HomeStars – News and Updates
As Content Manager here at HomeStars I read well over a thousand reviews a week. I can get a real sense of satisfaction from some reviewers, others have an interesting story to tell or a funny way of telling it and these are the types of reviews that will really make my day. I’ve decided to share some of the reviews which have managed to catch my eye throughout the week and I will continue to do so every Friday.
Check back weekly to read reviews like this one from JJ in Calgary who wrote a review about their new Vacuum from Dyson Canada Ltd.
“I have two dogs, and two cats, both hardwood and carpet in the house. I was getting fed up with vacuuming and then moments later finding hair on the hardwood….”
Cute title, great description of the benefits. Pet hair on hardwood? Nightmare? Yeah, it would be, I feel you JJ. Glad to hear that your Dyson has it all under control now.
Helen in Willowdale also caught my eye with her review of Rent-A-Son. I’m guessing it caught my attention because it sounds like my own mother wrote it:
“After moving into our new house, my husband & sons wondered WHY I had to hire Rent-A -Son,when they could have done all the work….yes they could have..but over several months. In several hours the two “rented” sons moved boxes,rearranged furniture, moved a huge carpet from one room to another, cleaned our garage, unpacked boxes of books and generally made me feel that the huge weight of moving was at least. partially lifted. They were efficient, hardworking and very pleasant. I will hire them again”
Sure she has sons, but why not rent one who will do the job in a fraction of the time? Do these guys do dishes too?
So whether you have a toothbrush jammed in your toilet like jay-pierre in downtown toronto:
“Within an hour of calling, a plumber showed up and clearly explained my problem (a toothbrush lodged in the trap of my toilet!). George worked quickly, efficiently, and respectfully. He sorted us out and I will call them again without hesitation – but hopefully not for the same reason! Thanks!”
Or ninja raccoons (love the title too Jorge in the Humber Valley):
“The Raccoons in our neighbourhood are like ninjas. No matter how securely you lock up your bins, they will come and bring chaos to your order. Enter Bin Solutions. Their solid sheds are both stylish and secure. They came by, assembled, and were gone in less than 45 minutes. Absolutely fantastic. It looks great in my yard and fits very well in the space that we have. Thanks folks!”
You know where to find the right company for the job. And don’t keep the experience pent up inside! Share it with your neighbors! Write a review! You just might end up being featured on my Reviews of the Week!
Posted by Colleen
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It’s too nice outside – we need some rain! I thought I was in Vancouver . We are having a great show this weekend and homeowners are showing up to chat to contractors and home improvement services despite the gorgeous weather outside.
Shannon Wong and I have walked around to visit the various exhibitors to learn about their business. Back this show is Bruce Hunter and his daughter Lara Hunter from Hunter Landscape Design. I met them at the Langley show a few weeks ago. They are a talented father and daughter team that offer landscape design services as well as a full nursery called Selections Nursery & Design Centre located on 176th Street in Surrey.
Lara Hunter from Hunter Landscape Design
Rita Hunter from Selections Nursery & Design Centre
Greg Hazelwood from Energy Miser Solutions also has participated in several shows in the lower mainland. Energy Miser provides top quality windows, doors, vinyl siding, insulation and furnaces – with a focus on saving us money on our energy consumption. He has a cute bulldog as their brand mascot.
Greg Hazelwood with EnergyMiserSolutions.ca
Brent Klemke from Benchmark Painting – a top rated painter by many homeowners in Vancouver - has the most active booth. Brent holds instructional seminars throughout the show with various designers discussing how small changes like paint and decor can really enhance the look and enjoyment of your home. See my photos of their seminar from the Langley show. They are also offering a great special -3 rooms for $299. That’s a great deal!
Brent, Benchmark Painting
True Green Geothermal was our neighbour mentioned geo-thermal installations is on the rise in existing homes that have decided to invest in green energy. More than 50% of their installations are now with homeowners renovating, vs new builds and they tell me they can install these with minimal disruption to your landscaping (my concern as we recently build a deck and stone patio).
Stewart Schmidt at True Green Geothermal
It was great to see Lynn and Jennifer (a super nice mom and daughter team) from Budget Blinds again as well - having met them at the Langley Home Show. Their booth was also crowded throughout the weekend. They offer shutters, wood blinds , and draperies, servicing Surrey, Langley, White Rock and Abbotsford. So far they have two happy reviewers in Vancouver.
