Chicago Man Caves

Recent Review: Overall it went very well, and make no mistake they were very good. But since everyone could stand some improvement, I will be forthright about what went well and what needed improvement. The initial design phase for the space was a great experience and they were very patient with us. We went through three rounds of various ideas before we settled on the final plans. When we met with the architect, he had some extremely helpful suggestions and as the building began, my husband and I often commented to each other how glad we were for the architect's ideas. In particular, he suggested that we move the whole room so that the new roof line could be centered between two of the upstairs windows. It has become one of the things we like most about the addition. We found that their interior design staff was not very much help. Although, we have strong ideas about what we like (both of us have some art background), and we ended up just going our own way on the bathroom ideas. We found that their tile prices are too high, so we bought the tile on our own. They told us from the beginning that we were not obligated to buy all our materials through them--and that is a big reason for recommending them. We liked that about them. And they have a particularly good tile installer who really created a work of art in our bathroom. We had some trouble with the installation of the ceiling in the main room. When the drywallers put up the ceiling, it was very obvious that it was wavy. My husband was very unhappy with it, but Design First called back the drywallers back and they took it all down, shimmed the ceiling joists and put the drywall back up. The carpenters also were very accommodating when one of the windows was not centered on the wall. My husband wanted them to move the window and they did not complain at all. In fact, the carpenter encouraged my husband to tell them whether we were happy or not. They moved the window without much trouble and without any griping. In general, once the building work began we felt that we were not left for very long without someone showing up to work. We never felt abandoned; they worked pretty steadily. We also were pleased that they had a port-a-potty on site for the workers. We thought that was very professional of them. We were also very pleased that they were able to match two brick colors that are in the original part of the house--a white brick and a red brick, from 1963. I wanted a fireplace whose brick would match the white brick in our entry hall because from the entry hall you can see straight back to the fireplace. And the white brick in the entry way is original to the house. And I wanted the outside chimney to be an exact match to the existing, original brick on the front of the house. They were able to match both bricks, so from the inside and the outside the addition feels very much a part of the original house. I also wanted the mantel finish to match the wood in our entryway--also original to the house. The interior designers were very helpful on this score and their shop carpenters created a lovely modern maple mantle. Over the white brick, it's gorgeous! We were also pleased that they cleaned up after themselves. We had some misunderstandings over some of the electrical requirements, and my husband was a little annoyed but we did manage to get things clarified. One thing to note: my husband was very careful about watching all the line items in their cost reports as the project went along. It's a good thing too because he found two errors which would have cost us about $1700. They were very obliging and fixed the line items without any fuss. One thing that surprised us was some stalling that occurred over the permits: we were being required by the village to upgrade our electrical service when it was clear to the electricians that we didn't need to. Design First told us that they had had trouble with this office before and did not think that we would be able to get around this. But my husband was having none of it: He went in to the village office, talked to a couple of people, wrote up our request for a variance, and got the requirement waived. It saved us $3000. We were surprised that Design First was not able to do this; however, we chalked it up to lessons learned. Just because you have a contractor doing a lot of work for you does not mean that you don't have anything to do. Whether Design First should have been able to get this waiver for us or not, we really don't know. But they were honest with us and encouraged us, as the homeowners, to do all we could do to get it waived. I also want to say that their project manager did a good job interfacing with all the workers. There was some miscommunication here and there, but that seems all par for the course. He was even tempered and seemed well-suited to his work. There were two other instances that did not pass the plumbing inspection and Art, the plumber, came back twice without delay to fix things. Overall, we were very happy with them and we love the finished product! We love our new space! And we would definitely recommend them to others.

Business Description: Welcome to Envy Home Services, Chicagoland’s trusted designer and installer of All Season Sunrooms, Three Season Sunrooms, Screen Rooms, Patio Covers, Pergolas, Awnings, and more. Homeowners come to Envy for their home improvement needs because they want their project to be completed on time, within budget and worry-free. Our mission starts with designing the right living space just for you. Then, with careful planning, our professional installation team gets to work. The transformation of an underused or unattractive space takes hold before your eyes, and you’ll see the new space just as you imagined. If you’re looking for a sunroom, room addition, Patio Cover or Pergola you’ll love the final product the Envy team will deliver for you. With a focus on personalized service, we’ll design the space and complete the final touches as if it’s our own home. A family-owned, local company, we’ll go the extra mile to earn your business.

