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Message |
    
kdm
Citizen
Username: Kdm
Post Number: 78
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 1:33 pm: | 
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I know there have been posts on contractors many times before but I figured I ask for people's thoughts once again. I'm having a 3rd floor gutted and redone in same basic layout (guest room/play room and full bath) - no structural work. Estimates vary tremendously. Any thoughts on Finishing Touches, Exel, Jarek or any other contractors?
Thanks. |
Flik Chik
Citizen
Username: Flikchik
Post Number: 179
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 3:11 pm: |
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We used Finishing Touches - Bill O Brien and are very happy with them.
We got a small addition and remodeled extensively on our ground floor. Got a new kitchen, bathroom and laundry room put in.
We are very happy with Bill and his people who were clean and honest. They put in extra effort if required on weekends and finished the work within 5 months as planned. If you need to chat with me or see their work, feel free to PL and we can discuss further. |
Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 375
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 7:54 am: |
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We've used Bill in the past and were extremely happy with his work -- did a kitchen and bath for us, but our heads butted a few times and I was put off. Saw him recently and he apologized and we're in love again, so that's nice (smile). We're currently using Excel and Mike and Amir are awesome! We're doing extensive renovations and we're kind of in the still gutting/putting up walls phase, but so far, so good. I'm very at ease -- for a change! |
Peter
Citizen
Username: Peter
Post Number: 211
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 8:21 am: |
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If you're talking about EXCEL run by Mike, and MOL advertiser , then YES. He did our kitchen and baths last year and was very easy to work with. Great guy, great crew. PL for more. |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 519
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 10:26 am: |
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I'm getting a quote from Mike at Xcel Renovations this Tuesday. Friends used him for a major kitchen redo and were very pleased, especially with the timliness of completion.
kdm, I'm curious where Xcel fell in the wild range of estimates you rec'd from all your quotes? (I'm being lazy and in the interest of moving foward quickly don't want to spend a lot of time getting quotes...) |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 2741
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 10:50 am: |
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I had Xcel quote a project for me. They seemed great, very professional. However their quote was double the two other estimates I got. Many of the contracters I contacted for an estimate (for a $100k + job) never called me back.
My project did not happen so I can't give valid feedback as to a contractor. But I would say get as many quotes as you can. |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 520
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 1:35 pm: |
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OK, anyone have a number for Finishing Touches handy? (Doing a google yields way too much nonsense, even with Bill O'Brien's name included.)
Thanks! |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 8764
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 1:44 pm: |
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/discus/messages/62748/38758.html?1090115206 |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 522
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 1:51 pm: |
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Thanks for the link back to 2004, Dave!
Sorry, but I have no luck with the MOL search feature - it takes awhile and then usually comes back with the following message:
Quote:The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@www.southorangevillage.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.
More information about this error may be available in the server error log.
All I "do" is change the default to request "whole words" instead of partial words and "all words" instead of any word.
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Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 8765
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 2:19 pm: |
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(I found the link on Google using "Finishing Touches" +"Bill O'Brien") |
eliz
Supporter
Username: Eliz
Post Number: 1325
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 12:36 pm: |
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I had heard great things about Finishing Touches and we contracted for him to build us a bathroom a couple of years ago. He stopped returning phone calls when it came closer to the time he agreed to start the job. It tooks weeks to finally get ahold of him at which point he said basically he had too much work to do and apologized but wouldn't be able to do the work. It left us in a complete lurch and scrambling to find a new contractor in peak season. The whole thing left a really bad taste - he knew for quite a while that he wasn't going to do our job but he didn't have the balls to tell us the bad news. |
Analog01
Citizen
Username: Analog01
Post Number: 162
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 1:17 pm: |
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I did not have a positive experience with Finishing Touches. We won't be using him ever again. Nuff said. |
alison
Citizen
Username: Alison
Post Number: 148
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 8:59 pm: |
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Jarek was wonderful for a very handsome complex bathroom gutting. I have seen beautiful kitchens he has done. And his bid was considerably less than xcel's. I highly recommend him -- honest, skillful, and a perfectionist. |
kdm
Citizen
Username: Kdm
Post Number: 79
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 1:58 pm: |
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Thanks for feedback.
It seems that the contractors differ not only in price but in how they would do the job. A few examples:
1) There are 9" x9" floor tiles that everyone agrees have asbestos in them. Most say they would leave them, cover with plywood and put carpet down. One said he'd take them out without a problem.
2) We have two fairly new 30 inch (width) windows side by side. One contracter thought that the windows weren't wide enough to meet code and suggested putting in a skylight (so firemen could enter through that in an emergency). No others mention the windows being a problem.
3) The roof has rock wool insulation that will be replaced. One contractor had concerns about the rock wool containing vermiculite (sp?) which is not good to breathe. Thus, removal is complicated. Others had no problem with it.
4) One contractor said the because we are renovating the floor we need to install electrically wired, connected smoke detectors on each floor of the house (3 floors plus basement at $200 each = $800). Others didn't mention it.
Who do you believe?
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Virtual It Girl
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 4085
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 2:51 pm: |
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I'm pretty sure you do have to have the hard-wired smoke alarms. We put them in when we did an addition a few years ago and when we did our kitchen & bathrooms our architect suggested we put in more, one in each bedroom (hardwired). I did not do that. |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 2313
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 3:22 pm: |
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kdm - you should call Bob Mittemaier at the town if you have questions about what the contractors are telling you.
I believe that you need to install hard wired smoke detectors/CO2 detectors when you do a complete renovation (down to the studs) but again, this is my recollection and I wouldn't rely on that alone. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 10828
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 3:32 pm: |
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All of the above is from what I have heard, not from the actual building codes.
1. Attics with sleeping space have to have an exit window that has a certain number of square inches of open area. A contractor I know had to change a window over this issue.
2. If you remove the 9x9 tiles it has to be done according to asbestos remediation guidelines. You can leave them and cover them.
3. When the Fire Department inspects for a sale, they ignore the hardwired detectors. Still, in a sleeping attic I think they are a good idea because when one goes off, they all go off and this gives you extra time to escape.
4. Rockwool is safe, but I have heard that some of it was mixed with vermiculite which isn't. Have it tested. |
Flik Chik
Citizen
Username: Flikchik
Post Number: 180
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 6:46 pm: |
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At the end of it, it basically boils down to trust and comfort with a contractor. Most contractors I have met are okay to good. To take them beyond that, you as a home owner need to understand the parameters of what is being done, what your comfort level is (both risk and $$)and what is the ultimate goal of the renovation.
I would recommend that you do your own research and keep in mind the final goal of your renovation. If you are doing it to increase the sale value and are planning on moving out within the next 3 years, you can definitely do a lot less than if you are planning to stick around for the next 30 in which case all middling jobs will come back to haunt you with maintenance repairs. |
shaun
Citizen
Username: Shaun
Post Number: 54
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 9:22 pm: |
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Finishing Touches is wrapping up a major kitchen and bathroom overhaul for us now and we are quite pleased - he was the lowest quote (of about 6 or 7), was basically in line with original timeframe, and did excellent work. A+
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