CONTRACTORS WE HAVE USED

Memorial Thicket Homeowners Association | home

This year, a number of our homes celebrated their 20th birthday. Twenty years seems to be the time in the life of a house that the need for repair and replacement kicks into high gear.

On this page, homeowners are invited to share their comments or recommendations regarding service people with whom they have had personal experience. If you know a good one, share him with us. If you've run across a lemon, let us know that also. E-mail your thoughts in a sentence or two (or three or four).

We'll post your view along with your name (no anonymous zings please) under the appropriate heading.

Disclaimer: Any thoughts posted on this page do not represent the views, support, recommendation or condemnation of the Board of Directors or any of it's members. This is intended to be neighbors sharing opinions with neighbors.

APPLIANCE REPAIR

The ice maker in our bar goes on strike about once every three years. This year, we used K & N Service, Inc. (713) 869-4518 . They were about the only company in that category in the yellow pages that didn't have a string of complaints on the Better Business Bureau's automated phone line.

K & N wasn't particularly cheap ($125 to clean the system and replace a torn plastic curtain), but they seemed competent AND HONEST. Prior to calling them, we got an estimate of over $500 from ARS Services which included overhauling the whole system and specially ordering a number of parts.

Rudy Lippert - Feb 2001

AUTO REPAIRS

Hare Repair – 5815 Star Lane – 713-974-0411 or 713-974-0484

This shop has a reputation for absolute honesty. They DON’T do unnecessary work. I took our jeep in for a diagnosis of a strange noise in the front end. Eric Hare took us on a test drive, ran the vehicle up on the rack, walked me through all working parts in the suspension system and declared the vehicle safe and sound. No charge. The location is inconvenient. It’s a 14-mile drive from here down Richmond. The shop is off of Fountain View between Richmond and Highway 59. If you’re concerned about getting stuck with unnecessary work, it’s probably worth the drive.

Rudy Lippert, August 2002

Golbow's - 281-492-2761: Complete auto repair service was recommended to me, and after 3 jobs there, I can recommend to you. I have been pleased with their work and timeliness. Of course, with auto repair, it is always more money than you expected. 21822 Franz Road, Katy.

Dee Duncan, July 2003

AUTOMATIC GATE

I found out some companies only repair gates they installed themselves, this guy was very efficient, helpful and friendly:
THE GATEKEEPER, Tel. office: 281-859-8224, mobile: 713-875-5348, email: gate2003@sbcglobal.net
Antje Goldflam - June 2007

BUILDERS

On the subject of Builders, we would mention Tom Byars of Byar Builders. He did a complete remodel of our kitchen for only a King's ransom. We liked him, all of his subcontractors, and his supervision during the job. 713 895 8605 gets you in the line for talking with them. They seem to stay pretty busy.

John Grissett

CARPETS AND FLOORING

Wayne''s Carpet& Oak Flooring(281-596-8187)11633 Katy Frwy. (Chip Henderson knows his products and offers competative service and pricing)

Myriam Nicholson - April 2005

Rublin's Custon Rugs and fine carpet (713-784-1180 3130 Rogerdale Road

You can spend as little or as much as you want. We had two rugs made. Highly recommend.

Myriam Nicholson - April 2005

CARPETS AND UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

Randy Wilson of Dunn Right Carpet Cleaning. He did a great job, as usual. He doesn't add on any charges for spot cleaning or high traffic areas. He did a couple of mats and a small area rugs for free. He's very conscientious about scheduling and calling if he's late. (He called once when he was going to be 10 minutes late!)

His number is 281-620-1550.

He also does windows!

Deb Bradshaw, September 2003

COMPUTERS

Laptop Computers: Finding someone to work on these things isn't easy. Vic's Computer Service at 8125 Westglen Drive (one block north of Westpark between Hillcroft and Dunvale) (713) 789-1888 specializes in laptops. They aren't particularly cheap - a fixed fee of $195 plus tax for any repair - but work fairly fast and guarantee their work.

Rudy Lippert - Feb. 2001

Laptop Computers: Vic's Computer Service (above)

My laptop got to where it would not load Windows98se, although I could still run in Safe Mode. After spending a couple of Friday mornings at HAL-PC's repair workshop to no avail, I took the laptop to Vic's in June, 2002. There it was found that the battery had failed and had caused the DC circuit board to fail, which caused the operating system to not load. (I had not operated on battery power in many months, but the battery was in the computer) When the bad battery was put back into the laptop, the new DC board also shorted out, so I was told to either buy a new battery or operate on AC power without one, which I am doing. Vic's could not locate a replacement battery, and even called Micro Express, the maker of my laptop in California, who did not return their call. I was very satisfied with Vic's service and communication with me during the 10 days they had my laptop, and the flat price of $211.09 incl tax I was charged. The repair came with a 90 day warranty, too.

