Beware Hiring Companies from Kijiji!!!

The other day I got a call for an estimate. This homeowner explained to us she hired a company, paid them cash, they did some of the work and then never came back. She was now attempting to get another company who could come out and finish the job.

When I arrived at this beautiful Burlington, Ontario home nestled in the woods, this is what I found.

When I arrived, I heard the full story. She had found this "company" on Kijiji. A man came out and gave her a price for cash and most of the money was paid up front. He worked 9 weeks on her house, did not finish and never returned. Thankfully she did not pay him 100% of the money. I looked around and saw poor workmanship everywhere. I honestly would go broke if a job this size took me over two months to complete! We would be in and out in less than a week.

I saw a T-Shirt recently and had to take a picture of it:

I couldn't agree more with what is said on this shirt. When you hire off of Kijiji, you are likely to get individuals who are not skilled. As I tell people, it is always, "Buyer Beware" when it comes to Kijiji.

At The Eavestrough Company, we stand by our work and our work is done to perfection. We NEVER ask for money up front from our customers. You do not pay until we are done and you are 100% happy with our work! This is why we have such stellar reviews on the internet on review sites like Home Stars, Google Places, and Trusted Pros.

If you would like to avoid the hassle of poor workmanship and service, we urge you to contact us. We promise a job that will be done to your satisfaction. You can reach us at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com .

In closing, here is a picture of a house we just completed with 900 square ft of siding, 900 square ft. of insulation, eavestrough, fascia and soffit. It took us 2 days to complete and the customers were super happy with the end result.

Eavestrough Cleaning: Do it safely!

Fall and Spring eavestrough cleaning is essential for the upkeep on your home. If neglected, you could end up with water related damages: The more common damages are damaging the eavestrough or roof edge because they weigh down with ice in winter. Major damage might include foundation issues, mold and mildew, and basement flooding. The later are extremely rare but costly. 

Eavestrough cleaning seems like a simple task for do it yourselfers. However, climbing a ladder up to the edge of your roof is more dangerous than meets the eye. If done improperly, you can be seriously hurt!

Whether you do it yourself or hire an eavestrough cleaning company, here are some things you should keep in mind:

1. Never clean eavestroughs by yourself!  Any time you are using a ladder, you should always have a helper. You need someone to help hold the ladder to keep it steady. Having a partner hold the base of your ladder can prevent ladder accidents. Your helper can also assist in helping move the ladder, hand you tools or help if an emergency should arise.

2. Use proper protective equipment. One of the tools I can not emphasis enough is a QUALITY ladder and a good ladder stand off! A stand off will protect damage to the eavestrough and stabilize the top of the ladder. 

Other protective equipment are gloves to protect your hands, proper clothing, and even a harness to protect from falling. 

3. Do not use water to clean out an eavestrough! My reason for this is that once you use water it splatters everywhere! It splatters on you, on the roof, on the ladder, on the fascia, siding and windows. In my opinion, cleaning with water is a terrible mistake as it makes everything messy and slippery! Simply use your hands or use a good leaf blower. Do not do what the gentleman is doing in the picture below! He is asking for trouble!

4. Follow ladder safety tips. Always make sure the ladder has at least three points of contact and preferably four. If you use a ladder stand off, it will stabilize the ladder and prevent it from sliding at the top. Remember, NEVER over reach when on a ladder! This is very dangerous!

5. If you are hiring a company to clean your eavestroughs, make sure it is a proper and legitimate company that follows all safety precautions, has taken the training at heights course, and carries WSIB and Liability Insurance. As an FYI, just because a company says they have WSIB DOES NOT MEAN they carry the proper WSIB insurance. Many landscape companies clean eavestroughs and carry WSIB. However, they do not carry proper WSIB which allows them to climb ladders and work at heights. They must carry WSIB similar to roofing or siding companies and most DO NOT! 

6. Consider getting gutter protection which will allow you to not worry about having to clean the eavestroughs. I recommend Diamondback Gutter Covers or Alu-Rex Gutter Protection. 

At The Eavestrough Company, we are concerned about you. Whether you clean the eavestroughs yourself, or hire professionals, do it safely and do it right! If you want a quote for installation of gutter protection, please do not hesitate to contact us at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com.

Old Faithful.......

Recently, an employee of The Eavestrough Company drove our old 2003 Chevrolet Astro van to a job to clean out the eavestroughs of a condo corporation. A comment was made, "I thought you would come in a nicer vehicle than that."

