few minutes before closing, the staff spent time with us helping us to make a selection and did not make us feel rushed. We ended up choosing a Drain Vac Generation II, and we are very happy with our choice. The difference between this vacuum and the old one it replaced is phenomenal. It really does a good job. The installation was fast and efficient, and the installer even provided us with a hose hanger, when he saw that the one we were using was too small for our existing vacuum hose. Edited to add that I don't know why this is showing up as the "Priddis Location." The location we used is in Calgary, on 37th Street near 17th Ave SW.

A review for Benner Plumbing & Heating Ltd

We had a large tiled shower stall with a cracked base, and we hired Benner Plumbing to tear out the old shower stall, replace the pan, put in aqua board, put a light in the shower, and retile. Their designer/estimator was very pleasant to deal with. The company did the work in a timely manner. The shower looks lovely and is once again functional. Putting in lighter tiles and a light in the shower made it much brighter and more pleasant to use. There was some confusion about the trim tiles, however, as the colour of the ones I chose from the sample, which were suggested by the designer/estimator, did not look right in the bathroom, even though they looked nice against the main tiles. The company did not exchange the trim tiles, and I ended up having to go out and purchase more suitable ones (in terms of colour) at my own expense (in addition to what I was paying the company). The result is worth it, but this was a minor annoyance. Also, there was a miscommunication regarding the step/threshold piece. The installer started tiling it, even though Ruth and I had discussed putting in a single piece of granite similar to our countertops. However, after I pointed this out, the error was rectified, and I'm very satisfied with the result, although it did delay completion of the project somewhat. There was also an issue with chunks of grout in the drain which, a few weeks later, caused the drain to clog. The company came and cleared the drain at their expense. Finally, the company installed a showerhead that would not have been my choice, and, in fact, is far more expensive than the one I would have preferred. They offered to remove it, but did not offer any compensation for the difference in price. I opted to keep it, under the circumstance, but I wish I had been offered the choice at the beginning and, perhaps, would have been able to lower the costs somewhat by choosing a less expensive showerhead. However, all these issues are minor in light of the overall experience and results. The final result is beautiful, and the company responded promptly to any concerns I expressed. I would use this company again, but I would request a more detailed quote (with all the materials specified in detail on it).

A review for Instant Plumbing

Our kitchen drain clogged, and our own attempts to clear it using a plunger, a snake, and a chemical drain opener were unsuccessful. I called Instant Plumbing, because I've used them before to supply and install Toto toilets and a water softener. They were able to come the same day and had the problem cleared up in short order. They also serviced the water softener while they were here. The plumber was pleasant to deal with and efficient. They are a little on the expensive side, but I find them to always do good work and have good products.

A review for A Limb Above the Rest

We hired this company to remove a very large spruce tree, as well as a small one, in preparation for having our back yard relandscaped. They were very pleasant to deal with. They responded to my calls promptly and came and did an estimate in a timely manner. The estimator was friendly and helpful. They removed the trees on the date promised and did the work quickly and efficiently. It was amazing to watch how they dealt with such a tall, large tree. We thought it would be a big problem to remove it, with it being close to our fence and our neighbour's garage, but it didn't take them long at all. One minor details is that the estimator told me that they would remove the small spruce for free. (We didn't ask for that. She made the offer.) However, when we got the invoice, we were billed $50 for the small tree. This is a very minor issue. We were expecting to pay for this anyhow, until the estimator said it would be free. But it was a bit disappointing after being told this. This is not something that affects my opinion of this company, however, and I would certainly use them again, if necessary.

