Fireplace Improvements.com

I was referred to Ralph Byrne from my Fireplace store where I purchased my fireplace unit. They also gave me the names of several different independent contractors. Also I searched “yelp” for the same type of contractors. After meeting and interviewing several different companies. I determined that “fireplace improvements” was the best company for my needs. Of course, the bid/price was most important for my uLtimate decision. However; Ralph was the consummate professional. His knowledge, expertise and experience was quickly noticed from the very first day of the rebuild. Just for disclosure, I was also doing a full condo remodel at the same time. I have heard that different contractors clash or butt heads during a build but that really was never an issue. The only issue that I had was from the city! The City (The building and planning division) in there infinite wisdom, postponed my plans to finish my remodel Approximately 3-4 months late. But all said and done, the rebuild of my fireplace came out beautifully! I could not be happier! Ralph was such a pleasure to work with, He was always on time, he never skimped on the quality of materials and was always fair on his pricing. He never added to his original bid to bump up the price (Many contractors always add to the original contract) but, Ralph never did. He was always neat and tidy. Putting away and cleaning after leaving my Job site. On top of everything, he is a very kind and understanding individual. He listened to my concerns and always delivered what he had promised. That being said, I could not give more praise or to “fireplace Improvements”. I give Ralph Byrne my highest recommendation! Thanks so much Ralph for my beautiful fireplace!

Ralph is by far the BEST contractor we've ever worked with. HONESTY: I think this is the most important thing for me. Before the job, he quoted us a certain amount. Then once he started the work, it was a smaller job than he originally thought, so he offered us a discount. I've never had any other contractor do that before. QUALITY OF WORK: Ralph is the most detailed and meticulous contractor we've ever met. Every brick was lined up so perfectly. He even made sure to cut out any blemishes on the stone and marble we picked out so that we would have the perfect look. He's a true artist. The mantel and fireplace were EXACTLY what we wanted, and everything came out looking so beautiful. In addition to our fireplace/mantel, we also had an existing chimney leak. He was able to come out in 1 day's notice and get it fixed just before we started raining PRICE: His price was one of the best we got from different contractors. Other contracts were going to buy a pre-made mantel, and Ralph built us a custom mantel for less money. PROFESSIONALISM: Ralph is extremely nice, courteous, and professional. He always showed up on time, and made sure the area was clean before he left for the day. He never took a break while he worked. He worked extremely hard, but never rushed his work to make sure everything looked perfect.

His response time to our job, bidding it out (which was very reasonable), and turn around time to complete the job was extremely quick. Ralph did an excellent job installing the fireplace and passed inspection with flying colors.

I think I did it through Angie’s List. They were excellent. I was quite pleased. It was a big improvement. They went above and beyond. They did everything and they are a very quality company. They were very professional.

Wow! what can I say Ralph was amazing and his work is the best anyone could find. We started with just wanting a mantel. Our fireplace was straight out of 1982 and was the ugliest part of the house and we hated it. Ralph came by and worked with us to come up with a new design (we did not know we had options). Once he started the craftsmanship was awesome he turned our outdated fireplace into something that looked like it was ready for a town and country photo shoot! I cannot recommend him more, you will do yourself a disservice if you do not consult with Ralph before any Fireplace work. It is so refreshing to see someone who is not only a master craftsman but an artist as well.

Simply put, Ralph is a fireplace artist. He saw the mantel that I bought online was too tall and he was able to modify the mantel to fit perfectly. He expertly installed the stone on the face and hearth and even recommended who I should get the stone from. He also saw that the existing fireplace wasn't to code and not safe, so he added new brick to the front, built out an accent wall and now everything is safe and beautiful. I will definitely ask Ralph to do more work for me.

We contacted Ralph with Fireplace Improvements to complete a fireplace remodel. We provided Ralph a picture of a fireplace we wanted to reproduction. Ralph provided recommendations on a fireplace inspector prior to completing any work and where to purchase tile and stone. Work included modifying the fireplace’s opening as suggested by an independent inspector, building a new hearth, floor to ceiling stacked stone, a custom wood mantel, painting the fireplace box, installing a gas igniter, cleaning out the chimney and installing a new spark arrestor. Ralph’s work is very clean and precise and he takes pride in his work. He keeps a pretty clean job site as well. Scheduling work is a bit challenging but worth the effort for the quality work Ralph completes. We had other companies quote us 1/3 more of want Ralph quoted us. Ralph did not try and up sell us. He wanted to give us a fireplace we desired and he accomplished that. I would use Ralph again and recommend him to friends and family. We look forward to using our beautiful new fireplace for many years.

Ralph did the job fast and clean without incident. He is a real artistic guy when it comes to design for a specific area and setting.

Ralph did an amazing job. His attention to detail was spot on.

