Carson Design & Remodeling

The fact that we hired Carson Design a second time to build another sunroom is testimony to his level of professionalism and quality of work. The sunrooms provide a very enjoyable space that we use year round. We had a radiant heat system installed in the floor of the sunroom on the house to keep it warm in the winter and a wood stove keeps the other one toasty. The sunrooms also create a much more open and lighted environment throughout the rest of the house and study. The work was completed in a timely fashion. Most of the work was done by Burke Carson and one assistant. Since Burke was on site most days we were able to keep up to date on progress and discuss any issues/questions that arose during the construction process. Over time we've only had one problem with a leaky sky light two years after completion - Burke came over and re-sealed the window. No problems since then. Overall, Burke is a great guy and we enjoyed his company while he was here. We still see him around town and keep in touch. We highly recommend Carson Design & Remodeling.

Great organization and workmanship Organized supporting stonework and electrical installation with no glitches Contractor is very skilled and has excellent knowledge of subsiduary contractors Whole experience was one of cordial cooperation with an end result which provides constant pleasure to owners as well as considerable visual external appeal.

Burke was very clear about our contract. He explained how had to go about getting the necessary permits from the City of Ithaca, and let us know when that, inevitably, hit a snag. He always kept us updated on progression of the work. He let us know what decisions we needed to make and when they needed to be done. We actually enjoyed the process, and were always glad to chat with Burke. He hired very good people, too, to dig the foundation, lay the tile, and install the heater. He also saved me from myself when painting the walls. I thought I’d purchased a grayed white paint, but ended up with dark grey—not what you want in a sunroom. Burke explained that paint mixers sometimes make mistakes, and told me how to get the problem fixed. Burke Carson designed the room to fit with our house and our needs. I moved my writing work out there for the rest of the summer, and we ate dinner out there. We used the little heater until the temperature got below freezing, but I’m planning to move my work out there on the first of March! In Ithaca, where it’s gray from November through April, and sometimes for half the summer, our sunroom lets us enjoy extra light while staying out of the rain and snow. Over the holidays, we also discovered that it works as an extra refrigerator. If you can afford it (and the cost is not as high as we feared) a sunroom helps with that old Seasonal Affective Disorder. For sunrooms and any remodeling, we highly recommend Carson Design and Remodeling.

I hired Burke Carson of Carson Design & Remodeling, in April 2015 to replace the glass in my sun room roof.  I asked him what a new sun room would cost and he said approximately $30,000.  I laughed and said I?d rather replace the roof.  The glass needed to be dug out of the frame and necessitated hard work to perform.  Partially into the work, he told my wife that if he knew how hard this would be, he would not have taken the job.  After paying him $7856 I thought he was the expert, but I didn?t know what to expect after this comment.  I overlooked several disagreements we had:
       He replaced the gutter at the end of the roof and then wanted to cut another hole in my deck to move the drainpipe to meet the new gutter, but I argued over several days that he must get a curved connector to connect the gutter to the downspout.   Ultimately he obtained a connector and made the connection correctly.
·       He broke glass from the old panes on my backyard and I needed to argue over several days that he should bring a vacuum to clean up the glass.  Ultimately he brought a vacuum and did it correctly.
·       When I would ask him for an update on what he planned to do each time he arrived, his answer most of the time was, ?you?ll see when it is finished.?
·       During the work, I questioned the integrity of some of his connections and seals, and he assured me that he knew what he was doing and that is the way it should be done.  After the job was finished, there was some rain water leakage and Burke did return to reseal areas of the sunroof.  Only, it was those areas of the roof that I had questioned that he sealed and concentrated on.  It appeared that those areas of the roof lacked integrity and he needed to reseal those areas again.
In the final interaction I had with Burke concerning slight dampness inside the sunroof when it rained, he said he felt he did not know what else to do, but he?d put a cap on the top of the runners between the panes of glass. When I told him that I saw some openings where water can leak in and I started to caulk some of those areas and I?d show him where I believe he should be sealing, he said he signed off on the job since I was working on it, and he didn?t get back to me.  I overlooked previous disagreements but by not honoring his warranty, I felt that he went too far and as a result I am publishing my review online.  His warranty said Carson warrants against leakage in the roof glass.  It didn?t say he warrants against leakage only if someone else never touched the roof.
It wasn?t until 8 days later that I received an email from him saying that he would come back to continue the sealing dependent on what caulking he finds, and told me that I just want to whine about spending $8000 and that he should never have extended a 5 year warranty against leakage in the roof glass area. 
I have recalled the events as they happened during my hiring of Burke Carson. 
I found working with Burke Carson to be very difficult.
Mel Solomon
Ithaca, NY