Jack Courtney - June. 2002

CONCRETE PAINTING AND COATING

We just had Concrete Coatings, Inc. put a textured finish on our garage floor. Guys did a great job and were very pleasant and easy to work with. Highly recommend. 281-376-5055. Ask to speak to Darrell Burrow, the owner.

Barbara Denson - February, 2005

CONTRACTORS

Following is the name of the guy who is working on our house. He was highly recommended to us by both the Grissetts and McGraws. He serves as the contractor and for some of the work he gets independent contractors to work and he oversees everything and you pay him. He is great. He is actually a master carpenter by trade and ws involved in building some of the original housed in MT.

Ralph Hoffart - Hoffart Construction

281-859-3925 ; 713-253-1368-cell ; hoffconstruction@sbcglobal.net

Pam Gappa - June 2006

DOORS

Don Price's business is "Door Refinishing" 713- 515 -9132 that''s all he does. Strip, stain, and three coats of finish for $250. He works mornings and the doors are ready to close by 9pm.

Deb Bradshaw, June 2003

ELECTRICAL

Matthews Electrical Inc., 16840 Clay Road, 281 463 6606. We had some fluorescent light lines go out, and on recommendation from Ace Hardware we contacted Matthews Electrical, Inc. They came out on short notice, got the job done, were pleasant and efficient.
John Grissett, March 2007

EMERGENCY SERVICE AND WATER DAMAGE

Aegis Emergency Services - A wonderful Home Owner Oriented company with a quick response to water damage - You can reach Aegis Emergency Services at 713-589-4733.

Karen Jordan - April 2005

FOUNDATION REPAIR

Olshan Foundation Repair - 713-223-1900 October, 2000 - after noticing cracked sheetrock and sticking doors, we called (among others) Olshan. Their estimate was in line with other companies. Set 8 piers, dug the worlds most expensive tunnel and cleaned up their mess to original condition in one day. Would recommend.

Rudy Lippert

Furniture Repairs/refinishing

Silvi's Antiques, 2223 S. Hwy 6 (281) 597-8557, or their actual repair shop way the blazes out Westheimer 281-398-5229.

John Grissett - April 2001

GARAGE DOOR REPAIR

Crown Door Specialist (713)-466-4335 We used these folks to install a new garage door. They were very quick, reliable and a good value. They even worked on Sunday at no extra cost.

Pam and Bob Gappa - June 2003

HANDYMAN

David Jardell, Cell:281-536-7749, Home: 281-463-6353, He ain't cheap ($65/hour), but he's meticulous and skilled and knows other contractors. He is extremely honest and trustworthy and can do almost anything.

Frank Wolfe, Rudy Lippert - February 2005

Chuck Dionne 281-687-5323: Installed several replacement outdoor light fixtures, replaced indoor light fixture baffles, installed light/ceiling fan and replaced several old switches with dimmer switches. Reasonable pricing, stayed with quote, very reliable and trustworthy. Highly recommend!

Myriam Nicholson - April 2005

HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING

Air Mediks (Rudy Sanchez). Initially was listed as a highly regarded AC repair facility. Reports over the last year or so have suggested that he is unreliable and has performed unnecessary and expensive work.

I used Primo Air Masters www.primoair.com 832-251-2473. I had a 20 year old heat exchanger and condemned evap coil in my attic that 3 other companies would not touch since it did not have convenient access.(unit was placed and built around) The owner Mario Machorro and staff gave me a great price and prompt service to replace and install and back it up with guarantees. Neighborhood is welcome to survey their work, highly recommend. Check out their free newsletter.

Don Duttlinger July 2003

ICE MAKERS

We inherited an ice maker with the house and had to have a new liner put in it. We used Seasonal Comfort Co. - 713-692-5151. Family owned business who cares more about the customer than any company I have worked with in years. They made house calls when it was convenient for us. They were great.

Pam Gappa

JEWELERY REPAIR

Michael Song has a little hole-in-the-wall shop (the JEWELRY MART - 713-467-7727) next to the bank inside Fiesta at Blalock and the Katy Freeway. I've used him a number of times to repair broken gold necklaces and bracelets. He is fast, reasonable and competent. Would recommend highly.

Judy Lippert

LAWN CARE

I''ve had Juan Fuentes taking care of my lawn for about three years now and he''s the best I''ve ever had and a super nice guy. His company name is ''Texas Lawn Care'' and his phone is 281-392-1106. He does landscaping, lawn maintenance, tree/shrub trimming, mulching, fertilization, and pressure washing. Honest and trustworthy.