Jennifer Morgan: Budget Blinds
Walking by our booth were a couple of Bathroom renovation experts just moving into White Rock. With a name like Calvin Klein I was all ears. Calvin and his wife Kathy Klein have been in the design and renovation business for over 15 years and have decided to move from Victoria to White Rock. Their company is called “Bathrooms by Home Services”. I checked out their web site and they have some really nice work. They are choosy on who they take on – having built a loyal following of happy customers.
Kathy & Calvin Klein from Home-Services.ca
Posted by NancyP
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This weekend HomeStars was at the Karen Magnussen Arena for the North Vancouver Home and Garden Expo. It was a small show but well attended, with folks from around North Vancouver, Lyn Valley, and surrounding Vancouver locales.
Our booth was right across from Best of 09 Vancouver Winner in the Floor Laying and Refinishing category Mr. Sandless – an expert in fixing your hardwood in a dustless clean method.
We were also soothed by the gentle sounds of the fountain put in by the well designed booth of Beneath Your Feet Landscaping. Rob and Sherilyn, the proprietors entertained us all and the other show attendees with good stories of landscape jobs and other interesting trivia.
Other show attendees, and HomeStars reviewed companies, included our show-neighbour Penfolds Roofing, Lawless and Associates Contracting, and Kerr Construction.
Posted by BrianS
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We just packed up from a fantastic 10 days at the National Home Show. This year we had a custom booth designed by 3 top rated companies on our site. A big thank you to John Oborne and his team at Oborne Contracting (particularly Colin who spent a couple of days in my garage building very sleek moveable 20 foot wide wall panels -see photos below). There’s no doubt this team earned the Best of 2008 and 2009 award from their happy clients. They are all wonderful professionals.
John recommended Ali at CanWood flooring, and while a new company on HomeStars John assured me they were a top flooring company he knew would do a great job. Ali installed an oak coloured laminate floor that looked (almost) as good as the real deal. Perfectly finished and it withstood a couple thousand homeowners walking through our booth over the 10 day show. Thank you Ali!
And last but not least, Joanna Kakkavas, the owner of Roomy Home Interiors furnished our booth with a chic look that made me think back to when I was 25, single with no kids (just last year 
. She brought in a cool console with unique white and black wood on the side (I’ll let the photo paint the picture), a very comfy black couch that also could hide any party mishaps, and a gorgeous glass expandable dining room table with red chairs that were really comfortable, light with an classy Euro (not Ikea) look and feel. We had a ton of fun enjoying hanging out in the booth with our Perrier, Green & Black Chocolate and Starbucks coffee cards. And so did the 3,000 plus people we met who came by to write a review or hang out.
Thank you for creating a GREAT Home Show room everyone!
This Friday March 4 to Sunday March 6 we will be at the new Hamilton Ideal Home & Garden Show. Please come by - FREE parking and another fantastic list of top rated companies. Write a review and get a 50% discount coupon to bring to the Ideal Home & Garden Show ticket booth.
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Our Dining Room – great floor the chairs!
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We enjoyed a glass of Perrier here as we heard everyone’s reno stories.
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Thank you for the comfy couch
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It’s show time: Dave & Cathy are ready to meet you :)
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Our walls up a couple days before the show opens
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John Oborne and Colin have a final inspection
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Oborne’s fabulous painters
Posted by NancyP
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Check out the latest monthly podcasts from FOCALPOINT e-NEWS! for February. As discussed in our January post, FOCALPOINT is an online lifestyle magazine and web site created by Jeffrey Stolberg with a line up of monthly podcasts from 10 of Canada’s top show hosts, authors and lifestyle experts. Have a listen to Debbie Travis, Sharon Grech, Bryan Baeumler and more….
Posted by NancyP
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A friend is renovating her house and her hardwood floors can’t be resanded (the greenest — and cheapest– option if available), so she wants to put in new flooring. She wants to use green flooring but she wasn’t sure if that meant bamboo or local hardwood. Below is a brief comparison of the types of materials. It’s not as easy a decision as you might think, and many questions need to be asked to retailers about the wood you’re interested in using.
Bamboo: Not all bamboo flooring is created equal. While bamboo is really a grass that grows quickly and can be harvested within 3-5 years of growth, Plyboo and Silkroad brands offer bamboo from sustainably managed forests where it is grown without pesticides or herbicides. Both brands have been certified by third party organizations. Durability is also a factor with bamboo; lower priced brands tend to wear faster and need to be replaced sooner. There are more and more varieties available with bamboo products so it is worth a look taking a look at. If the bamboo product is shipped via boat, it makes it a fairly green option.
