WriteGuy

Prior to initiating the repair (to the inside of) our north-facing front window, the contractor we hired advised us that in order to provide long-term integrity for what would be a superb job on his part, the second-floor and main front windows would have to be properly insulated and re-sealed. To the Yellow Pages I went. Of the two companies contacted, Rimvy at Vanguard was first to respond. He showed-up the next day at the appointed time, quoted me a price, which was slightly lower, but in the neighbourhood of my own (amateur) estimate for labour, materials, and clean-up, and indicated he could start the job right then and there. Fortunately (for us), he had arrived in a van topped with ladders and filled with cases of professional-quality caulking (the kind you can't get at Home Depot) in various colours. I colour-matched as he cut away the existing exterior caulking on all four edges of the big window. Lo and behold, there was no insulation behind the caulking! None at all. On a house we bought as "new!" Rimvy insulated and properly caulked the four front windows in less than two hours. We hired him to insulate and caulk around all other windows and doors, which he did at mutually-convenient times. Rimvy's as much artist as "repairman." He communicates well, knows his craft, gets right to work, cares about the resulting functionality and look, and even whistles while he works. I trust him as I trust the quality of the remedy he provided.

All four edges on the inside wood frame of our huge, north-facing front window (on our two-year-old home!) were attracting moisture and began to blacken. The probable cause? Improper exterior caulking and sealing. We re-painted two or three times, but the wood continued to deteriorate. We finally caved and did what most do: sifted through the Yellow Pages for contractors. We called a few, got a couple of quotes, but, bottom line, our expectations weren't met. We eventually called Murphy's and set up an estimate appointment time with Patrick. Before the two-phase job could be started, he explained, the exterior had to be properly sealed. Brownie point number one, of several. (We had that done.) His estimates of time and price were reasonable and roughly as I had pre-calculated. Patrick and his co-worker showed up when planned. They took great care not to damage the walls and the four-inch window trim — consistent throughout the house — which was irreplaceably unmatchable. Patrick returned with the proper materials to complete the job, as scheduled. There were no surprises. The repaired area looks new. Most of all — and this was the biggie — my wife was happy. Whew!