Business Description: We are a remodeling company specializing in Basement remodeling, Kitchen remodeling, Bathroom Remodeling, Room Additions. We have 3 very talented employees and a selected group of licensed sub contractors for all of our plumbing and electrical needs.

Business Description: We do Top to bottom remodeling, bathrooms kitchens- Framing, drywall,mudding,painting, tile,laminated floors,baseboards, -skim coating

Business Description: Locally Owned & Operated. Free In-Home Design Consultation. Guaranteed Start/Finish Dates for Room Additions. May Contact Through Email. 8,000 Square Foot Showroom. See Website for Additional Services Offered.

Business Description: HANLON'S CONSTRUCTION INC HAS BEEN IN SINCE "1982" SERVING THE GREATER CHICAGOLAND AREA FOR OVER 38 YEARS! New Homes / Room Additions / Kitchens / Bathrooms / Basements / Roofing / Siding /Windows / Solar Panels A+ RATING ON THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU

Business Description: PMG carpentry is your trusted company to provide all your carpentry needs. We have skilled and dedicated professionals who put the customers’ needs first. We work for both new houses and existing ones. In the existing houses we can do any type of carpentry repairs which will make your house look as good as new. We have experience in working on patios, decks and pergolas. We do this very nicely to make them look perfect and inviting. We do both the floors and the roof of the patio so that you can have a magnificent room. Additional email - pmg1carpentry@hotmail.com.

Business Description: Our specialty is City of Chicago Porch Violation corrections. Our services include: - Free estimates - Architectural and structural design - Expediting a permit - Construction of commercial and residential porch systems Porch Builders also build: - Porch Enclosures - Custom Decks - Rooftop decks - Pergolas - Balconies and Stairs Estes Builders, Inc. was founded by licensed General Contractor Adam Lesniakowski, in 2002.We are a young and very energetic company with a strong engineering background. Our specialties include interior and exterior renovations, remodeling, building additions and ground up construction of new buildings in Chicago and north suburbs. We are fully licensed and insured home renovation contractors. We specialize in 1st & 2nd story additions and whole house remodeling, room extensions, kitchen and bath remodeling. Estes Builders Inc. will bring your project to life with an unbridled passion for excellence.

Recent Review: Amazing! Couldn't ask for a better experience. This company is dedicated to providing the best experience possible to their customers. From start to finish, Synergy met all our needs and expectations. Never once did I have to chase down a subcontractor or trade. Never once did I feel we were being put on the back burner. Never once did I feel Synergy wasn't working for us. It was money well spent.

Business Description: Kitchen/Bath/Basement Remodeling Specialist. We don't offer small repair or handyman projects. We have over 25 years' experience with residential projects. We hold general contractor licenses for Chicago, Evanston, Highland Park and other Illinois areas. With a skilled workforce covered by full Workers' Compensation and Liability insurance, we're ready to begin work on your residential or commercial construction and remodel or renovation project as soon as you need us. During our over 30 years in business, we have worked as a general contractor for new housing developers as well as individual homeowners and investors to take care of a broad variety of construction needs. Our past projects have involved everything from small painting projects and rehabilitation work to room additions and full house remodels.

Business Description: An accredited General Contractor, Licensed, Bonded & Insured specializing in New Construction, Kitchen & Bath Remodeling, Room Additions, New Garages, Plumbing, Roofing, Framing, Foundation & Flatwork. We are hands on throughout the entire project insuring Quality Control & customer satisfaction. Call 219-365-4466 to schedule an estimate.

Recent Review: EXCELLENT! Cannot say enough about the professionalism and workmanship! Vince did an outstanding job planning the project and seeing it through to completion. Our project manager was very attentive, professional, and constantly in communication. Everyone, from the demolition and concrete teams to the electricians, plumbers, drywallers, roofers, flooring specialists and carpenters did a superb job! I've had work done by a competing design/build company in the past, and LaMantia absolutely blows the competition away.