Creative Horizons International Inc

Creative Horizons did an AMAZING job on both our windows and siding recently. The pricing for both projects was also extremely competitive. We had several companies provide estimates for both projects and Creative Horizon's prices were at the bottom end of all of the estimates. Despite their low pricing, the work performed was top notch! It seems they use a small and highly skilled group of workers for their projects (the same workers performed both projects) which I believe helps maintain their high quality standards. The workers were extremely detail oriented, taking their time to ensure everything was completed to their high standards. Additionally, Craig (the owner) is extremely honest and provided advice that was in our best interest (e.g., he talked us out of doing some more expensive options we were considering that he thought weren?t necessary). He stopped by almost daily during the project to check on progress and answer any questions and followed up afterwards to make sure we were completely satisfied (which we were). I highly recommend Creative Horizons for any work relating to siding, windows, or doors!

I was never give a delivery date. Just at the time I was about to follow up on my order, I was notified the window was ready. It took was about 30 days. The installer brought the new window. He removed the old window and installed the replacement. Install was quite involved. He removed various seals and clips. The window was then removed and the replacement popped in. The clips and seals were put in place. He cleaned up the area and cleaned the window. The work was done from the inside. There was no damage and it looks great.

Everything about my experience with Creative Horizons International, Inc. was Exceptional! During an intense thunderstorm this past Summer, I noticed that one of my windows was leaking. I tried to caulk it myself before the next storm, but It leaked again. On September 26, 2014, I was referred to Craig Grossman and Creative Horizons Intl., Inc. by a neighbor who had previously used them to have windows recapped during a remodeling project. First, Craig and I spoke by phone to discuss the scope of the project. He requested photos of the windows and scheduled a day to come out to assess the project in person and give an estimate. Craig was very knowledgeable and explained in detail what would be done and how it should solve the problem. After signing a detailed contract on September 30, 2014, my project was added to the schedule! Craig was upfront about the time frame for getting the work done. The schedule can often be impacted by weather conditions. It was understood that it could take us into November or early December to do the work. Was thrilled when Craig contacted me during the first week of November to schedule the work! Andy and crew arrived promptly on November 5, 2014. They worked efficiently and quickly to get as much done that day as they could, including the majority of the windows on the second floor as storms and high winds were predicted for the remainder of the week. I was impressed with how involved the work actually was. They had to remove all of the vinyl siding and old capping surrounding the windows. Then, they built up and reframed around each window, adding insulation and caulking, before adding new capping and re-installing the siding. Andy and crew returned promptly the next day to complete the job. They were extremely professional and courteous. He even helped me out with some minor gutter cleaning! They thoroughly cleaned up all evidence of a messy job! To say that I am pleased with the work done is an understatement. After the first day, I realized a 100% improvement in the drafts coming from my windows. The sound level intruding from outside the home is greatly improved as well. Having work like this done is not glamorous or showy but knowing that it's done, and done right, gives me a peace of mind that is priceless. With the sudden onset of cold temperatures, I even noticed that my home is now much warmer. I would wholeheartedly recommend Craig Grossman and Creative Horizons Intl., Inc. to anyone needing windows, window capping, siding repair or gutter work. it is nice to find a company that values integrity and quality workmanship in home repair.

Everything went well. I was told ahead of time possible issues with the door such as fitting the replacement door into the existing siding and also the approximate time needed to complete the work. I was told that this type of work typically takes 4 - 6 hours to complete depending on issues discovered while the work was in progress. Actual installation took 5 hours including clean up time both inside the house as well as the outside area. Workers were extremely courteous. The owner of the company arrived midway on the project to review the work and answered questions that I had concerning the energy efficiencies of the patio door. This person explained the technical information in a way that was easy for a lay person like myself to understand. One can tell that the owner really takes pride in the workmanship and quality of the product offered. I would recommend this company for any future window replacement work.

