OWC Renovation & Repair

As usual - excellent - you could not ask for a better man working on your house. He is a highly skilled craftsman, but stays humble - and willing to do any work needed to help further our remodel. You will not go wrong with James!

Great! This is another complex project. The biggest challenge was what to do with the heating and air ducts that were in the area to keep the big window area comfortable. It's Chicago area - harsh winter and harsh summers. James is a well thought out and planned out carpenter. He spent significant time planning this out on paper. The air ducts are built into the 3 sides of the window seat so that the entire area is very comfortable regardless of the season. You won't notice the ductwork either - it flows out around the perimeter and up the windows. The center box is also great storage. James also made sure that the work blended well with the uneven floors and ceilings of the old house. Beautiful carpentry!

He has been working with us since February, and his work continues to be excellent. He is a man for all seasons. Most importantly - he communicates well, and never surprises me. This particular project started out pretty nasty - the "water spot" on the ceiling turned out to be the remains of a dead animal. He never complained - took care of it and cruised through the project. Just look at the picture of the porch.

Major improvement to the looks and function of our house exterior. The addition did not have corner boards -James built them. We spray foamed the attic, so James removed/replaced/covered soffit vents that were painted over anyway and now rendered useless. The house around the addition looked like an addition. James made some major changes to pull it all together. The house will be much warmer this winter, and looks ten times better than before. The previous owners had some budget siding work done that had flimsy aluminum caps where the siding met at the corners, this not only looked bad, it leaked air. Not any more!!!!

Excellent. Work is fantastic - asked him to stay on and do more projects.

It took a while for him to return our call, but when he did he was very polite, and willing to come for a free estimate. He gave us an estimate on two projects but they were higher than other estimates. We will keep him in mind for other projects

After speaking with him I learned that he is no longer accepting new clients. I understood he was one of the best, was so sorry that I now have to search for someone new.

Mr. James Burns is a personable no-nonsense professional. Arrived on the dot, fully prepared with his tools and materials, and went about his skillful way making the needed repairs in short order. One VERY small thing: At the time that we scheduled the job, I had requested that Mr. Burns contact me via e-mail to confirm that he would be keeping our set appointment. He did not. He did, however, appear promptly at the appointed hour.

- It's going fantastic! The interior of the house is really changing to the way a classic should be. He's removed lots of the old 70's tragic tack ons, and putting the house in proper order with woodwork that matches original structure. James is a delight to have in our home - he is professional and pragmatic, He plans his work down to every detail. He is a strong communicator - he will never surprise you with something he ran off and decided to do on his own. He asks questions about every aspect of the project, and helps me with my best thinking and planning on each project. He has also kept me from needlessly spending money where I did not have to. On top of being a finely skilled carpenter - he is a fine man. I trust him in our home with our kids and dogs. He's got a great wit too, and being an Irishman just adds to the charm. .I truly appreciate how organized and clean his work habits are - he protects the house where he is working - and always leaves it clean. He even helps out in areas that aren't his -example today - some stain a floor refinisher was testing in another room was stinking up the place, and James asked if he could put up a plastic barrier to keep the fumes out of the rest of the house. Of course I said yes, and in moments it was done - a true gentleman. He treats every job with the same level of importance, even if its just a cleanup.

What a disappointment. The owner came out and looked at the work-a colonial front entryway-promised he would send an estimate and never contacted me again. I called and emailed and no response. I was really disappointed. I think this fellow should not represent himself or his business as professional. There was no need to disappear. All I would expect was a polite statement saying he preferred not to do the work. I was not pleased. I cannot see how anyone seeking services in good faith would be.

This kind of craftmanship is hard to find! We hired James Burns to build us some custom 8 ft tall cabinets to flank a chimney in our study. He was quick to respond, gave us suggestions about the design of the cabinets, quoted us prices for different wood types, and we contracted for the job. James even came out to our home at 5:30am to make final measurements (because I had to go to work). He consulted us on the style of the cabinets, the color of the stain (even dropping off a piece of wood stained with 5 different choices. Height of the shelves, location of the doorknobs, we chose everything. The cabinets he installed were awesome. Custom handmade doors, shelves, solid oak throughout, tongue in groove. Looks better than the ones that came with our other chimney. The installation was fast, smooth, and James touched up the paint on the walls where the cabinets had nicked the walls during installation. They look better than the cabinets that surround our other chimney and fit so seamlessly in the space that they look like they came with the house. Artisan level work and worth every penny! Mr. Burns knows his stuff. We would definitely hire him again if we want something equally as nice.

