Janet in Etobicoke

Our new mattress was making me sore; I would wake up with aching in my hips. I thought a foam topper would be a good solution. The Foamite associate was very helpful, explaining the differences between types of foam, and recommending something for me based on my weight and preferred sleeping position. Turned out I was too light for the firmness of my mattress and the mattress was not absorbing my body weight. I got a 2" mattress topper in the Koosh Natural (green) custom cut for my bed. Made a huge difference without the cost of a new mattress!

<p>Short story: They were 2-3 hours late each day; they walked off the job; they added extra costs to our bill. Full details are below. Also, check out my profile; I think you'll find I am a fair reviewer and active homestars member.</p> <br /> <p>Jerret at Stonecote was my initial contact. He handled the sales side and answered my pre-installation questions. This company usually requests a 40% deposit; in our case our insurance co. issued a cheque for the majority of the work (to be signed by us at job completion) and I sent a deposit cheque for the balance a few weeks prior to installation.</p> <br /> <p><strong>Disappointing Workmanship</strong></p> <p>Chris and a crew of 1-2 did the installation over two days. The installation was quick (once they arrived). They did leave a number of scratches and gouges on our freshly drywalled and painted walls, which was disappointing (photos attached). There was also a very ragged seam in one of the closets (approx. 1 cm depth); again, not major, but disappointing that the crew didn’t take care to deliver a high quality finish over the entire area.</p> <br /> <p><strong>Late and No Common Courtesy</strong></p> <p>The crew was scheduled to arrive in the early morning between 8 and 8:30. They arrived after 10. On the second day, they arrived after 11. There was no call to say they would be late on either of the days. We called on both days (9 and 11 respectively) to check if/when they were coming. When I told Jerret I would appreciate a call if they were going to be late, I was told ‘the phone works both ways’ and that I shouldn’t have waited so long to call to check in with them. A while later, we got a voicemail from Jerret demanding an apology and saying I hung up on him (I didn’t, but I did quickly end the call when I realized Jerret was not going to apologize for or investigate his partner’s lateness). He also said they would not complete the job until he got an apology (floors were half done). I was pretty shocked at this response to my relevant complaint. We had no choice but to continue with Stonecote installation in this situation. There were also numerous reasons for lateness on installations days (traffic, van broke down, stopped to eat lunch), hour-long absence (trip to Home Depot), and cancellations of appointments (another project went late, son in hospital).</p> <br /> <p><strong>Extra Charges</strong></p> <p>A few days after installation was finished, Jerret sent an invoice with an additional and very unexpected $300 added to our final bill – some costs weren’t warranted (additional stone for building up the floor) and some costs we were not forewarned about (door transition and furniture moving). There was ample time to advise us of any extra costs (two weeks prior, when we finalized the specs of the work to be done, or even on the day of the work would have been better then a week after). On the day of installation, we had asked Chris about evening out the floor, but when he said it would cost extra, we told him not to do it. Chris came back a few weeks after installation to drop off the floor hole coverings and pick up final payment. When I pointed out the ragged seam, Chris said it was in a closet so didn’t matter. When I said it mattered to me, he offered to fix it that night, which was great. When we asked about the additional costs, Chris said they always add costs on at the end and we were the only people that had ever had a problem with it. We told him the additional stone cost was unwarranted (you only need to look at the baseboards and middle drain to see that the floor was not build up), but agreed to pay the moving and door transition costs even though we felt they were excessive. Chris agreed that was fair. But when I asked for a receipt, Jerret issued one with a note that said “refused to pay” the extra stone charges. Jerret continually told us that he and Chris were equal partners, but our agreement with Chris didn’t matter or make it to Jerret.</p> <br /> <p>The floor looks good, and we are happy with it; I recommend the product, but not the company. If you do decide to give Stonecote a try, be prepared for late starts, additional charges, and vindictiveness if you have any issues.</p>

We've been visiting Judy's gallery for over two years now. She has a lovely assortment of artists, many different styles and mediums, at reasonable prices for first-time original art buyers. Judy allowed us to try a work in our home to see how much we loved it and also worked out a monthly payment plan for us. We've also had a number of pieces framed here - beautiful work, often in a tight timeline!

We hired New Canadian to increase pipe width to improve water pressure. They came on time and got the job done quickly. Two days later, we had heavy rain and the basement flooded. We called New Canadian back and they recommended water proofing the external back wall to solve the problem. Now, one year later, our basement has not had any problems with water seeping in through the walls.

We went to Naked Furniture to get two side tables and a custom kitchen island made. Customer service left a little to be desired: we had to explain what we wanted and repeat furniture dimensions a number of times. I was really worried throughout the process that we would end up with something completely different than requested! And the island took longer to make than initially quoted. The end result was lovely though: nice solid pieces, exactly how we wanted them.

We hired Absolute after a basement flood (city line sewer back-up) to install a back valve, sump pump, and new drain for our washing machine plumbing. The workers arrived on time and worked quickly to get the job done. We had the city out to inspect the work, and it was not approved; the sump pump was in the wrong place to function correctly in the case of excess water and meant that sewage would be pumped onto our front lawn in the event that the back valve closed. Absolute was good about removing the sump pump, covering up all the holes in the basement floor and providing an adjusted fee for the work that was acceptable (back valve and laundry drain). In the end it all worked out well, but it was confusing that they installed the sump pump that way in the first place. Customer service was good about making in right and sending out a receipt with all the info needed for the city rebate.

I would definitely recommend Kathy at Fine Craft Upholstery. We had her reupholster a wingback chair and ottoman, and create a custom headboard. Service was quick, efficient, and friendly. And we've extremely happy with the quality as well. We will be back!