He came out right away and provided us with excellent advice regarding what windows to install. The work was done quickly and extremely well and Craig was very responsive and easy to work with. He has proven to be very honest and openly shares his expertise and opinions to help us make the right decisions for our situation. Previously after a hailstorm we had someone knock on our door and ask to look at our roof. After coming down he showed us some pictures of our roof with obvious hail damage and told us he would contact our insurance company. I were skeptical because I didn't think the hail hit our part of the neighborhood, and we had already put in a claim a couple of years ago for hail damage to the roof which was denied. We asked Craig to come take a look at our roof and give us an honest opinion on whether we should put in another claim. After coming by he gave an honest answer that if we put in the claim it would just be denied again because there was not enough damage. We trust Craig wholeheartedly and are very glad to know that we can count on his integrity both when providing amazing service and work, as well as when giving honest advice.

We?re so grateful to Angie?s List for guiding us to Creative Horizons Int?l (CHI for short) for our replacement windows and doors! We were contacted the same day that we called CHI, and were able to meet with Craig Grossman within a few days of calling for an appointment. Craig came to our home and brought with him a window model. and was very thorough with an explanation of window mechanics, how they?re made, and what constitutes a good window. We were quite impressed with his knowledge, as well as his passion for Alside Windows and what makes them a leader in the replacement windows. Once we received Craig?s proposal, we knew immediately that we wanted he & his team to do this work on our home. Craig worked very closely with us to be sure we were getting the best windows for our home. We were impressed with his attention to detail prior to the order. They installed (12) windows in all, and the work was done by Andy & his crew in two short days! They worked quickly yet efficiently, and they did a fantastic job with the installation. Upon Craig?s final inspection, he saw a window with a portion of the weather strip missing, and immediately called Alside to replace the entire sash! He would not give us anything but perfection! We also had CHI replace our front door, both the main entrance door as well as a storm door. We shopped the various box stores for an entry door we liked, and were going to put in a special order with one of them. We gave Craig the final specs to review before we placed the order. After seeing what we wanted, he directed us to Albany Doors here in the Chicago area. We looked through their online catalog options, and we found an absolutely beautiful entry door. The special glass we wanted held up the order for a few weeks, but it was well worth the wait! Andy went above & beyond in the installation of our door replacement. The outside framing around the door was in pretty bad shape, and he completely removed & rebuilt the exterior framing. We were looking into decorative trim (fypon), but the ideas Craig & Andy put into the design ultimately saved us several hundred dollars. Finally, we have to thank Andy one more time for the effort he put into the deadbolt lock installation! The lock we chose was apparently VERY difficult to install, and he stuck with it until he had it done and done right. WOW - there?s so much more we could say! We?re now sealed up tight for the winter, with no more drafty door & windows! We highly recommend Creative Horizons International. We will definitely have CHI do more work for us down the road. And again, we thank Angie?s List for providing a service that helped us find Craig & his amazingly talented team!!!

during a windy thunderstorm a neighbor's tree feel on th power/cable lines running from the pole to the house. the tree pulled both sets of wires clean off the house pulling the siding and electric conduit off as well. Creative Horizons had done our siding, roofing, and some windows three years earlier. we called craig and he had one of his guys over the next day. not only did they give us an estimate he was also able to do the work that very day. he went to the allside distribution center and came back with new siding. the job was done in a couple of hours from beginning to end. it took one phone call to get a hold of craig and have one of his guys over to our house. you can't tell at all where the new siding is on our house. its been 3.5 years and the new and "old" siding match perfectly. craig and his guy were very politie and professional as always. craig knows how to take care of his customers even if its been over three years since he had heard from us.

This is the second time that we have contracted with Creative Horizons International, Inc. Craig, Andy, Hubert, and Michael all did an INCREDIBLE job from start to finish. Craig is very passionate and knowledgable about what he does and this shows through in the work that his company performs. Craig was just as we remembered him from the first time he did work for us: friendly, patient, kind, not at all pushy, understanding, and accommodating. Andy and crew were also just as we remembered them: on time, hard-working, accommodating, friendly, and very talented. I commented to Craig (who agreed) that Andy and the gang are true artists of their work. Everything looks picture perfect and is done correctly as well. Everytime I asked a question, everyone was very accommodating and thorough in their answers. They even took time to show us how we should handle the area around the new windows in our kitchen and bathroom when we decide to remodel them. The way they handle themselves and their business is hard to find these days. It's unfortunate that some companies build unearned reputations through high advertising dollars yet low quality of work and that smaller companies like CHI don't get nearly as much recognition as they deserve. If you are thinking about having any window, siding, trim, gutters, etc. work done - stop thinking and hire CHI! You will NOT be disappointed.