Hardwood: Hardwood flooring is not as straightforward as bamboo. There are many varieties of wood and manufacturers, and even though the hardwood you’re thinking of buying might be cut in a local forest, make sure you find out where it is milled. Some wood is cut in North America, shipped to China for milling and processing, then shipped back to North America for sale. Not exactly a “local” product after all!
If you’re going to buy new hardwood flooring and want to be as “green” as possible ask the sales people the following questions about the flooring you’re interested in buying:
- Where is the wood harvested? (the closer to you the better)
- Where is it milled? (you might be surprised to find out it was shipped off the continent for milling)
- Is it certified by one of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), or the American Tree Farm System (ATFS).
- what kind of adhesives and finishes are used with the product? (You want water-based adhesives and coatings and natural oils)
- Are the floor producers environmentally conscientious? i.e., are their factories as efficient as modern techniques will allow? Do they get the maximum amount of wood possible from a tree?
Consider choosing engineered wood floors instead of solid wood. The veneer planks are thick enough that there are as many refinishing layers in engineered wood as in solid hardwood but it is a more efficient manufacturing process producing more planks from one tree. In addition, engineered hardwood maintains its shape and doesn’t warp or squeak the way solid hardwood can once installed.
Mercier and Kahrs offer a wide variety of FSC, hardwood flooring.
“Salvaged” or “Reclaimed” Wood: some savvy entrepreneurs have been taking everything from floors from factories about to be demolished, barn board from out of use barns, to underwater logs that never quite made it down the river, and are turning them into beautiful plank flooring. For the most part the milling is done locally (some mills are now receiving waterlogged wood from as far away as South America for milling), while the wood is getting a second life, averting landfill and saving the cutting of new trees.
Triton Logging is a British Columbia company that harvests underwater logs and turns them into ready to use wood products suitable for kitchen cabinets and wood flooring.
Timeless Timber is based in Ashland, WI, and recovers wood from the great lakes also for use for flooring, cabinets and countertops.
Georgian Bay Wet Wood recovers logs from Georgian bay and prepares them for use for building materials.
Some Barnboard companies are:
Antiquewoods.ca, based in Hamilton, ON — offering a variety of reclaimed wood.
Familytree Hardwood, based in Edmonton, AB
Posted by CathyR
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Every month our community of companies who use our site grows. And we’re always excited to see companies getting involved and increasing their online communication with their customers.
So we’d like to take some time now to tip our hats to some of the new ‘HomeStars’ who’ve become involved this month:
This is the short list. There are many other great companies out there who’ve been getting involved and getting business from HomeStars. If you’ve used any of these companies before, show them some love and write them a review.
Posted by BrianS
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“Cathy, can you please come and help me move? Pleeease??” A reasonable sisterly request. In our particular case there were a few more incentives added to the usual pizza and beer. You see, my sister Jenn lives in southern California in an amazing little “surfer dude” town called Dana Point. I love visiting, and have invaded my sister’s space before — twice with my entire family. So, even though I knew it would be a working holiday with numerous trips to Home Depot and Lowe’s and no time for the spa or even a quick tennis game, I felt, given the three times I’ve descended on her in the past (and how many more times I plan on coming in the future — kids in tow)– helping out for a few days was the least I could do.
My sister has a good eye. The townhouse she bought was a power of sale and the price had been recently dropped. Given the very tired appearance in general and the build up of mould in the laundry room, these were items that probably deterred a lot of people from making an offer. She made an offer pending a mould inspection. The inspector told her the mould was contained to the laundry room, and, even more of a relief, that it hadn’t penetrated the walls to the crawl space.
My sister’s on a tight budget, but she really wanted to spruce the place up. The carpet throughout the house was old and ratty, the paint was “builder’s beige” with not a lot of life to it, and the kitchen was serviceable with great granite countertops, but with cabinetry that did nothing to complement them. However, the mould had to be taken care of first, and there were a few other unglamourous but necessary items that needed to be addressed that had to come before cosmetics. In the end, Jenn was able to make some very smart cosmetic changes for not a lot of money.