He provided an accurate estimate and contract prior to starting the work, showed up on time and came back each day until it was finished. I am an architect and have worked with many carpenters before. I found James very professional and his craftmanship excellent. His bid was very reasonable and worth every penny.

EXCELLENT. James is expertly skilled, but, equally as important in this day and age, also efficient and thorough. He arrived on time, got right to work, worked through the rain, moved his not inconsiderable amount of equipment when I unexpectedly had to move my car. He noticed early on in the job that the damage was far more extensive than we originally thought, but he still completed the job as quickly as he had promised before he knew how much more work there was. He is incredibly trustworthy -- I had no problem leaving the house while he was working -- and does outstanding work. My neighbors noticed him working on our house and hired him right there on the spot to do the same repairs to their home.

James from Old World Carpentry was great. I had a built-in olddly shaped hutch that had beautiful shevles on the top, but had simply been boarded and painted over on the bottom. We had no idea what was back there. James removed the boards and we discovered that the unit had once had three drawers and two side cabinets. After discussing options, I described the three cabinet, one shelf, vision that I had for the unit, with three cabinet doors, and James quickly got back to me with a detailed, clear and fair estimate. Oleg from Old World Carpentry finished the job. The new cabinet doors were perfectly done, and Oleg did a great job of repairing the inside of the unit, salvaging what we could and replacing shelves, etc. where appropriate. He was really great about doing most of the work in the evenings so that I could fit it in my very busy work schedule. He was polite, professional, and very tidy. I would use these guys again in a heartbeat.

James was always on time worked was excellent and we are extremely pleased with the new fence.

James Burns was an excellent worker; very professional and meticulous about the job. Reviewed entire house and garage outside and submitted a contract in a day or two. Started immediately and came every day but one and called to explain why he wouldn't be there. Before he started his work he always used drop clothes to protect anything that could be damaged. He replaced several shutters and lintels above the windows of our 1938 English Cottage. If I found anything he missed or I felt should be touched up he did so happily. In fact once the job was completed he called to tell me if I find anything at all that he missed just call him and he will come out and take care of it right away. So far I cannot find anything he missed and he even swept out our garage before leaving . We will definitely Ask James back when we have more carpentry work to do.The work started on 04/24/12 and was completed by 06/01/12

James responded to my query immediately. He came over at the arranged time to get a look at the space, get an idea of what we wanted, and make an estimate. The final price came in a bit higher than the estimate because of the materials available and because we made two small changes along the way. We had a pretty clear idea of what we wanted and the result was exactly as discussed. James is a quiet guy and did not make many suggestions so he would be best for clients who know what they want. When we made suggestions or requests for corrections along the way, he was agreeable and responsive. The whole process took a bit over a month from beginning to end. He did some preliminary work off-site, and then was in our house for about two weeks. The first few days he had a helper with him to move in the biggest pieces and help get the shelves up on the wall. He was reliable and punctual; showed up every day as he said he would, and worked hard. The resulting bookshelves and desk are really beautiful. We are very happy with James' work and would recommend him to others.

James Burns is the man to call. He came to my Mother's house and met with me to discuss the project. Later, he forwarded a bid and dates that he could begin. We spoke and he arranged the date to begin. He and his assistant arrived promptly. We discussed what materials would be needed and he went to the local store and got what he needed. He and his assistant worked for four days in our basement. First, deconstructing the walls and then rebuilding. Additionally, he reframed and insulated all the windows. Upon completion of the carpentry work, I asked what he wanted to completely paint the basement. A figure was agreed to and three days later the job was done. They did a beautiful job. We could not be happier.

Excellent work, and extra time was spent to make it as good as could be despite the challenges of neglected wood.

James researched appropriate heavy duty hinges that also matched the age/style of our door. He spent 6 hours fitting hinges with hand tools/chisels and sanding down door to accommodate the "less than square" opening. His attention to detail and "getting it right" was wonderful. For the time spent and craftsmanship, his price was fine. If you have a special woodworking need, call James.

James and his helper work well together constantly "measuring twice, cutting once." It's clear he enjoys and takes pride in his craft. As with any complex job, its scope grew from original definition, so we both had to be flexible in identifying the additional work, and paying accordingly. James is very good at asking for guidance when he reaches any design choices. The center utility cabinet hides plumbing and electrical, took great care in building, and really tooks great.