My call to the company was immediately answered by Craig. I requested an estimate for soffit and facia replacement at a home in Hanover Park that is currently dealing with squirrels in the attic. I wanted to be ready to do the replacements when all squirrels have been removed. Craig explained that we should simply repair the holes and wait until the home is squirrel free for two seasons before doing any major work. He said that it would not be in our best financial interest to repair his work next year if the squirrels should return. He told me about his experience with other homes that have had similar squirrel problems and even gave me a few tips on how to keep them away. I appreciate his honesty and I will definitely be contacting him when we are sure that the squirrels are gone!!

It is most unusual and very refreshing in this day and age to find a service provider that really has his customer's best interest in mind. Craig and his workmen reinforced this during the entire project, from beginning to end. My house is 120 years old. We had added triple track storm windows/screens 40 years ago but when we walked near our windows in cold weather, the draft was chilling (and our heating bills were very high). Creative Horizons International was the third and best company I talked to and I could not have chosen better people with whom to work. When Craig came to the house he was equipped with a window model. He explained completely the principles behind how the windows functioned, what procedures were involved in installation and in what ways the windows he used were superior in quality and effectiveness to windows of lesser quality. I was impressed by the time Craig took and that he did not pressure me at all. When we toured the house Craig examined the three different kinds of windows (there are 39 windows). Sixteen windows were the type that open into the house (at least those few that actually did open). Craig advised the less expensive conventional windows rather than the original style which would have been considerably more expensive. He chose to do upgrades on all the windows and refused to accept the extra payment. Throughout the process of estimating, if there were anything outside of the ordinary that needed special attention, I was told just how much the cost would be...there were no surprises. Craig is honest and conscientious, adhering to the building code and using tempered glass when necessary for safety, which few other companies do. He informed me of the three-week delivery time for custom-made (due to odd size) windows. The workmen, Andrew and Robert, were amazing. They are skilled in their craft, punctual, reliable, hard-working and considerate. For example, Andrew phoned one day to say that he would be an hour later because he needed to stop and buy materials. The first three days they worked (in January) the weather was crisp and cooperative. The last two days brought 6 inches of snow and blasts of wind with a wind chill in the single digits. The men worked 10 to 12 hours a day and always cleaned up thoroughly at the end of the day. Outdoors, Andrew and Robert protected my plants/shrubs; inside, they were careful of my floors and furniture, removing the old windows with the least disruption possible. Indoor woodwork trim needed to be replaced around those 16 inside-opening windows. Andrew did a great job of making the windows look perfectly finished. The men also repaired the hole in the fascia made by squirrels looking for a winter apartment in my attic. Andrew found matching trim and even painted it. Extra work was done beyond all expectations. Andrew set the squirrel trap, then brought it down from the attic when it was inhabited. He nailed down the wood trim on my kitchen counter (which had nothing to do with windows!). They were always willing to help even though they didn't have to. When Craig came to the house to inspect the finished work, he reminded me of the lifetime warranty against breakage guaranteed by the window manufacturer. Craig advised me to safeguard the window identification numbers which may fade over time in order to ensure the protection of my warranty. He found that a few of the windows needed minor adjustments and had someone from the window supplier come over to inspect all the windows, adjusting where necessary. My new windows look beautiful. The house is so much warmer and I'm looking forward to more reasonable heating bills. It has been a pleasure to work with someone so straight-forward and detail-oriented, professional every step of the way.