Paint is the least expensive renovation option and can give the biggest bang for the buck:
Jenn had hired her painter, Fortino, for two other projects in her old house. This time he pulled off a masterpiece in faux finishing. Her budget didn’t allow for new kitchen cabinetry, and frankly, there was nothing wrong with the cabinets in the kitchen except that they were, well, blah. So Fortino painted them black and sanded them to give them that rustic, antique look. The granite counter top now springs to life, and the new stainless steel appliances complement the cabinets nicely. Jenn also changed the cupboard hinges, added some new knobs, updated the faucet and voila! Practically a new kitchen in only a week, at a fraction of the cost of new cabinetry.
Kitchen -- "before"
Kitchen -- after
The fireplace was another area that needed some “faux” attention. Jenn originally thought of adding a marble facade to cover up the brick, but the cost again, was beyond her budget. Instead, Fortino suggested filling in the fireplace bricks and doing a faux marble front. It looks great, and again the cost was siginificantly less than a new marble front.
Fireplace -- before
The carpet in this house wasn’t in good shape and needed to be replaced. The living room and dining room had been carpeted in wall to wall. Jenn changed that to laminate flooring which freshens the place up and makes it look larger. The style she chose looks like hand scraped hickory and cost about about half the cost of real wood floors.
Fireplace -- faux finish
Flooring:
Tile repair: There is nice marble tile in the entry hall, powder room and kitchen. It was damaged in some areas, but the flooring company she hired, New York Floors, was able to repair it so that it’s impossible to see the chips, again saving her the cost of putting in an entire new floor.
One last thing:
This is the view from her balcony. ‘Nuff said.
View towards ocean from balcony
Jenn’s reviews:
Fortino’s Painting and Contracting Service:
Painting interior of house and other small woodworking services. This is the third project Fortino has worked on for me. He painted my new house from top to bottom on time to move in. He did some exceptional faux painting work on the dated kitchen cabinets and ugly brick fireplace. He also did some other jobs in addition to the painting such as tearing out the old closet in the bathroom and built in a much more useable closet. He also added a breakfast bar in the kitchen. Thanks again Fortino, great work!!
Pedro the Plumber:
Installed a bathroom vanity Pedro changed the plumbing in the master bathroom from one sink to two sinks for a new vanity. Most importantly he came the same day I called him, which was really helpful because other trades couldn’t finish the job until this one was done. He stayed and completed the job on the same day, and had to stay until 8pm to do it.
Thanks Pedro!
Cal the Repairman:
Odd jobs such as replacing old plumbing pipes, hanging drapes, replacing broken valves, etc. I have used Cal before for a few projects and he is the first handyman I thought of when I was moving into this house. He is great for small repair jobs from fixing simple plumbing problems such as replacing old pipes, to hanging new light fixtures and curtains. Cal is very reliable and shows up on time and goes straight to work.
Thanks for all the great work!
New York Carpets:
Replace and most flooring in house, repair marble flooring Overall I’m really pleased with my new floors. I’m happy with the price I paid. However, I was a little disappointed with the flooring installation because due to some delay accessing the house, they rushed the flooring installation. They ended up having to come back twice to fix it.
Marble flooring repair was excellent.
Carpet installation also went well.
24 Hour Restoration:
Mould removal and restoration Overall, the company did what it set out to do. The mould in the laundry was removed and the room was treated for anti mould. They checked to make sure the mould hadn’t spread, and fortunately, it hadn’t. However, I was disappointed with the follow-up service as no time was scheduled to walk me through the job after it had been completed in order to see the work they had done.
Also, they initially said they would arrive in the morning to complete the job, but did not arrive until 3pm, delaying other trades from starting their jobs and throwing off the rest of the work that needed to be done in the house.
Posted by CathyR
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Renovating a kitchen can be a dusty and inconvenient experience. Being prepared can make it a little easier. In a previous blog post we looked at the preplanning and planning stages of a kitchen renovation. This list considers the actual renovation schedule and what to expect (and be prepared for) during the renovation.
III. Demolition and Disposal:
- Rent a dumpster and salvage reuseable materials: If your kitchen cabinets, appliances, sinks, and faucets, doors, trim and moulding are in good shape but can’t be reused for your renovation, donate or sell them to a local salvage store, give them away on freecycle.org, or put them up for sale on craigslist. Your old building materials will avoid landfill and save you dumpster fees.
IV. Construction: early phase:
- Rough Framing: The outline of your new kitchen takes place during this phase. With the 2×4′s going up, you may have difficulty knowing where the doors and walls are placed. Ask your contractor to give you a tour.