He came over on a Saturday and it took really long to get back to me. He did not problem solve very well. It was a specific kind of job and he kept me hanging around for the estimate. He did not give me any alternatives to the solution. I wish he would have given me other possibilities we could use.

The front door of my brick house is trimmed with wood and is unprotected against the elements. Portions of the wood had rotted, including parts of the pediment (i.e., the woodwork above the door). The original installers (back in 1939) cut curving 1-inch wide grooves, which matched the curving pediment roof, deep into the brick. We chose to replace the pediment with the same style rather than deal with covering the grooves. James removed the original pediment and, in a matter of days, created a new pediment with all the features and proportions of the original. He installed, caulked, and painted it. He also solved a design problem that had caused two light fixtures to short out. The board to which the front porch light is attached is convex, making it difficult to get a tight seal with the back of the light fixture. James mounted a square board, concave on one side and flat on the opposite side, and attached the light fixture to the flat side. The solution turned out to be quite elegant. Finally, he cut out the rotten wood where the vertical trim met the concrete porch and fitted replacement wood that matches existing wood in depth and width. I am more than satisfied with the work. I am positively delighted!

Background We have a 90 year old Craftsman bungalow which had a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace that previous owners had covered in layer after layer of paint. We even hired a sandblaster to remove the paint, but that only left the brick looking worse. The original bookshelves on either side of the fireplace were still there, minus the glass doors. Worst of all, someone had gouged out a channel in the brick to run electrical conduit down the front of the brick and into the mantle for an outlet. We wanted to restore the fireplace so it looked appropriate to the period and had the modern convenience of a eco-friendly gas fireplace. We decided to go with a tile surround and a gas insert, but we knew that the most important piece was going to be the woodwork: a completely new mantle, bookcases, and pilaster columns, all from quartersawn white oak, with an Arts and Crafts period look. Bidding Stage We received 3 bids on the project, and James was by far the cheapest. We could tell right away that James was excited about the project, and that he had a real sense of artistry and attention to detail that we were looking for. James was very responsive, and met with us for several hours on a Saturday to discuss what we were looking for. He had moved to Chicago recently from Alabama, so his portfolio was a bit limited, but I liked what I saw on his website and the pictures he brought with him on his iphone. James worked up the numbers a few days later by email, and we met again and signed our contract on the spot. I am an attorney and did not find anything objectionable with his contract, as I did on other contracts from people in the trades. Performance James did the initial demo and hung the Durock in December, and was at house several times a week from January to early March. We told him we were in no hurry and wanted him to take his time. He was fastidious in keeping a clean job site, hanging up plastic sheeting and cleaning the job site and vacuumed up the drywall dust every day. We have a newborn baby and he was very respectful and kept the noise to a minimum. On days that James did work in our home, it was hard to even tell that he had been there. James hung plastic tarps to stop the dust from travelling throughout the house and vacuumed at the end of the day. James spent a lot of time chasing down the right lumber, since we wanted a solid 8’ long mantle, which is almost impossible to find. He ended up coming up with a creative solution of inverting two pieces on top of one another that is beautiful and really makes the wood come alive. James was very attentive to our concerns. He was receptive to our ideas but politely gave his opinion when we asked for it on design issues. For example, I wanted some fancy mortise and tenon joinery, but James said it might make it look too busy and modern and detract from the overall period look, and he was absolutely right. We only had one miscommunication about the number of window panes in the glass doors, but I attribute it to us not being clear enough. He promptly remade the cabinet doors the way we wanted them without complaint. It is apparent that James is proud of his work and willing to fix anything. He is a true perfectionist; he returned for several days to sand down the drywall even though he wasn’t going to be the one to paint it. He also came back to fix one of the cabinet doors that didn’t close just right. Overall We are absolutely thrilled with the work James did. For the first time since we bought the house in 2007, we actually hang out in the living room. The pictures speak for themselves and show the level of detail and quality that James delivered. He did an amazing job. We cannot recommend him highly enough.

James first came in and put up three layers of plastic curtains to minimize dust getting into our family room and dining room. He put zippers in the curtains to allow us to enter/exit when necessary. He covered everything and cleaned up afterward so well, it required only a small amount of cleaning afterward. He did a good job of understanding our desires and making intelligent recommendations to get the best results for the job. He listens well, is meticulous, a hard worker, shows up on time, a true pleasure to have in our home.