Bill Tilley - April 2005

PAINTING

R. A. Briggs & Co. - 713-729-1999 painted the exterior of our home during the spring of 2000. Spent several days on prep work, masked all windows. We were more than satisfied with the job. Would recommend.

Rudy Lippert

Alex Painting Construction and Remodeling - Alejandro Urzua, 22826 Carter Moir Ln, Katy, TX 77449, Cell 281 961 1594

He repaired a discolored zone in sheetrock, painted interior walls and ceiling, and finished a yard fence that an earlier contractor had botched. Works with his brother, is fairly punctual while staging work over a few days and is quite reasonable. Works with you on materials selection and bids with and without paint cost.

Dave Haglund, April 2007

PLUMBING

John Moore Plumbing Co. Inc. - 281-730-2525 We called this company to replace a broken hose on a kitchen sink faucet. They came up with an estimate of $500 which included replacing all goosenecks and fittings under the sink. We eventually did it ourself with a $36 part and 20 minutes for installation. Their estimate cost $70. The free estimate in the yellow pages mysteriously disappeared. Would definitely avoid.

Rudy Lippert

Wells Plumbing Co. 3710 Gardendale Drive, Houston, TX 77092713-688-3057

Did warranty work prior to selling my former house. Was very satisfied.

Jack Courtney

Alamo Plumbing - 281-469-0873 has been my choice for about 4 years. John has reliable serviced my plumbing needs. In addition he has changed out a water heater and repaired a ongoing malfunctioning toilet when several other plumbers were unable to fix.

Dee Duncan, April 2001

Alamo Plumbing - I''ll second Dee Duncan''s recommendation. They came on short notice, did the job and I didn''t have to go through the Federal Reserve to pay them.

John Grissett, Dec. 2001

PICKETT PLUMBING Like a lot of homes in this area built in the 1980s, mine had started developing pinhole leaks in the galvanized piping. A process has been developed for sandblasting and epoxy coating the inside of the pipes. I contracted Pickett to perform this treatment while I was out of the country. When I returned, they had completed the job. They had also neglected to re-connect an appliance behind the bar. The carpets were flooded. A front door lock was inoperative and flow to several water outlets was severely restricted. It took about a week, but they did get the carpet dried out. They improved the flow to one of the faucets, but poked a hole in the sheetrock and tore up exterior siding in the process. I would be very reluctant to use their services again.

Rudy Lippert, Feb. 2007

Scanlan Plumbing 713-464-4189 has been fabulous. I called once on a Saturday afternoon when a fountain erupted in our front yard. Ken came, dressed to go out to dinner with his family and squelched the gusher. He came back the next day to finish the job. Kudos to Scanlon Plumbing!

Barbara Denson, Dec. 2001

POOL SERVICE

We used MONARCH POOLS for replastering, new coping, partly replumbing and were very happy with the work. The price wasn't exactly cheap but it was a painless affair. Tel. 281-558-8311 ask for Rick. They use their own crews, we had Fernando who was excellent.
Antje Goldflam, June 2007

SOS Pool Service (281-564-4500), very good

Abel Paredes, May 2003

POOL TILE CLEANING

My pool tile and grout was heavily crusted with scale and various mineral deposits after 7 years since the tile was installed. I tried scrubbing, scraping, applying acid, etc. but nothing really worked.

I got a recommendation from a pool company to try “Pool Blasters”. It's a one man company run by Lynn Pace. Office - 281-568-5660 Cell - 281-381-2474. I met him, liked him, and contracted him to do my pool. He came two days later and finished the job in about 5 hours. The results were amazing. The tile and grout looks almost like it did when it was newly installed. I give Lynn Pace my highest recommendation. He is honest, ethical, and a pleasure to deal with.

As to details on the process: He will lower the pool level to about 12” below the tile line using a gasoline powered pump. He then gets in the pool with waders and using a special nozzle applies a small jet of microscopic glass beads (they look like white powder) at a pressure of about 30 psi. This cuts the scale and deposits. He works carefully and slowly making sure everything is done right. When finished, he uses his own equipment to vacuum residue from the pool and cleans up the site. The owner is responsible for refilling the pool. He charges (as of May 05) $4.25 per linear circumference of the pool tile - my pool was about 100 ft. Any extras due to pool geometry, etc. are noted before the job.

