They came on time. Did the inspection. Seemed a bit pricey for a basic inspection.

Want a gas fireplace? This is the place to go. We converted from a wood stove insert to a gas insert a number of years ago. Since then we've needed service a couple of times. Everyone we've interacted with (in person, on the phone, at our home) has been friendly, knowledgeable, courteous (the list of positives goes on).

After reading many reviews and checking out several fireplace stores I chose Penguin. I liked the emphasis on customer service, the fact that it is family-run, and that they feature Mendota gas inserts which are beautiful and offer many options. Ephrain is a delight to work with. He came to measure the fireplace, discuss the job and gave it careful thought. Gladys then gave me much additional information as I thought through the options, and Eric helped me select the traditional full insert when I came into the showroom. I especially appreciated Penguin’s dedication to customer service when I changed my mind about Penguin doing the tile work at the last minute. This was very inconvenient for them but they were gracious and made sure the new tile installers had all the information they needed to do a great job. And Ephrain came back to install the doors after the tile work was done, taking extra care that they were hung correctly and taking extra time to show me the details of the remote control I admire the approach Penguin Fireplace takes and I am thrilled with my new fireplace. It makes a big difference when the people running an operation have great values. I highly recommend Penguin Fireplace.

Technician showed up on time and did a professional job. Would certainly recommend them to others.

The gas piping was not set up correctly and the worker who came out had a little tizzy fit. The electrical side was supposed to have crystal insert but faux wood insert was placed. I called the manager of Penguin Fireplaces and he was very understanding. I had my crystal insert in no time. I am very happy with the end result.

Excellent work.

Hector arrive right on time. I told him what I had done so far. I wanted the standard maintenance and cleaning, and to make sure that it stayed functioning. Hector thoroughly cleaned all components and fired it back up. Thank you Hector and the in-office staff that helped ensured that I could get the servicing done today. I am delighted to now have it back up and running. Be smart and have your gas fireplace looked at yearly. it is an investment! When friend ask me about where to look at gas fireplaces, I am quick to respond. PENGUIN FIREPLACE!

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fine. covered in the overall review

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I was able to make a Service Appointment within a time frame that seemed to work for Penguin Fireplace and me. Three men came to my Home within the window of time  that was scheduled and they called to tell me when they were on their way.
They were knowledgeable and organized, worked well together, were very patient and answered all of my questions, reviewed with me the details and my responsibilities regarding maintenance and were very mindful of their work area.
I would certainly call them again and would recommend Penguin Fireplace to others.

Gladys helped me identify a plumber to run the gas line to the space -- for a reasonable cost. Then we discussed different models, sent me brochures, we decided on a model, ordered it and it was installed very quickly. It's a lovely fireplace and will be both great for us to use, and boosts the overall value of the house. Everything was quick, easy, good communication and understanding of my requests and needs. 

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It went fine.  Three guys installed it in 3 hours.  They took care to lay tarps so my white carpeting would remain white.  They showed me how to use the fireplace insert and gave me tips about wood.

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It went good! I was very satisfied with everything they were on top of it.

Penguin Fireplace were great to deal with.

It took us over a year to decide what we wanted in the way of a more modern look and functionality of our old tired brick fireplace.

We visited several fireplace stores but got the best advice and  information from Ulysses at Penguin Fireplace. We decided on a gas fireplace insert as it would be the most efficient way to update and also heat our living room during the winter. Penguin had a competitive price and outstanding reviews so we decided to go with hem.

By the time we had settled on the type of stone we wanted to cover the brick, Gladys (Ulysses's sister) had taken over the account. I like that Penguin is a family owned and run local business. I think that the owner, Efrain, is Gladys' uncle.

When we settled on a schedule, two workers came out and installed the gas line and gas fireplace insert. The next day, the brick was covered and prepared for the new stone.

Efrain came out to inspect the work and talk with me about how I wanted the ledgestone applied over the brick. He also recommended that we have the existing brick hearthstone covered with tile and he would have a custom wood edge installed for a custom look and to prevent any trip hazard.

We had purchased ledgestone panels and corner pieces from Build Direct online. Some of the large pieces arrived damaged but Mauricio started the ledgestone application with what we had. After the first day, it became apparent that we were going to run out of the large panels sooner than we thought and then it was discovered that Mauricio was not using any of the corner pieces but was cutting the panels to fit the corners. Since a lot of the ledgestone was already set, we tried to buy more panels but Build Direct had discontinued the color and the panels were no longer available. I talked with Efrain about this and he came out to see how we could make this work.

Mauricio actually took some of the broken panels and cut out some of the bigger pieces and inserted them individually along with some of the cut corner pieces so they looked like the original panels. With Efrain's expert eye for color and placement, I couldn't tell any difference between the original panels and the individually placed pieces.

After the ledgestone was installed, Efrain had the tile installed on top of the brick hearthstone and custom cut a wood transition. The result is a very custom upgraded look, which we love.

The new fireplace modernizes the room and is gorgeous. We are very happy with the results. Efrain and Gladys worked with us to get the updates we were hoping for.

Same as above

Just great!  Can't recommend these guys highly enough.  Professional, polite, efficient from start to finish -- always cleaning up after each visit.   Started the process by visiting their showroom and being shown the various models/brands available by Gladys.  Saw most of them in operation -- and went home with a host of brochures to mull over and choose my insert. (Gladys was always super helpful and responsive online after my initial visit.)   Efraim, the owner, then came to the house to measure, discuss options.  Very knowledgeable and helpful and we cinched the deal.  Work started soon after.  Installation of the insert was just a few hours (tilework took a little longer), along with running a gas line into the fireplace from the garage behind -- Charlie was in charge, and did a terrific job.  I hope to have him back to do the annual servicing!  The tile and floor guys, Enrique and Maurice were awesome -- the new tile looks fabulous -- and the repair job on the floor is perfectly adequate, given the existing hardwood floor is probably well over 60 years old.  Took 3 follow up visits after the initial install and demo to complete the job.  They took great care to cover all the furniture and carpet with plastic and paper during the whole job, and before the sanding commenced, added additional floor to ceiling plastic for extra protection.  I was given detailed instructions on using the remote controller, and all in all, am VERY happy with the fireplace.  Bring on winter!

Inserts are not cheap to install.  But I was so impressed with all the other reviews on Angie's List for these guys, and also with Efraim at our initial meeting, I did not get any competing bids for this job.  I may have been able to save a few hundred dollars by going elsewhere, but decided to go with Penguin's professionalism and good reviews, paying the higher price.  ($500 of the total price quoted above was for refinishing the hardwood floor.)

If you want a terrific looking gas fireplace with none of the soot and cleaning of a wood-burning one, then hire this company!