"They were on time, efficient, pleasant and responsible. They made a mistake and fixed it, then pointed out where the wood was rotting and were able to repair it immediately. I was so pleased I asked them to paint the soffits, etc. and I plan to use them again in the spring to repair some other items. I also referred them to several friends. I especially appreciated that the price was reasonable and there was no hard sell. The inspection of the work after it was finished was also very good. Thank you to Jamie, Edgar and Louis & crew."
"Mr Delgado has a natural instinct for restoring furniture to its optimal appearance. He is an artist. He repaired a pair of huanghwali northern hat chairs for me, and then I sent them to auction and they made $25k. He has restored a series of other pieces of furniture for me, and I don't believe it would have been possible to do better. He restored a Renaissance revival server for me, and I gave him its mate in gratitude. He picks up and delivers, all with an old-world charm that you no longer find in his business."
"Obtained a price quote from Rob Coulter. His price was much cheaper than the price quotes I received from Home Depot and Sears. They were both at least $10,000. Also, he provided real cherry wood refacing while Sears only offered Rigid Thermo Foil (RTF) which looks cheap. He did a very good job at discussing the various options for doors, handles and stain colors. Also, he spent a lot of time working with me to figure out how to apply tip-on switches for a tricky corner of the kitchen. He had 2 assistants working with him to do the actual work. The final job looks very good and has not deteriorated over the last 9 months. The polyurethane coating he used was more glossy than I was expecting (most cabinets have a more dull looking finish) would be my only thing I would change about the job. Overall, I would recommend him over Home Depot or Sears because he is priced competitively and works with his customers to come up with innovative solutions for the challenges encountered with every home improvement project."
"Made an appt. with Castle Rep, James, for 17 windows and vinyl siding. He spent 1 hour talking about how great his company and windows are before finally getting down to the issue. We were told that CASTLE makes and services their own window, with all the best technology and technicians available. The price per window for energy efficient came out to over $1,200 per double-hung window! And since they make their own products, we could not find a way to compare quality and price with other manufacturers. But his per-window price exceeds the average price of $500-700 by A LOT! When we balked, he made a call to his "manager" to see if we qualified for a "special promotional" discount. If we were to commit right there on the spot, we would get an additional 10% off! Still way to high. We said we would think about it (he got sad and snippy), and that we wanted to hear about the vinyl siding quote before we made any decisions. He told us he could not give us a siding quote until his company did an "eagle view" measurement, which would require another appointment! We had no intention of sitting through ANOTHER high-pressure appointment. High pressure, long-drawn out presentation and he would not leave us with anything in writing! No brochures, prices, nothing! He refused to put anything in writing and we could not have a break down of labor and costs. I even asked him if I could have a copyhh of the window warranty and he said "only if you purchase right now." And they did not come prepared with references or previous job locations! When we further researched the company, we found they did make very excellent products, but the #1 complaint was by far that they did not honor their lifetime warranty and that customer service was horrible. In the end, we chose not to do business.."
I contacted George's Painting because of all the great reviews on Angie's List and am very happy that I did. I at first contacted them via email and received a prompt reply saying George would be out at 10:00 am on a Monday. I emailed back that that would be a good time for me. At 10:30 no one had come so I found a cell phone number for George who answered immediately and apologized and offered to come right away, which he did. He had not gotten the message about the 10:00 am appointment, which can happen when others are involved. George arrived and quickly understood what we needed done: we have 5 dormer windows that all had rotted wood around the glass as well as the sidesf. George suggested replacing it with PVC which will last many times longer than wood, and I was thrilled with that idea. He also suggested PVC for the outside frame of our little garage door, which had rotted away. He discussed using the highest quality Sherwin Williams paint, as well as washing the siding which had never been washed before. I was concerned that a power wash would take the paint off of our 30 year old siding but he said it wouldn't and he was right. I had had another company on Angie's list (the same company who had painted our house about 6 years ago) give me an estimate a week before and they never offered to wash the siding, only the mildewed part that they would paint. The other company said I could wash the siding myself and never offered to replace the rotted wood with PVC. They wanted to do what they had done the last time they were out which was to fill it with bondo or wood putty. George repeated many times that they would make the house beautiful and do whatever it took to make it that way. He explained that first a crew would come out to wash the house, then another crew of carpenters to find and replace all the rotted wood, then another crew to scrape and paint. I did mention that I would like the window sills and any other surface sanded, not just scraped, but unfortunately this did not happen. I think they would have if I had asked them to but I assumed they would since I had mentioned it to George. However, the final painting job looks very good, although the little garage door really should have been sanded. However, this was the only minor thing that happened that I feel could have been done better.
The guys that washed the house were extremely careful and used a low pressure wash to methodically squirt every piece of siding from top to bottom. They did not miss one spot and I cannot believe how beautiful and clean the house came out. I even joked that now it did not need painting since it truly looked clean and fresh just from the chlorox wash. They were able to get all of the green off and every speck of black mildew, even under the eaves. These guys spent half a day just doing this.
The next work day, the carpenter Joel came and tested every piece of wood for rot. Wherever there was rot, he removed it all and cut a precise piece of PVC from the large sheets and long framing lengths he brought with him. He had all of the right equipment and was very good at measuring and cutting. He honestly worked for 5 full days and replaced twice as much as I thought there was to be replaced. I even called George and said I didn't know there was so much rot and I expected to pay more than the estimate because Joel was truly finding more - including window sills and the undersides of our mansard roof. George said he would charge just for the extra material they had to buy, which is what he did.