Frank Wolfe

806 Plainwood

REMODELING

We recently used Saville Construction, Jeff Saville, Home ( 713-365-9984 ) mobil (832-443-0800 ) to do a lot of work in our bathroom. Overall we were very pleased. His subcontractors for tile, plumbing, framing, and elecrical were competent and on time. Job cleanup was very good. Another plus - Jeff is easy to work with, answers his phone - and comes by to check on how work is progressing. Prices are reasonable. I know that others in MT have used him with good results.

Frank Wolfe, May 2001

Designer Décor (also know as Builders Hardware) on Long Point installed Corian counters in our kitchen several years ago. Because of incorrect installation, the surfaces developed cracks at the seams. DD disregarded all calls, letters or visits. Dupont eventually sent out factory reps to perform repairs. We would avoid any dealings with Designer Decor.

Rudy Lippert

"Traditional Design" put granite counters in my kitchen. They tried to charge me more than the written quote they had given me. They did a terrible job. They cut the granite poorly and then had to stick another small piece in to make it fit. They didn''t smooth the surface very well, nor did they put in proper supports. I had to have another contractor come in and fix their mistakes when they refused to. A terrible company.

Barbara Denson, February 2002

Remodeling and additions: Briggs and Co. 713-729-1999 excellent!!

Abel Paredes, May 2003

ROOFING

Sunbelt Roofing - 713-465-4171 (Denis Naideus) just replaced some flashing and a flat roof over one of our bay windows. He was punctual and efficient and has taken no short cuts - I am confident that these repairs both work and will last.

Jane Carruthers, September 2002

Sunbelt Roofing- did gutter work and and resloping of some gutters. I highly recommend them. Resonable, professional and reliable.

Myriam Nicholson - April 2005

We had a part of our tile roof replaced last spring by Fullen Roofing (713-695 8069).

In a world with a lot of roofing companies, only a few of them do tile roofs. Fullen Roofing did a great job.

Ingrid & Jan van der Meer, June 2003

SPRINKLER SYSTEMS/DRAINAGE

Crain Enterprises - Tel. 713-690-3009, cell 713-816-7275

Hank Crain does sprinkler systems, drainage and landscaping. He is fast, honest and (usually) overworked.

Rudy Lippert, John Grissett, April 2006

Hall Sprinkler Company - Tel. 713-782-9818

I have been very content with their handling of finding the leak in our sprinkler system caused by the drilling of termite stations... but they did a superb job adding a new drainage line from the back yard...even removed a tree stump without extra cost. Highly professional and friendly.

Antje Goldflam, February 2004

TILE

Best Tile - Frank Moller 281- 558- 5527

We recently had Frank install a ceramic tile floor in our kitchen. His prices were very competitive and we found him a straight forward and honest man to deal with. Sometimes he is busy but he will tell you if he can''t start work for a while.

He is also happy to tackle small plumbing jobs etc associated with floor work.

We'd recommend him.

Jane Carruthers - April 2004

Forsyth Floor Company has been in the biz for many years, has an excellent selection, and their installation people are absolute old maids about how the job was done. They also had a decorator who was talented in helping with selections. 9319 Longpoint, Houston 77055, telephone 713 465 8637.

John Grissett - March 2007

TREE TRIMMING

Arbormaster Tree Experts removed 2 pear trees. I highly recommend them. They were professional and resonable.

Myriam Nicholson - April 2005

TV REPAIR

Bear Creek TV-VCR Service, 4920 Highway 6 North. Service call: Pushed one button on the TV remote. Charged $110.00. Just a tad pricey. Would look elsewhere for TV service.

Rudy Lippert - September 2005

WASHER AND DRYER REPAIR

Tommy Smith - 713-984-1849: I called and he was at our home in 30 minutes. Very nice man, reasonably priced and would highly recommend his services.

Pam Gappa - March 2007

WINDOW REPAIR

Creation Art Glass & Design - 803 Indiana St , S. Houston. 713-943-1721

Joel Lopez is the owner, Beeper 713-909-0803

We had a lead glass window remade for the front of the house and we were very pleased with the price, quality and integrity of this company.

Pam Gappa

WINDOW WASHING

Steve and Doris Harris - 713-465-6626 or 409-885-6518 Work by appointment. Usually booked up for a couple of weeks in advance. We've used them for about 3 years. Would recommend

Rudy Lippert

Westchase Window Cleaning just did a great job on my house for $200. They use a big crew - 5, I think, so it went fast. 281-556-9394.

Deb Bradshaw, June 2003

Westchase Window Cleaning-281-556-9394

These guys have a great attitude and do a wonderful job for a reasonable price. They even moved 2 pieces of heavy furniture for us and would not take extra money. I wish all contractors were this good.

Suzanne Nolen, August 2003