LAKE COOK EXTERIORS INC

Provided estimate in mid February. Snow precluded earlier work - I was in no hurry. Given several days notice when work was planned based on weather forecast. Perfect color match. Installer arrived at about 8:30AM - completed by noon. Smooth work - no surprises. Took the old stuff away. Test was the mid-April deluge in Chicago area. Handled it all uneventfully.

Called Lake Cook Exteriors to give me an estimate to replace my years old gutters and down sprout. They give me estimate in a week and the number was a lot lower than their competitors. I hired them immediately to replace my gutter, down sprout, including leaf guard for the whole house. With $100 discount as Angie's list member, I spent less than $2,000 to have a brand new gutter. The crew came in on time and did not even bother me since they worked outside. They finished all their jobs in the morning and cleaned up all debris. I had a leaking front gutter before this repair, which was very annoying in heavy rains. Not a problem anymore after this work.

We had a very positive experience with Lake Cook Exteriors. Everyone was very clear, professional and did a great job. I didn't feel like I was being sold things I didn't need and feel that I got a good price for the work that was done.

Don's communication was timely, honest and thorough. The workers came exactly as scheduled and stayed exactly as long as predicted. The work was performed on time, the workers were courteous and cleaned up perfectly, and the results were exactly what we wanted. Highly Recommended!

Another contractor just gave me a price over the phone without looking at the work. Don came to my home and was able to point out to me work that was needed beyond my description and limited expertise. He was able to explain and demonstrate all that was needed. The work was completed in a timely and professional manner. I was given replacement samples and a list of references. I highly recommend Lake-Cook Exteriors.

Overall they did a great job. We received an estimate, but we had other work that needed to be done before we could proceed which delayed the siding project by 6-9 months. Bill called us periodically to check on the status and was very patient with us during repeated delays. Was also very patient with all of our questions and in assisting us with picking a color. Provided us with addresses of several homes they had worked on so we could do drive-bys to see the siding products on a larger scale and this helped tremendously in deciding on a style and color. Completed job in a very timely manner and clean-up was excellent. Was very responsive in coming back to repair an area. I would highly recommend this company.

We called with an inquiry on gutter and roof repair. The owner cut me off pretty much instantly and told me he couldn't help me. Can't imagine being that financially flush to not want business that much. Would not recommend, unless you like working with rude people.

When I went on Angie's list, I didn't notice that this company didn't accept Discover. The estimator came out and answered "yes" when I asked if they accepted credit cards, but he did not tell me that they would not accept Discover. When I sent my Discover info to pay the invoice, I was then told they didn't accept that card. Since I didn't have the cash and expected to pay on Discover, I made payments every month until January, when I paid off the debt. After that, I got an invoice saying that they were charging me 12% interest, without telling me they were going to do so, and then tried to take back the $100.00 Angie's list coupon because I didn't give it to the estimator. That's just not true, otherwise that would not have been deducted from my original invoice. While I take responsibility that I did not notice on Angie's list that they didn't accept Discover, they don't take responsibility for their estimator not telling me so when I asked if they accepted credit cards. They are now charging me interest, plus telling me that I have to pay the $100 Angie's discount. I would have recommended this company because the job was well done. But I can't because they've treated me like a deadbeat because they didn't accept my credit card, despite the fact that I've sent them regular payments every month since June until it was paid off this month. Instead of being understanding and accepting my payments, they have decided that this debt, that I've regularly paid off as I promised, is worth more than the positive word of mouth that I could have sent to other neighbors and friends needing their services -- but telling them they don't accept Discover. I have to think that their business is not doing very well if they have to squeeze me for an extra $100 to take back the $100 Angie's list coupon. Look elsewhere. i

They were responsive; they were out in a couple of days. They were very reasonable on the additional jobs

They did a great job. We were very happy with the work and they took care of our needs. They came back for a few touch things, which they were very happy to do, and did and excellent job on the touch up work as well. I would recommend them to others. Don, who is the head of sales, is fantastic and easy to work with. He was very good about following up with me while I was out of town as well. They took very good care of me and are one of the best contractors I have worked with.

They did a great job. They came back to make an adjustment. They return telephone calls promptly. They had to take every away and they left the property very good. I think the company was excellent and I didn’t one complaint.

