David C Hartjes Quality Renovations

Description of Work: "Dave put a skylight in and installed cabinetry. He did an excellent job |"

Description of Work: He installed a new kitchen.

Description of Work: David removed the old built-in closet (hanging sliding doors and a piece of plaster on top), and replace those with two sets of doors -- two below and two above, opening to the outside (pull-out). He attached the mirror on the inside of one door, and attached four handles to the doors. He hung the doors, and add ball-catches to the tops of the doors so that they could lock. He also fixed one kitchen cabinet that was broken. - The doors he ordered did not match in color (it was solid birch, but the birch finish didn't match). - The sides of the doors have holes in them and those remained after the work was done, -- not crucial but visible and strange - The doors are totally custom cut, and thus are of awkward size. David suggested to have four doors instead of one pair of 8 feet doors. I didn't protest, as a result, we have these four doors. - The bottom doors are not hung at the same line (one is a few milimiters higher), not major, but still is visible. - The fame around the doors does not match the doors -- it is white, whereas the doors are wood. This is by design, but I didn't ask for this design, it is simply that David built it this way. - Major issue: The frame around doors is too massive -- especially, the middle panel between lower doors and upper doors. This prevents easy access to the upper shelves. - One of the doors was scratched on the inside when hung. (not visible much, but still there) - One of the upper doors is not cut cleanly, showing scratches on the edge. Not too major, but yet another thing to notice. - We had to finish the doors ourselves with polyurethane, and had to paint the inside of the closet ourselves. This cost us additional money and additional delays. The inside of the closet was stained during construction, so the painting work was a bit ruined. Bottom line: David was always on time. He returned my calls and was very pleasant to work with. He knows basic carpentry and if you need small repairs or very simple Home Depot style work, he will do a great job. He worked honestly and did what he promised. If you need anything beyond basic, or any solution that would take into account any custom work, discuss it carefully before starting. I am not happy with this project and feel like we spent too much time, energy and money on somethhing that is not working as it could have been working. I am sorry I had to give such a review.

Description of Work: David Hartjes is a finish carpenter whose name was given to me by a friend. He had built her office and I had admired the handiwork. Initially, he repaired some cabinets over our refrigerator (removed for servicing) and rebuilt a bookcase. We were so pleased with his quality, knowledge and workmanship, we had him replace a series of large glass doors that functioned as windows and composed most of the southern exposure in our home. They hadn't worked in years, but no one could figure out how to help, exactly. David steered us to Marvin Doors and designed custom replacements. He removed the old doors (hundreds of pounds of weight due to large expanses of glass) and expertly installed the new doors. He replaced the traditional moulding with new wood and it all looks (and works) terrifically. He then replace a set of rotted sills, and several windows that were rotting in our mudroom, as well as various pieces of wood trim around the back of our house. In one area, there was extensive rot, nearly threatening the foundation. He is very reasonable and a perfectionist in getting things to fit. He is now working on a built-in desk and dresser unit for a bedroom. It was my idea to add him to Angies List. He is a lovely man and does extraordinary work for a reasonable price. I have truly enjoyed having him in my home and have entrusted him with a spare key, so that he can work when I am away. He has made a huge positive difference in our quality of life and I recommend him without qualifications.