Lasky Homesmith Services

When Jeff came to give us an estimate, we thought we wanted to replace the basement door and weatherstrip the closet door. But Jeff pointed out that our original basement door was still in good shape, and adding a good (Harvey) storm door would take care of the drafts. It had to be custom-ordered and was installed as soon as it was available. Jeff had to add an aluminum threshold and some trim at the top. Installation was neatly and professionally done, and it has eliminated the drafts. The closet door also needed an oak threshold and weatherstripping on the inside door frame. Jeff put a fancy piece of weatherstripping on the bottom of the door that pops up when you open the door and goes back down when you close it. Excellent solution and no more drafts.

Jeff came to give us an estimate for Harvey replacement windows. But he pointed out that our existing windows were still in good shape and that with some weatherstripping and caulking, we might solve the problem. He pointed out that replacement windows will make the glass area smaller, allowing less light into the area. We thought that maybe replacing the storm windows would help, but when Jeff came by one day to show us a sample of the window we would get, we realized that the storm windows we have are heavier and are better quality than new ones. Jeff suggested that we get our current storms re-weatherstripped. I got silicone and weatherstripping at my local hardware store and did it myself. The glass no longer rattled in the frames and, after screwing them tightly into their frames, the drafts are minimal. Some caulk around the window frames and storm window frames has solved our problem. I have little doubt that we would have been unhappy with replacement windows. Saved $$$ too.

I contacted Jeff about restoring 30 + windows in our house. He came out to the house to give me an estimate on a Saturday morning. We thought we would hire Jeff to do the work in January, but then it turned out that we needed to get some of the windows fixed the next week. Jeff was able to fit us into his schedule and got the work done. We had a lot of other work going on at the same time at the house, so it was not ideal working conditions for Jeff - but he did a great job and got it all done. We will hire Jeff again to restore the 30 other windows in our house later.

Jeff was excellent to work with. He arranged the mechanical repair in stages so I would have time to re-glaze and paint the sashes before they were replaced. He did an excellent job of repairing rotten sills and trim.

I was impressed with Jeff's good ratings on the list. I called him in early Sept. to see if he'd come for an estimate. I found him hard to get in touch with, but he did return several calls, and apologized since he was overwhelmed with work. We did agree for him to come on Sept 29th at 8:30; he showed up about a half hour late, and apologized for his lateness. He made some measurements on the doors. He told me for replacing the four doors, and repairing the hinge on the entry door, it would cost about $3000. Shocked, I asked him to put that in writing, and though he had a notebook with him, he told me he didn't want to go down to his truck to get forms, and so he said he'd email it. I did not receive the estimate in the email I called him to request that he send it but as of today (two and a half weeks since he came) I have not received it. I have heard of contractors not wanting to do a job, and so they give an unreasonable estimate. My experience with Jeff was poor.

Jeff and his helpers are professional, smart and skilled. The attic fan carpentry is well-done. Jeff navigated around several difficulties with that install (which entailed cutting a hole in our ceiling to the attic) well. He also worked quickly, taking care of perhaps 8 small household tasks within a half-day of work. As a bonus, he can be reached easily by email or phone.

Despite all the good reviews I had read, I just didn't have that great an experience. On the positive side, Jeff fit us in on short notice and was generally responsive in returning phone calls. On the negative side, the quality of the work did not meet our expectations. He seemed to want to take shortcuts to get the job over with quickly. One example had to do with re-glazing several windows. Jeff seemed reluctant and upset when his workers wanted to send out some of the windows because the they were in such bad shape and the guys couldn't do it themselves. Then, when they brought the windows back, the job was poorly done and there was glaze all over the glass, which we had to spend lots of time scraping off. Finally, some of the glaze was painted and some was not. When I questioned this, Jeff told me his workers had made a mistake by painting some of it and just left it at that. There was other work he said he would give us a quote on, but he never did.

I have used Jeff before and the work is amazing. He is a superb craftsman who makes sure everything is perfect. He usually has a helper and he watches their work like a hawk and tells them how to proceed. His problem solving skills are the best. While installing the ceiling molding he noticed that it sloped down a bit so he drilled 3 holes over the window and sure enough there was a problem. When the house was built they never installed a support beam. This explains why I have continually had a crack from the fireplace to the window. No matter how many times we patched it, it reappeared. Jeff called in another contractor who sized up the job and put in a new beam. This guy did a great job and even came on Sunday so Jeff could resume work on Monday. When I told him how I wanted the bookshelves to be, he advised against my solution and his looks beautiful. Everyone comments on them when they come in. A lot of Oohs and Ahhs. He also advised on windows and did a great job.

I am very pleased with the work done on the new door and all the windows. The wood around the windows was very old and rotted due to water damage. The new window framing and sills were made to period to fit in well with the house and the door he found was of a type that also looks original. He used high quality materials and did high quality wood working. I highly recommend this contractor.