Don showed up on time, did some measurements, gave me a verbal quote and told me a written quote would follow. Comparing the written quote with quotes from 2 other companies- Lake Cook was a little less expensive and I signed with them. They were sorry that two weeks would go by before they could do my job. This was shortly after the very heavy rains and flooding. The day before they were scheduled, I received a call confirming they would show up. Due to a family emergency, I asked if they could delay a day - maybe switch my job with their next job. Don was kind enough to reschedule his crew and came out on the day I requested. Before 8 am , Marty's truck pulled up and he unloaded ladders and got his truck ready to form the gutters. Promply at 8 am he intorduced himself, asked if I had any special problems and did a walk around the house. He first thought it would take a day and a half but working consistantly finished the job in one day - in pite of my many questions. Marty was a very pleasant and yet professional. The job went smoothly and look great as Marty even put extensions on the gutters even though they weren't listed in the contract.I definately would use this company again.

They gave an estimate for the work that we were requesting rather than being pushy about doing more than we felt was necessary. They were not pushy to sell us something else. It was a reasonable estimate. The guy that came out was super nice. He really went out of his way to work quietly. He was great and he gave us advice on how to lengthen the life of our existing gutters.

The only issue we had was one installer had to handle the 40' section of gutter - had a little trouble which resulted in a few scratches on our fascia. My husband ended up holding one end for him to keep that from happening. Although the salesman said this installer handles gutter lengths like that all the time we felt a 2nd person would have been helpful. Overall did a good job and would definitely call them again.

Don was very helpful, prompt and enjoyable. The pricing was very reasonable and he worked us into a busy schedule so that we could get the job done quickly. We're very pleased with the end result.

Lake Cook gave me an estimate on replacing two sections of gutter and a downspout. They were prompt wih their appointment. Their representative explained the servises in a professional manner. Their quote was very reasonable. This company was my second choice and I would have went with them, except for the following. I chose a company that did my siding only because this company would do the gutters at the same time that I wanted some siding replaced.

Did a very professional job. The technician showed up on time and also extended downspouts away from foundation walls without asking me. The co did not try to sell me something that I did not need. I was happy to see the manager come to see everything was done before the technician completed the job. Also the old material was removed.