Well...we admit, the vehicle is looking tired and getting pretty rusty. However, there are a few reasons we keep it.

First, it was the first vehicle ever purchased by The Eavestrough Company. To be honest, I love this vehicle. It's been around the block and back with us and never let us down. To get rid of it seems like getting rid of an old friend!

Second, the vehicle can haul a lot of stuff! From gutter coils to ladders, and, as you can see in the picture below, it can haul a 40' length of 6" eavestrough to a job site when the 6" machine is tied up somewhere else!

Thirdly, I try to repair my vehicles to keep overhead for our company low. This way, I can pass savings on to my customers.

Fourthly, we know there will come a day when we have to say goodbye to this vehicle and we will do so when we have a major repair that is not worth the cost of fixing it. In the meantime, this little gem keeps chugging along as faithful as can be.

For more information on The Eavestrough Company, please phone us at (905)-966-2564 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com

Get Your Job Done Right!

The old saying goes, "You get what you pay for." When some people get quotes, they look at price. Others want quality even if they have to pay a little more. No matter what your goal is, you need to make sure the job is done right! Eavestrough should last 25-35 years. If you are redoing your eavestrough within 5 years, it was no bargain! This year, I've done two houses that had their eavestroughs done last year.

Over the years, I have seen some very shoddy to downright terrible work done by others. This year, I think I have seen more poor work than I can remember. Take a look at these pictures:

This job in Ancaster was done 5 years ago and the eavestrough and downpipes started falling off the house! The problems, no downspout outlets were used, and the biggest problem was the company used all steel screws with aluminum. Using steel with aluminum is a BIG NO NO!!!!!!! These dissimilar metals do not like each other and the aluminum will corrode the steel. Look at the snapped screw below. It rusted right through!

 BAD! BAD! BAD! STEEL SCREWS!!!!!! You have to use zinc screws!

Now here's another job in Hamilton done two years ago. The homeowner phoned me because water was pouring through the corners. The problem: The worst mitred corners I have ever seen! Plus they put the new aluminum fascia over the old aluminum without removing it and they forgot to cap the corner box! OOPS!!!!

Notice the aluminum fascia put right over the old AND how do you not cap this corner box? It was left exposed.

And finally, this house in Dundas. The problem? Every eavestrough was cut too short and the downpipe outlets were installed on the outside of the eavestroughs not the inside like they are supposed to be installed:

These are just three of many jobs I have seen this year where the workmanship was poor. I would be embarrassed if I hired an eavestrougher who installed like this. At The Eavestrough Company, our commitment to you is that we will install eavestrough, fascia, or soffit on your home like it is our own. Our installers are among the best in the business.

Years ago we wrote our own code of ethics. Here they are:

Code of Ethics

The Eavestrough Company  is guided by these fundamental principles.

We will strive to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and responsibility in all of our business dealings with you by:

• Writing estimates and warranties that are clear and honest;
• Strictly adhering to the highest quality standards of workmanship;
• Maintaining all required insurances;
• Performing all work in a safe and timely manner.
• Providing only products, materials, and services that are of proven quality;
• Quickly resolving all customer call backs in a timely manner.

If you are looking for a company who abides by these principles, we would welcome a call or email. You can contact us at 905-966-2564 or you can visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com . 

Rain Chains.....A Beautiful Alternative to Downspouts!

When I am out estimating, one of the most common discussions I have with people are in regards to downspout location. Let's face it, a 3"x3" aluminium pipe coming down the front or side of the house is not the most aesthetic feature of your home! However, in some cases, there is a beautiful and functional alternative. It's called, the rain chain! They have been in use in Japan for hundreds of years, quite often on Temples and residences. The Japanese call them "kusari dos". Since the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Rain Chains have steadily grown in popularity in Canada and The United States.

Rain chains are a beautiful alternative to conventional eavestrough downspouts. Where conventional downspouts are often hidden or placed out of sight so as to not detract from the look of a home or structure, rain chains can accent the architecture and add curb appeal. Rain chains channel water downward from the eavestrough via a series of hollow cups or a stylish chain link.

Here is a video by a company that sells rain chains:

Rain Chains can be made out of any type of metal, including copper. They make a beautiful and relaxing noise as the water travels down the chain. I have even seen a few houses that simply had a hardware store chain wired up to the downspout. Like this one in Burlington, Ontario. 

Here is an excellent youtube video of someone who used a chain:

When I discuss rain chains to my customers in Ontario, Canada, invariably they always ask if rain chains ice up in the winter time. The answer? Yes, they do and they are a spectacular sight in winter! Just look at these photos! 