He told me he doesn't do just window glass replacement, but when I described the situation to him, instead of trying to sell me new windows, he told me that he thought glass replacement was what I needed. Knowing he wasn't going to get a sale, he even continued to educatie me on the differences between high tech all solid vinyl windows and vinyl clad wood windows. He was very informative and even gave me a ball park estimate over the phone for what I should expect to pay for either glass replacement, or new windows. His honesty was refreshing, and greatly appreciated. Should I decide to replace the windows versus only the glass, and my condo association allows me to put in his type of windows, I would certainly go to him. From my conversations with him, he seems to truly care about people, and would not rip them off. If I know of anyone looking to get new windows, I would suggest they call Craig Grossman.

I was extremely impressed with Craig and Creative Horizons International Inc. and would highly recommend them if you are looking to work with someone who knows how to treat a customer well and puts the customer's concerns first. Craig was extremely professional and honest. The seal on my master bedroom window (on a condo I purchased only four years ago) had failed. The manufacturer of the window informed me that they would pay for part of the replacement window but that I would have to find someone to install it for me. That's why I called Creative Horizons, based on their wonderful Angie's List reviews. Craig kindly informed me that Creative Horizons would be unable to complete the job but told me he knew of several installers that may be able to assist me. He then asked me to send him my information, which he volunteered to forward onto those installers. I was completely taken aback my how much above and beyond he went even when he wasn't able to get any business from me himself. When I mentioned possibly buying the window from Creative Horizons instead of trying to go through the manufacturer route (which has proven to be a headache, since the company that originally supplied the window to my developer clearly never learned how to properly treat a customer, like Craig did), Craig insisted that it would be a much more expensive option for me and that he would be unwilling to take my money for a project that could be done so much more cheaply by someone else. Thanks, Craig! How refreshing!

Our other gutters were letting water come in through our windows. They correctly diagnosed our problem and did a professional job replacing our gutters.

Creative Horizons came promptly to my house for an appointment and brought with him a bunch of samples of siding to look over. He was very detail minded explaining about the siding and telling me why his company would be the best to go with and how happy his customers were. However, he also had the highest of 3 estimates I got by over $2000.00 for the very same siding. When he phoned me back to ask if I made my decision, I told him about his price, he said he would sharpen his pencil and get back to me, but that was the last I heard from him. I guess his pencil wasn't very sharp. He did tend to go on and on about his dogs, which I think could have been shortened in the conversation. He seemed a bit eccentric to me.

We replaced our 1960 original windows (wood sashes with aluminum tracks) because there was a lot of air leakage in the winters. Also, we noticed when we bought the home that the sills had rotten wood with a lot of water damage. We were concerned that the job be done "right" from the get go, as I'm highly sensitized for doing things right during home repairs and construction (I watch This Old House, Holmes on Homes religiously...) We called Craig Grossman at CHI and were immediately struck with his thoughtful answers and service-oriented personality. He took a lot of time explaining all the ins and outs of our project and every detail patiently and professionally. As Craig says, he is looking to keep his clients' "happiness meter" on full an this was apparent in all our dealings. During the quoting stage, his quote was very detailed and he took time to answer many of my questions, which I emailed to him and received responses back within 1 day. The quote was very reasonable. We didn't expect to get "premium quality" windows (e.g. Marvin/Andersen, etc.) as budget was a concern, so vinyl replacement windows were our best bet. Craig took a lot of time going over the quality factors with Alside and we were comfortable with the lifetime guarantees (and have already used them, which I?ll explain later).We agreed on the terms and scheduled the measurement with Craig and his installer, Andy on August 4. Craig noted that the actual installation date would be 4-6 weeks and also raved about the quality and service of the Alside manufacturer. The windows arrived early and our installation was scheduled at a convenient time for us on a Saturday, September 4. We were very happy that the windows arrived in great condition earlier than we expected. The installation went flawlessly, and Andy and another installer were skilled, neat, considerate and respectfully communicative. They didn't leave a mess and the work site was extremely clean upon completion. Andy also took great care to clean the windows at the end. The only hiccup in the process was the replacement of rotten wood in the sills. Craig's contract stated "The price includes replacing rotted wood as needed in the windows". However, when the installers had the first window in, they did not replace the wood but did poke at the wood with a screwdriver to see if it was "good enough" to install over. I didn't feel comfortable with this, and stopped the work to make sure that I was getting what was promised, and that they were not just going to cover over rotten wood with the aluminum cladding. I called Craig who was offsite and he immediately came over to take a look. After some discussion about a gap between my expectations and what was "accomplishable" for the price quoted, I was convinced that the rotten wood at the base of the window was not necessarily "structural" and that the windows were held primarily by screws on the side.