Before I continue, it needs to be stressed that as of this date, we have absolutely no issues whatsoever with the windows or the worker who installed them. Everything there is perfectly fine. The crew that installed the windows is not the same crew that installed the gutters/soffits/downspouts and we remain very pleased with the workmanship of the windows and the installation. We have however since experienced significant issues with the gutters/soffits/downspouts that were installed by LCE. Background is that we have been in this home since 1989 and prior to work done by LCE, never had any issues with condensation in the house or ice dams during Chicago winters or anything else. Not a single issue. That also needs to be stressed, because of the issues that seem to have resulted from the work done by this company. Because the soffits, etc on the home were older and the gutters had some definite worn spot and dents due to their age, we decided to replace them. After looking at a handful of companies, due to the excellent reviews on Angies List, we chose Lake Cook Exteriors. Upon completion, we believed the work done was of high quality, thus the original report we submitted with a grade of an A. Now almost 5 years later, we have come to the realization that the work performed on the soffits, etc was of substandard quality. Each winter since the work was done we have been experiencing major ice dams, huge icicles and condensation in 3 areas inside of the house on the ceiling. None of these conditions had ever existed prior to the work done. Not even during the worst of winters. We started wondering if we had roofing issues, even though in the back of our minds, we thought it was highly coincidental that these issues cropped up after the soffit work. We called 3 different roofers in for evaluation as well as a home building contractor. All companies that came out said the same thing. Nothing was wrong with our roof and that it was in good condition. Not one single roofer wanted to replace our roof, not so much as a shingle. ALL however pointed to the soffits as the most likely cause of our issue. They each stated that there was insufficient venting and two of the contractors went so far as to inspect the air vents and tell us that the vents appeared to be over solid wood. We called Bill Sheetz, the owner of Lake Cook Exteriors and explained the issues that we were having and that the roofing companies and contractor thought there was a problem with the soffit venting. I spoke with him first and he was very defensive and even insulting to me, implying that I didn?t know what I was talking about. In addition to the site inspections, my husband is a member of several professional homebuilding sites and posted a series of questions related to soffit venting and relationship of venting to the problems we have been having. We wanted to have as complete an understanding of the problem as possible before contacting LCE. Insulation is also a big contributor to the problems and my husband inspected the attic insulation as well checking the entire perimeter of the attic for blocked vents. Mr. Sheetz immediately was defensive and kept telling me over and over that the work was done properly on the house and he had an ?invoice from the subcontractor stating the work was done properly.?. Having an invoice stating quality work is completely different than actually doing quality work. Rather than have any type of argument with him, I had him speak with my husband thereafter. He was just as defensive to my husband and was telling him during the first couple conversations just what he told me. Mr. Sheetz said that the roofers don?t know what they are talking about and that there is nothing wrong with the work his team performed. He even went so far as to tell us that if he did come out, take down the soffit and find that there was nothing wrong, he?d have to charge us for doing that. My husband attempted to explain about the work he himself had personally done in addition to the reports from the site visits but Mr. Sheetz still did not accept that there could be any problems with the work that had been performed. Mr. Sheetz did tell him the easiest way to remove the soffit panels and that he was welcome to inspect them himself. After that conversation, my husband personally removed about 30 feet of the aluminum soffit in the back of the house, and confirmed that there were no holes cut underneath the perforated panels as indicated in the work order/contract. There were screened openings that had been installed when the home was originally built however none were anywhere near the perforated panels and in fact had been partially covered by new wood blocking that was installed by LCE. It was solid wood at each air vent, plain and simple. We took many pictures of the conditions we found to show Mr. Sheetz (the owner). My husband called Mr. Sheetz again and he was again defensive and argumentative, even after my husband told him that he himself has now inspected the entire back of the house. Mr Sheetz tried to tell him that you don?t need holes cut exactly where the air vents are. That might be true for some homes that have wider soffits and where the original vents had not been obstructed by the new installation. His own contract stated that the proper holes would be cut for ventilation purposes. He also indicated that our harsh Chicago winters cause ice dams and water damage unless ice and water shield was installed at the roof edge. Our sources confirm that the installation of this type of barrier is now an industry practice, however all also indicate that the barrier is the last measure of protection. Preventing the ice dam from forming in the first place is the first priority and that soffit venting and insulation quality are the most significant factors in preventing an ice dam from forming in the first place. After much back and forth, Mr. Sheetz reluctantly agreed to having a different team come out to investigate and correct the issues, if in fact they existed. He said that we didn?t have to be home when the crew came out. Well, we weren?t going to be anywhere but home! We were going to make sure that the work was corrected properly. Today, (July 2011) two men from LCE did arrive and Matt, the lead man on this crew was polite, professional and quite understanding of the issue. He removed one vent and discovered that that no holes had been cut underneath. This process took exactly 3 minutes. On the entire house, they only found three small holes drilled under three air vents, period. There are 24 air vents on this home and only 3 of these air vents had a hole drilled in the wood (one inch in diameter in each section). Matt even called Mr. Sheetz while he was doing the work to let him know that the original work had not been completed properly, and used the word ?substandard? when discussing with us. Matt was outstanding in every respect and worked very efficiently to remove the panels, cut the ventilation openings and replace the panels and left everything as clean as it was when he arrived. We also understand that the subcontractor that originally did the work is no longer affiliated with LCE and as we have come to understand, it is due to poor quality of workmanship on other jobs. Mr Sheetz did however indicate to my husband that the original contractor was one of his best and had done many jobs for him without a problem. Thus, it is even more frustrating that we had as difficult a time having our issues addressed and resolved by Mr. Sheetz without the argumentative and defensive discussions we experienced. We were never accusatory and our initial call was to pass along the information that we had received to seek LCE?s help in rectifying the problem. Mr. Sheetz unfortunately reacted without listening to the facts and while I?m sure he has had to respond to difficult issues in the past, we really believe we approached this whole matter in a very professional manner. To sum up this experience, at best it was difficult dealing with Bill Sheetz. For us, his lack of appropriate customer service and professionalism has left us with no other choice than to resubmit the grade we gave him on Angie?s List from an A to a D and we will not refer Lake Cook Exteriors to anyone. It?s now been over 24 hours and not so much as a phone call from Mr. Sheetz acknowledging the poor workmanship from the original job or offering an apology for that work or his actions in cooperating with us. He has not even called to ask us if we are satisfied with the repair work that was done yesterday. I think this speaks volumes with regard to the value he places on customer service.