So there you have it! A beautiful alternative to a convention downspout! Rain Chains are simply BEAUTIFUL!

If you would like a quote for new eavestrough, fascia, and soffit, give us a call at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com.

Crooked Contractors at your door!

Crooked Contractors! They are everywhere and in every city. There is not a month that goes by we do not get a phone call or an email from someone who has been cheated by a "contractor". The "contractors" are usually people going around door to door, scamming unsuspecting people like Seniors. I have been to two estimates this year for some very nice people who were taken advantage of.

Let me recount one story. I will call my customer Bob. Bob was in his driveway one day when Rick, approximately 50 years old, approached him advising him he had just finished an eavestrough job up the street. He had just enough material left to do Bob's house and he could replace his eavestrough for a fire sale price of $1600 but it had to be in cash and the decision had to be made now. Bob had been thinking of replacing his eavestroughs because they were old and leaking. The offer sounded good, Rick (the contractor) seemed like a nice guy, and he could do the job immediately. Bob agreed.

Since it was already late in the day, it was dark by the time Rick finished. Bob gave Rick the $1600. The next day, Bob looked at the job and realized the work was very substandard. The problem was there was no estimate, he did not have Rick's phone number, and there was no way to get Rick back. Hence, The Eavestrough Company was called.

When I arrived I heard the story and felt so badly for this gentleman. He had been scammed. Not only was the work among the worst I had ever seen, I measured the very tiny house and Rick had charged Bob $15 per foot for the work. That's nearly triple or at least double the normal price. Here are issues I found with the job: the wrong colour was used (commercial brown when the actual colour should have been antique brown), eavestroughs were cut too short at the roof ends, the caulking job on the corners was HORRENDOUS!, the downpipe outlets were installed on the outside of the eavestrough not the inside, it had box miter corners installed very crooked, one trough had been cut far too short and a piece of eavestrough had been spliced in to extend it, the downpipes were crooked running down the wall, several downpipes were dented, and worse, the wrong kind of caulking was used. It could literally be pealed out! We ran water through them and the corners leaked. Following are some pictures of the work:

Bob wanted to know what I could do to fix them. Sadly, I explained to him the only thing that could be done was to take them all off and start over. They could not be fixed. Bob was out $1600 and there was little he could do. He had been scammed by a door to door fraudster!

Here are some things that might help you or your loved ones in the future before you get scammed:

Beware of the contractor who:

1. Pops up out of nowhere, literally.  No legitimate contractor goes door to door.
2. You can't verify who they are, who their company is, any of their references or has a fixed business address.
3. Can not provide you with a business license or certificate of insurance, which should include liability and WSIB.
4. Offers a "bargain" if he can do the work that day.
5. Rubs you the wrong way. Trust your instincts!. Run the other way!
6. Asks you to pay up front for work that hasn't been done yet or for materials that haven't arrived. 
7. Uses high pressure sales  or scare tactics to get you to agree to work.
8. Demands cash only!

If you or your loved one have been the victim of a scam or contractor type fraud, you may want to consider reporting it to your local police if you know the name of the contractor or obtained his license plate information.

Here is what The Eavestrough Company promises you:

We will strive to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and responsibility in all our business dealings with you by:

• Writing estimates and warranties that are clear and honest;
• Strictly adhering to the highest quality standards of workmanship;
• Honouring all legitimate financial obligations;
• Maintaining all required insurances;
• Performing all work in a safe and timely manner.
• Providing only products, materials, and services that are of proven quality;
• Quickly resolving all customer call backs in a timely manner.

If this is what you are looking for in an eavestrough company, contact us at www.theeavestroughcompany.com or by phoning us at 905-966-2564.

We love Emergency Services Personnel!!!!!!!

At the Eavestrough Company, we make no bones about it! WE APPRECIATE AND RESPECT ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL... POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, AND PARAMEDICS! These men and women put their life on the line every time they put on a uniform. They serve and protect night and day. When you and I sleep at night, they are awake keeping watch over us.

That is why The Eavestrough Company offers to pay the 13% HST for all Police, Fire, and Paramedics! All you have to do is let us know when we give you the estimate! It's our very small way of saying thank you for all that you do for us!

If you are a First Responder and would like an estimate for Eavestrough or any of the services we provide, contact The Eavestrough Company at www.theeavestroughcompany.com or phone us at 905-966-2564. We would love to provide quality service to you for all the quality service you provide to us!