A review for About Landscaping Ltd

We hired this company in the Spring of 2011, and the work was supposed to be completed in mid-July. However, they did not show up to do the work until September 28!!! They kept promising to start on various dates and not showing up, with no communication unless it was initiated by me, and slow (i.e. days or weeks later) responses to my emails and calls. We wanted to give up on them, but we had paid them a substantial deposit. They did a decent job on the patio, although I did have to remind the owner of what we’d talked about regarding the steps, as he was going to do something completely different from what we’d discussed. The sidewalk leading to the front gate isn’t really wide enough, and, oddly, does not match the width of the gate, which meant we had to stick a brick at one end, to close a gap where our puppy could escape. Also, the company slopped water used to mix cement on it, so the beautiful pattern of charcoal and brown is spoiled by dribbles and large splotches of grey that I’ve been unable to remove. The sod and mulch looked beautiful after the company laid it. We were very careful not to walk on the sod for a long time afterward, even after the owner said it would be all right to do so. However, months later, after the snow melted this spring, we found there are numerous places where the lawn is very soft and our feet sink in when we walk on it. The lawn has many dips and bumps in it and is very soft and squishy in places. The owner told us that there was a one year warranty on the sod, but he has failed to honour this, even though we informed him of the problems 2 months ago. In addition, we have found that the grade does not slope properly away from our foundation, which is important for keeping the foundation and basement dry. For some unknown reason, the company decided to build an unusually short fence (5 feet). This reduces the sense of privacy in both our yard and home. The owner did not consult us about building a fence that is non-standard in height, but I felt that I could do nothing about it, as nothing was specified about the height on the contract. Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to me at the time of signing the contract that this would be necessary. Worst of all, the owner of the company convinced me to have a double gate installed, so that large items or machinery could be brought in through the back in future, if necessary. This was entirely his idea. We did not request this, but he made it sound like a good idea, so we agreed, assuming that he actually knew how to build one. Unfortunately, this turned out not to be the case. All winter, the back gate did not work at all. Then, the brick holding the cane bolt, which is supposed to keep one side of the gate in place, became dislodged and the two sides of the latch stopped meeting up about mid-winter. The two sides of the gate no longer cleared each other completely, so they would knock into each other whenever we tried to open and close the gate, making this difficult and requiring us to use a lot of force. The gate was several inches lower than the fence on one side, and the two sides were not level with each other on top. I did point out these latter issues to the owner when the gate was built, but he said it was like that because our yard slopes. This is true, and yet all our neighbours, who also have sloping yards, manage to have gates that match up with the fence. Also, my husband was able to manage this the last time we rebuilt the back fence, and it was his first time ever building a fence or gate. But my biggest frustration was when the gate became no longer functional, and we had to resort to using a bungee cord in place of the latch. I contacted the owner on April 22. I had no response from him, so I turned the matter over to the Better Business Bureau. After the Bureau contacted the owner twice, he stopped by and spoke with us about the problems. At that time, we told him that we wanted a single gate, instead, as clearly a double-gate was not going to work in our situation. He said he would put in an extra-wide single gate. We said we did not want that, as it would be too heavy. We feared that it would be difficult to manage and it would start to sag because of the weight. We said we wanted a single gate that was of normal width. At that time, we also discussed the concerns with the sod, and he said he also noticed that there were some spots where the sod was not doing well, and he would replace those spots and deal with the soft, squishy areas. We did not hear from the company again for several weeks, until after the BBB had sent a 3rd notice. We then heard from the owner on the very last day the BBB had given him to respond, and he promised to fix the gate and the sod problems the following week. He did finally show up as promised (2 months after I had first informed him of my concerns) and when he explained to me what he planned to do about the gate—cut it down so that the two sides would clear each other and put cement in the ground (in the rain) to help hold the bolt in place—I reminded him that we wanted a single gate. The owner refused to listen to me and kept arguing for his solution, and I had no idea what to do about that, so I decided to wait and see how his solution turned out, since I was unable to get him to listen. Unfortunately, the owner and his worker did the work that the owner described (not what I wanted), and the work is very shoddy. There is now an unusually wide gap between the two gates. The gates don't line up nicely in the centre nor along the top, although the company tried to improve the appearance of the top by raising the top board (leaving a gap below it, where I fear that moisture and debris will easily get in). They damaged some of the wood on the gates and around the latch in the process. Furthermore, there is now unpainted, exposed wood, and I expected this to be painted, as I paid professional painters to paint the gate after it was built last fall, and I don't think I should have to pay painters a second time. The company put on a new latch that is extremely difficult to use from the outside, when we go out the back gate, as we have to try to reach over and line up a bolt with a little opening on the other gate, and the gates don't line up easily to facilitate this. Also, in order to keep the latch from sliding back, allowing one side of the gate to swing open, a lever has to be lined up just-so in order to be placed over top of a piece of metal that juts out. This is difficult to do while trying to reach over from the outside. So, the gate is still not easy to use. It is difficult for me, and it will be impossible for children to latch the gate properly when leaving the yard. (We have a neighbor child who frequently comes into our yard to retrieve balls, etc., and if he can’t close the gate properly, our dog is at risk.) We need a latch that latches automatically when the gate is closed, and I did specifically request this last fall when the gate was built originally. However, with the large gap, the latch that was on there before, that did latch automatically before it stopped meeting up properly, no longer reaches from one side to the other. In spite of all the money we paid and all the time we waited, we still don't have a gate that functions as we need it to or that looks like a professionally-built gate that adds value to our home. I am also not convinced that this will be a long-lasting solution and that we won't have problems again within a few months. For instance, it would take very little (expansion, contraction) for the bolt on the latch to no longer line up at all, and with such a wide gap between the two sides, security, privacy, and aesthetics are all compromised. When I expressed my concerns to the owner about the gap between the gates, etc., the owner asked me what I wanted. I said that I wanted a normal, properly-functioning, single gate, as I had already twice requested. He argued with me and denied that I had requested that, even though I had done so twice, the second time being right before he started the work!! Had the workmanship been better, I might have been willing to accept his solution, instead of the solution I had repeatedly asked for, but I am not satisfied with the workmanship nor with my treatment by this company. The sod problems were not addressed at all. Unfortunately, I do not have much to say that is positive about this company, except that they do beautiful brick work (at least, before they spill cement on it). However, dealing with them was an extremely negative experience, and I would definitely not recommend this company for fence or gate building, unless you are happy with a shoddy, amateurish job. I feel that the owner and his workers rushed through the work because of the late start and the lateness of the season, which may have contributed to the problems, but they are clearly very inexperienced with building gates and with building fences on sloping yards.

A review for TG Wood Floor Experts

I hired this company to install Bruce Ellington Antique prefinished hardwood floors. Terry, the company's owner, was very pleasant to deal with and seemed to know what he was doing. The floor was installed in August, 2010. It looks beautiful, and Terry and his assistant were nice to work with. However, after the floor was installed, I noticed that there were a few spots that made little creaking or clicking noises. I chalked this up to the floor being new and decided to wait and see what would happen after going through a couple of seasons, with the expansion and contraction. What happened was it got worse, and there are spots where I can actually feel a plank move under my feet. We paid extra for an additional layer of plywood subfloor, and my concern is that this subfloor may not have been properly screwed down. I called Terry in the middle of July, 2011, to let him know about the problem and to ask him to come and evaluate the situation. I got his voicemail, so I left a message and waited for a reply. After 2 1/2 weeks, I still had not heard back, so I called again during the 1st week of August. This time, I reached Terry. He said that he would call me back the following Monday (August 8) to set up a time to come in and inspect the floor. He did not call the following Monday, and to date, October 28, he has still hasn't gotten back to me. It's clear to me now that he has no intention of doing so. Here is a link to a video I made in August, so that you can hear for yourself the problem I am having with this new floor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtThR5D5O7M