- Insulation: if you’ve stripped back to the studs, now is the perfect time to upgrade the insulation; it will help lower your heating bills, and possibly get you some grant money during your second eco-energy retrofit audit.
- Electrical and technological wiring: As new wiring is being installed behind the walls, make sure you’ve thought about your computer, stereo, TV and security needs as well. While the walls are open, install as many systems as you can afford, even if you don’t think you’ll use a computer or stereo in the future, it’s always good to have the wiring there. Check with the electrical plan and confirm with the electrician that there is plenty of task light, overhead light and under-cabinet lighting planned.
- Plumbing and gaslines: Renovating is the perfect time to adjust any water pressure issues you might have. Use the opportunity to increase water pressure if you live in an old house with poor pressure. If you’ve always wanted a gas stove, now is your opportunity to install one. Get a quote before you make the decision though, extending a gas line can be expensive.
- Heating and Air Conditioning and over the stove vents: Make sure the appropriate number of vents, radiant heating coils, or rads are placed in the new space. If you are increasing the size of your home, make sure your old furnace can heat the additional space.
V. Construction: middle phase:
- Drywall: If you live in a town-home or condo with neighbours above and below, now is a good time to improve your soundproofing. You can use a soundproofing drywall (such as Quietrock), insulation. or using two layers of drywall with a sound dispersal agent such as Green Glue.
- Valances and Moulding: Moulding can make a newer home look like it’s been around for years. It increases the charm of a kitchen if you’re after a country or traditional look. If your kitchen is more of a modern or contemporary theme, moulding will be simple if there is any at all. Under-cabinet valances hide lighting components.
- Baseboards and Trim: Keep baseboards and trim consistent with the rest of the house. Make sure it is easily sourced before starting the project. If not, keep old baseboard and trim and reuse in the new space.
VI. Construction: late phase:
- Installation of kitchen cabinets: There are three types of kitchen cabinets: stock, semi-custom and custom. Stock come in predetermined sizes so your space must be adaptable to the cabinets. Custom cabinets give you the ultimate in flexibility, but are the most expensive. Depending on your needs, and the kitchen company you choose, will determine your timeline. Some kitchen cabinets can take up to three months from the time of order to delivery. Others are available the day you order them (stock).
- Installation of countertops: Like the cabinets, depending on the countertop you choose, it can take a few days to a few weeks to order. Functionality is key to the choice of a longlasting countertop. Depending on the activity levels in your kitchen, durability might be your top priority. Stone is soft and can chip easily. It also needs to be sealed on a regular basis. Alternatives are stone composite counter tops, made from stone chips, but mixed with an epoxy; it’s less expensive and more durable than solid stone. Another budget-conscious choice is Arborite.
- Backsplash and tiles: A backsplash is installed after the countertop, and can extend across the entire contertop or just behind the stove, depending on your budget. Another opportunity is to spend a little more on the area behind the stove to make it a focal point with a design, and to use plain, less expensive tiles on either side of the stove.
- Sinks and Faucets: Sinks and faucets range from budget conscious to top of the line expensive. For faucets in particular getting a quality faucet will save you time and money in the long run. Higher quality internal parts means the faucets will last longer, not leak, and provide many more years of service than cheaper faucets. Sinks also provide an opportunity to spend a fortune. A simple basic stainless double sink is a good option, high on durability, low on cost.
- Flooring: choosing a floor can be another overwhelming task. There are so many options and price points it makes it difficult to make a decision. Consider your lifestyle and budget when choosing a floor. Tile is durable but hard on the back and on little children. Linoleum and hardwood are easy on the back if you’re in the kitchen for long periods of time, but hardwood in particular can scratch easily.
- Appliances: Appliances can consume up to half your kitchen renovation budget if you let them. Think about what you really need, do extensive online research, read reviews on epinions, and consumer reports about the appliances you’re interested in purchasing. Then, go to the stores and speak directly with sales people. Some stores are more willing to bargain than others, and you’ll have more bargaining power if you’re buying a set.
- Painting and wallpapering and window coverings: the final phase in your kitchen renovation. If you’re not using an interior designer or decorator to help you choose the wall colour or paper, use the expertise at a paint store. Take in samples of your tile or countertop, maybe a photo of the space, describe the amount of light the area receives, and a good pain salesperson will be able to give you some suggestions to take home. Try a few testers before making a decision, and leave on the walls to see the colour change with the changes in light.
Posted by CathyR
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