The next week, a large crew came and George showed me the Emerald Brand of Sherwin Williams paint and the two kinds of caulking they would be using on the house. He also pointed out that he first put primer on, then the paint, and didn't just use paint with primer in it. I had been worried about the caulking because I know that that is as important as paint for protecting against moisture, and the guys came through. Every gap was found and caulked with new white caulking appropriate for the material (siding, brick, or wood) that needed to be caulked. They must have had 6 tubes of caulking for our house. The guys worked from 7:00 am until 4:00 pm and finished in one day. George even surprised me by showing me a gallon of paint he had had especially mixed to paint our brown shutters and front door! I had not even asked for this, thinking we would just paint the white trim, and at first I was reluctant because I didn't think painting plastic shutters was a good idea, but George tested a small sample and I was sold. When the painting was all finished, the shutters and front door turned out to be the Piece de resistance! It made our house look 20 years younger and as fresh as a model home.
"I am a senior with a background in construction. After reviewing many contractors and speaking with some of them, I immediately knew I hit the jackpot when I spoke to Danny.
1. He knew exactly what I needed and wanted done when I first spoke to him. This entailed the replacement, repair, and installation of the items listed above with attention to quality in materials, prevention of future problems, a fair price, and a commitment to starting and showing up once the job was initiated. Danny exceeded every expectation in these regards! 2. I silently knew in advance manufacturers, quality and cost of exterior doors (including the french door), storm doors, door locks and deadbolts, leak-proof door sills for 6 inch exterior walls and a leak-proof barrier on the bottom of the door frames. Without knowing of my preferences, Danny suggested the identical manufacturers and materials I had in mind. At this juncture, we met and I hired Danny to perform the work. 3. I am beyond pleased with the outcome of Danny's effort on this project. As an example of his integrity, he asked me to trust him in the design and installation of an exterior octagonal window in a bathroom. My wife and I were literally blown away with a handcrafted symmetrical waterproof tunnel and inside wall frame he created - more akin to an artistic piece than a window. 4. Inside work was always minimally invasive using tarps and soft shoes rather than work boots. Outside and inside cleanup at the end of each work day was respectfully performed leaving no mess. I would recommend Danny to anyone requiring any kind of interior or exterior installation, modification, or repair as I have seen firsthand examples of his experience, skills, and personal and business ethics. In fact, Danny is presently working on costs to replace our roof."
"The owner had my recliner fixed in less than 4 hours. I was very pleased with the repair time. The owner understood how important this was for me and made it a priority."
"Mitchell and his team at Tilesmith did an amazing job renovating two bathrooms in my recently purchased condo! The guys were polite, friendly, professional, highly skilled, and as a result the bathrooms look wonderful. From start to finish they were great communicators, keeping me informed of their status and progress and what to expect throughout the project. I would highly recommend Tilesmith and will definitely use them again for future renovation projects."
"CRG and Cornelio (the owner) get our highest recommendation. We contracted with CRG Remodeling in May 2019 for a kitchen and powder room remodel in Washington DC, and ended up doing much more, including LR/DR/hallway painting, plumbing fixes, and an office remodel. We found Cornelio to be honest, highly efficient, professional, responsive, can-do and flexible. He is easy to communicate with, punctual, skillful, and knowledgeable. The team fixed problems as needed and any additional work was priced fairly. He has an excellent crew which was capable of doing most of the work (floor sanding was done by others). CRG Remodeling is well run and a good value. We cannot say enough good things about Cornelio and his crew and would definitely hire CRG Remodeling for any future jobs."
Window Shutter Repair questions, answered by experts
Shutters are still very common in Southern, farmhouse, and traditional-style homes, especially those in warm climates who can benefit from the increased efficiency. While modern homes and designs tend to shy away from shutters, shutters are a timeless design style that will likely be around for decades to come.
The average shutter is designed to last 20 to 25 years. Proper maintenance for the type of shutters you have is essential for helping them reach their full potential.
Not all windows are suitable for shutters, as certain styles can prevent them from functioning correctly. It's best to avoid installing shutters on bay windows, picture windows, dormer windows, and double-mulled windows. Shutters are better suited for large, full-size standard windows or French doors.
Additionally, consider the room's lighting needs. Since shutters effectively block light, they are an excellent choice for rooms where you want more darkness and privacy, such as a master bedroom or a main living room. For window types that are not ideal for functional shutters, some homeowners choose to install fixed (non-functional) shutters to maintain a consistent look across the home.
The most popular estate shutter brands include Hunter Douglas, Budget Blinds®, and Graber®. Hunter Douglas shutters cost $20 to $26 per square foot and include high-quality hardwood and faux wood options. Budget Blinds shutters cost $20 to $24 per square foot, depending on if you choose natural wood or another material. Depending on the material, Graber shutters range from $18 to $24 per square foot.
Estate shutters offer more energy efficiency, privacy, and light control than blinds. They provide better insulation against heat and cold, lowering your energy bills. They’re also sturdy, durable, and last much longer than blinds (up to 50 years or longer). They’re also low-maintenance and can add curb appeal to your home. The return on investment (ROI) for estate shutters is around 75%.
The Solomons, MD homeowners’ guide to window shutter repair services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Discover exterior shutters cost, including average prices, installation factors, and ways to save. Get expert tips to plan your exterior shutter project.
Estate shutters can add a stately appearance to your home and block out light. Learn how much estate shutters cost, depending on window size and material.
Looking for exterior window treatments for safety and curb appeal? Learn about standard shutter sizes to see what size you need and how to nail the proportions.