The company was great. They did a fantastic job. The pushed us up in the schedule due to all the power outages. But the two gentleman came out and did everything in one day, cleaned up everything and reconfigured the downspouts so that the same problems would not happen again. I have to say the experience from the estimate, scheduling and work was excellent in every aspect. We are very happy that we went with Lake Cook Exteriors.

They did not try to sell me anything. Only told me that I just needed to have my gutters cleaned out. The gutters were too high for me to look at. The gentleman from Lake Cook Exteriors was polite and willing to walk around my house with me to tell me about my gutter system and point out potential future problems. He did not try to sell me anything. He gave me some contacts of other people who could help me with my gutter cleaning. I would call this company again.

I had 5 windows replaced by Lake Cook Exteriors, they did an excellent job. I had 4 other companies quote the job and they came in lower and I felt the window they use was a higher quality as well. The process was quick and simple and I was never pressured or haggled by anyone at the company (very different from the other companies). The windows came in in 2 weeks and were put in the next day. John the installer was very friendly, quick. and efficient. Bill, the owner, called the next day to make sure I was pleased w/ the work. I have 4 more windows and 2 sliding doors that I will have them replace next year. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for windows!

They were excellent, very professional and did a good job. Their pricing is probably on the higher end, but we have a tendency to go that way because usually the service is more professional and reliable. If there is a problem they will come out. Most times you get what you pay for. I will consider using them again.

Requested Lake Cook Exteriors to come out, review the problems, propose a remedy and estimate the job. 5/23 MON Don came out, reviewed the design and proposed various approaches to the problem. We agreed on two approaches that he said he would quote 5/24 WED Don provided a written estimate via scan and email. The attachment was blurry and harder to read. 5/26 FRI After some phone tag, spoke with Don, answered questions, I wrote up my understanding of approach based on discussion and quote provided and I mailed back to LCExt. with $50 deposit. Don indicated that he expected to do the work during the week of 6/5, weather permitting, but that he would call in advance of their arrival. 6/8 WED Called Don and he indicated that he expected to get the work done on Friday but that he would call to confirm Thurs. 6/9 THU Don called and confirmed they would do the work on Friday. 6/10 FRI At 8:30, Marty arrived, introduced himself, inspected the site and we confirmed the work to be done. He also showed me a sample of the colors and we confirmed they matched. Marty was done with the work before noon. Before he left, he reviewed the work with me, indicating a few additional problems with how the gutters were functioning including a reverse grading slope and incorrect caulking and flashing. Marty then cleaned up all of the old gutter pieces, collected payment and then departed. Marty was very pleasant and professional. 6/11 SAT Don called to check up on the work and confirm that I was happy with the work had been done and indicated that I should contact him with any questions and/or issues. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION AND REMEDY (DETAIL) Problem 1 - gutters overwhelmed on the NW side of house Solution Change 2nd story gutter to B bend output onto the roof of the 1st story family room addition rather than directly into the gutter Add large downspout to 1st story gutter Problem 2 - drain pipe on NW side of house deposits in shallow area landscape with grade that slopes toward the house, resulting in water pooling close to house. Solution - add long extension along North wall of laundry room addition with appropriate slope to carry water West to edge of garage. Requires replacement of gutter to afford attachment of new downspout to wall of laundry room addition rather than wall of laundry room. Problem 3 - leaky / bent gutter on West side of house leaves water pooling close to house Solution Replace bent gutter on West side of garage with new (matching) gutter Replace existing 3" downspout with new oversized downspout. Estimates Solutions to problems 1 and 3 only $489 Solutions to problems 1, 2, and 3 $634 Materials as per agreement. Colors to match existing gutters (R. Brown) and downspout (Desert Sand) within limits of reasonable expectations due to sun exposure and wear. Customer to approve colors before work begins.

They came to see what needed to be done. We discussed problem areas. We picked a color to go with housefrom a color sampler. They said when they would do it. we put a small deposit, they came while we were gone, and it was done perfectly.

Don, the man up front was very personable & knowledgeable. Crew di a great job.