HE BROKE DOWN THE WORK AND EMAILED ME THE INFORMATION. HE WAS VERY RESPONSIVE AND INFORMATIVE. IT WAS JUST A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH HIM, AND I WILL IMMEDIATELY CALL HIM IF WE NEED WORK DONE. MY OVER ALL IMPRESSION WAS THAT HE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL.

Time delay was an issue but that mostly had to do with the manufacture of the cabinets and the specific complications of the project.

It went well overall. Jeff called back promptly, and was timely in coming to give us an estimate. The work began on the date scheduled. His estimate was accurate. One handrail was not finished in the two days of work here. As promised, an associate came back the following week to install it. There were problems with the height of the handrail, which were remedied the following week. The quality of the work is excellent. We are enjoying our new basement stairs.

I felt he was a responsible business person.

Jeff was completely professional. He came the same day that I called, analyzed the work and produced an estimate. He returned within a week and completed the many small jobs in a day. Some were somewhat complicated and he devised creative solutions to do them. His estimate was accurate, the cost, although slightly high, reflected the quality of the work and I was completely satisfied with it.

It went great. Jeff and his helper, Caleb, were here every day for a week and were very careful in the work they did, very pleasant to be around, always cleaned up after themselves, and always answered all our questions.

We knew that fixing the double pane would have to wait until warmer weather, but the storm for the picture window couldn't wait. Jeff was very thoughtful and came up with a way to make the storm for the picture window. And, as he said it was too small a job for him to do at the moment, he took the time to tell me how I could make the window myself, which I really appreciated! I would definitely call Jeff to work on the double-pane windows when the time comes. He was punctual, knowledgable, friendly, and very helpful.

We went with another contractor who offered a better price, but Jeff gave a prompt estimate and was friendly.

All of the windows open and close smoothly. On his own initiative, he went back and redid the first 2 windows, as he got a better handle on the workings of the window's weather seals.

Jeff did an excellent job. I was very satisfied with the outcome, and I will be using him again, and in fact, I have already contracted with him for other work. He described the plan for renovating the windows clearly and accurately and completed the job as planned. His approach to the small, miscellaneous matters that he did along the way was efficient, thoughtful, and imaginative. He obviously cares about his work. I would also note that Jeff is a very pleasant and agreeable guy and good to work with. He brought a trainee/assistant with him to work on the windows and that also went well, since Jeff was here throughout and took full responsibility for the process and product.

I selected Jeff Lasky's Homesmith Service from your list. He came the day after my telephone call to see the cellar stairs & determine how the rail should be installed. He left to check out the City of Boston code relating to stair rails and returned, per our agreement, within a week and a half. Jeff came early in the morning with the wood for the rail, and within two hours, had completed the work. He installed a handsome, sturdy rail, which I for one, will enjoy using. From start to finish, it was a very pleasant experience having Jeff install the railing. He responded quickly, came when he said he would, was responsible in checking codes, competent in his workmanship, and easy to communicate with. The railing was installed within the two weeks as I requested. I would certainly have Jeff do other work, such as repairing window cords and replacing a defective window sill. I will attest that Jeff belongs in your Hall of Fame. Thank you, Angie, for helping me out with this referral.

This was the second time that Jeff Lasky worked for us and we were again totally satisfied with his services. During our initial telephone conversation, he informed us that he does not do painting but would arrange to have a helper do that part of the job and would get back to us. He did so, in short order. The helper was cordial and efficient, did a good job on the ceiling and was conscientious in cleaning up, afterwards. Jeff's work with the blinds was impeccable, speedy and precise. He brought the whole project in considerably under his original estimate and readily honored the 5% Angie's List coupon. Jeff is personable, communicative, and informative. We will happily hire him again and recommend him enthusiastically.

A professional, pleasant encounter.

Jeff understands how windows and doors work, and repairs them to fit correctly rather than just planing or making quick temporary fixes. He does very good work, does what he says he will do, and comes when he says he will. Highly recommended.

I am very pleased with the work that Jeff did. He came by to do some measuring on one day, then got all the jobs done the next day (along with his son who was still on summer break from college). Jeff recommended that we check out the Container Store for elfa closet systems, and it all turned out great. He is very professional and good at what he does. But what really makes him stand out is that he is very focused on the quality of what he is doing. His prices are fair (not cheap) and he gets the job done right.

Jeff is very detailed in his work and a real professional craftsman. I was originally looking for a handyman and got a skilled professional carpenter. Jeff made some very good design suggestions towards the finished project and had a very genuine concern that the finished product was high quality. Price was not low, but this is a good example of paying extra to get high quality work, and a responsible professional.