After consulting with a couple of contractors, we chose Ralph and Fireplace Improvements to perform work in our home. Ralph was great about talking us through the process, and he gave us instruction on how to do demo in preparation for his arrival. (This was our choice, and it saved us money!)
The job did begin later than anticipated, as real life affected schedules and couldn't be helped. That being said, once work began, we were quite pleased with the process. Each day, Ralph cleaned the work area and let us know what to expect the following day. When all was said and done, we had exactly what we had requested: a beautiful, working fireplace with adjacent built-in shelves and a wooden mantel. (We painted the fireplace brick and shelves ourselves, and stained the mantel. Again - this saved us money.)
We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Ralph and Fireplace Improvements to our friends, nor would we hesitate to hire him again. He is courteous and professional, and his artistry and craftsmanship are greatly appreciated.

Ralf was slow to respond to inquiries initially, but was a pleasure to work with. He is a true craftsman and I very much appreciated his integrity and attention to detail.

Our original fireplace was a very outdated style and less common design (wraps around a corner) than I had seen on various searches. Ralph had great ideas, provided his tremendous knowledge and experience to indicate what was currently trending and why, suggested materials as well as design and the final product is really impressive.

Ralph communicated his schedule (and delays) regularly and worked around our needs. We're on the outskirts of the area he usually works in but the photos I saw of his work convinced me he was the right person for the job and we couldn't be more pleased.

- demo of tile, brick, and concrete hearth

- rebuilt hearth

- refinished firebox

- built custom burner

On time, reasonably priced, respectful and extremely high quality work. Also does not try to upsell. Just gets the job done!

We had a great experience with Fireplace Improvements. Ralph was courteous and reasonably priced. We explained what we wanted and he gave suggestions for additional changes that were fabulous. His creativity, craftsmanship, and attention to the smallest detail exceeded our expectations. He cleaned up every day. We love our new fireplace!

Ralph Byrne was friendly and highly professional in all our interactions.  He was always on time and was careful to keep the work site clean while he worked as well as when he finished each day. 
His estimate was straightforward, honest, and clear.  He explained code-related issues, the best way to do things, and made recommendations that saved us money by not recommending things that we thought might be needed.  The work was done quickly, professionally, and with a minimum of mess.  And all the work took only two days.   
We are extremely pleased with our entire interaction with Ralph, from the first visit for an estimate thru the completion of the job.  Our fireplace and chimney have been completely updated, made much safer, and our cleaned and modernized by a true professional.  We have nothing but wonderful comments to say about Ralph and the work he's done for us.

Ralph is a great guy. Built a custom firebox and remote control system for me which completely transformed my house. I still can't believe how great it looks.

Ralph Byme is a true professional. I found him inititally on Craigslist. He arrived on time for our initial meeting. He estimated that it would take three days and the job was completed in three days. His work is clean looking and he cleans up after himself. A nice guy and a great recommendation for any fireplace issues you may have.

Ralph came out, gave us a fair bid and started the job week or so later. He was professional and very, very concerned with making our limestone fireplace mantels with custom metal surrounds and hearths exactly the way I envisioned them.... the job was not run of the mill. Upon completion, they are perfect. I would highly recommend Ralph to any friend or family member. As a matter of fact, my lead contractor, whom I really like, and whose sub did NOT want to do the stone hearth in a herringbone pattern and told me it would probably sit about a quarter of an inch above the existing wood floors (which Ralph reworked so the hearth is now flush) was so impressed by the quality of work, asked for his contact. The beauty of the hearths, mantels and custom metal fireplace surrounds could easily be in Architectural Digest! Thank you Ralph!

Ralph is a trustworthy and honest person. He was able to come look at our fireplaces the same week that I called him and then did the work the following week. He completed all of the work done in one day. I highly recommend him.

Ralph is extremely knowledgeable and professional. We wanted our fireplace refaced in ledger stone (it had been done in old fake brick, which was falling off) and had picked out and purchased the material already. Ralph gave us what I thought was a reasonable estimate, and did a beautiful job installing the stone. When we found out the flue didn't seal but about half the chimney, he replaced that as well, again at a reasonable price. He works very clean and does a good clean up when he is done. We want to put a gas unit with glass rocks in the fireplace and he told me how to do it, where to look for materials, and what to buy. I would recommend him without any reservations for any fireplace or chimney work. Our fireplace is gorgeous!

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Ralph came to our home to provide a quote on a stone veneer and mantle for our fireplace. He was very knowledgeable and professional. He provided us with 4-5 references to look at stone samples in the area and even brought over some samples to our house on several occasions which was very helpful. He completed the work relatively quickly with great skill and care. He took extra effort to avoid leaving a mess and cleaned up daily. We love the final product. He is very trustworthy and we would highly recommend him.