Craig and his crew were consummate professionals throughout the entire process. Anytime I emailed Craig a question, he responded within a couple of hours, even on a Saturday or Sunday. After an initial phone consultation, Craig came out for an estimate and really took his time. He explained what needed to be replaced (the siding & windows) and what could be repaired (the house & carport soffits) at a much lower cost. We never felt rushed or pressured to make a decision. We felt confident using Craig from the start, having gathered several other bids in the initial process. Craig went above and beyond in explaining the strength of his products, why he used them over the competition, and what he's learned throughout his career in the business. He gave us great advice in terms of the best product for the job--even when what he was recommending might not have brought him the biggest profit. He was honest with us and made a point of giving us all the information we needed to make the right decisions. The work itself was fantastic. We were initially told work would start in 6 weeks, and at the beginning of the 6th week, Craig called and his crew started the next day. It was a 4-day job, and Craig was at the house the first three days to check on the progress and called on the phone the last day. His crew worked hard--arriving early and working well into the evening each day--cleaned up after themselves, were extremely polite, and did a great job. Craig stopped by one more time the following week to see the final result. We were glad to see him to tell him in person how happy we are with the results. The house looks great and we couldn't be happier with the final result. Working with Craig and Creative Horizons was a uniquely positive customer service experience from start to finish. Craig is clearly a people-person who passionately cares about his clients. He wanted us to feel confident in our decisions, and we certainly did. We look forward to being able to recommend him highly to our family and friends.

Greg Grossman came over and explained everything to me. He let me know that it might take a little longer for them to get to my project. He told us it might be the end of October to finish the house. On the first, he gave me a call and said that he was going to be out next Wednesday. He is the nicest person that I have dealt with. Everything looks gorgeous. It is neat and tight. I am totally impressed. I would recommend him to anyone. I told him that he saved my life because if I would have gotten up on the ladder, I know I would have fallen.

I believe it was Craig I spoke with on 9/22/10. I was calling to get an estimate to replace sliding glass doors and 5 or 6 windows in my home. Craig asked me what my objective was in the work I was requesting. I said I was looking to replace windows and sliding glass doors in my home with a reputable company who would do a professional job at a reasonable price. Craig told me we were not a match because I was looking to do the job too cheaply. Apparently it was my use of the word reasonable that was unacceptable. He said his estimate would not be the least expensive and they were cutting back on Angie's List customers because Angie's List customers were looking for the cheapest price and it was taking too much of his time. He said he was doing 12 calls a day at one point, but only getting 1 in 40 jobs from Angie's List. (He is a 1 person operator.) I suggested he tell people in the future that he was not accepting any new customers as what he said to me was very insulting. For the record, I believe you get what you pay for.

From start to finish Craig was always responsive, available basically 24/7. He would get back to you usually within a few hours. He really took his time to make us feel comfortable through the entire process. Due to the major hailstorm in April, Craig had worked well with our insurance adjuster to get our adjuster to see we had more damage then they originally thought. Craig had agreed to visit our house again before the adjuster came out to remeasure to make sure his were accurate. Then he had come out again to meet the adjuster and spent a good two hours going over all the damage to our home. As for the quality of the workmanship and material, hands down we're glad we picked CHI to complete the work. We had a few minor issues during the process, but if we did not like something Craig was more than willing to work out the minor kinks. We had told him we wanted all the vents in the back of the house before any work had started. They mistakenly put the vent on the front. He took full responsibility and fixed the issue promptly without ever questioning us. All in all a good experience. This company is a little more pricey than others, but well worth paying extra for quality workmanship and materials.

As new homeowners, we were a little nervous about the whole process of hiring a contractor to work on our home. We watch a lot of HGTV and DIY network and have heard the many countless horror stories of shoddy contractor work and dishonest business practices and did not want to become another victim of these unfortunately all too common experiences. So, we decided to take all the advice that we have heard and do it the right way. We got multiple estimates and spoke to multiple contractors. Craig Grossman of CHI was the last contractor that we spoke to (of those that actually called us back) and received an estimate from. Upon speaking to and meeting Craig, I knew that CHI was the right contractor for us. We ask a lot of questions and like to take our time while making decisions. Most contractors seem to get annoyed when it takes them more than 5 minutes to get the consumer to give them the job. Craig was the complete opposite. I've never felt like someone has been more patient and more caring in wanting to make sure the consumer felt good about the decision they were making. It didn't only last until we signed on the dotted line, either. Even after the "deal was sealed", Craig made contact with us multiple times to see if we were happy with the decision we made. He was very helpful in picking out colors to use and places to put the new downspouts. When the work was performed, Andy and his team (the same people that CHI uses on all their jobs) were top notch all the way through. They, like Craig, were patient, listened to us, and made sure that we were happy with what they were doing all the way through. During the job, Craig also came to check the work to make sure that he was happy with it as well (something a new, less knowledgable homewoner really appreciates). After the work was completed, Craig contacted us a few times more to make sure everything was done to our satisfaction. Craig and his team do top notch work and are honest people through and through. They are a breath of fresh air in what seems to be an industry crowded with dishonest people. Without a doubt, they will be the first people we call when we need more quality work done.

Absolutely great! Craig was incredibly responsive and came out within 24 hours of my first phone call. In comparison, most exterior companies I had contacted would not even call me back for such a small job. Craig even suggested that I email him digital pictures of the problem areas needing repair and looked at them right away, which was a clever and efficient way to get the ball rolling even from my first phone call to him with specific feedback and a ballpark idea of cost. The work was done even faster than I anticipated and Craig was very practical in recommending the types of replacements to the fascia and soffit areas that needed it. Andy, who performed the work, was incredibly attentive and careful in addition to doing a good job. He listened carefully to me. He also had to maneuver around awkward spots in my flowerbeds and awning, and he did so without anything happening to the plants or awning! We will absolutely use Creative Horizons (CHI) again, especially if we ever need to do a larger job window replacement and siding replacement on the house.

I had Creative Horizons install siding, fashia and windows about 4 years ago. Recently I had a problem with one piece of sidinng that came loose for some reason. I called Craig,exlpained the problem and he came out the same day to repair the piece of siding at no cost to me. Craig is very responsive, punctual, professional and fair. I highly recomend Creative Hoizons for your siding and windows. You will save money and have a quality job done on time.

Our windows basically no longer open or close on the street facing side of our condo, due to shoddy quality and winds, so I called Craig after seeing the reviews here. Even though the job is (most likely) too small and far away, Craig stayed on the phone with me for 45 minutes or so handling all my questions, asking pertinent ones of his own and offing his advice. And this all for free! I am now armed with much more information and can proceed in vetting other contractors. Craig even said I could call him to help with that as well! So, just a great experience.

We have an older house and all of our windows were showing their age. We decided to replace the windows in at least the 3 bedrooms so that we could have better temperature control. I called multiple window companies to try to understand how to choose the type of replacement window we should go with. Most of the guys who came out really seemed like salespeople who just wanted to make a sale. Craig (owner) took the most time showing us everything about how his/all windows worked and why Alside vinyl windows were the best option for us. I really appreciate his time and honesty about everything. We placed our order and he was able to schedule us for a Saturday, which was great. Andrew (the installer) and another person whose name I didnt get were excellent and took their time and really seemed like perfectionists to make sure the job was done right. We had to leave during the installation, and they were great and finished the inside portion at the time they said they would and finished the outside while were not at home. I would really recommend CHI to anyone looking for an honest company you feel you can trust with great installers.

The least that can be said is: outstanding. Craig was on the spot from start to finish. The installers were first rate and very respectful not to damage or soil the house.