Colonial Restorations

Barn Rescue – My barn was hit by a vehicle, which broke a large post and pushed section of siding out from under the roofline, plus major damage at ground level. Brad shored it up for the winter with an array of jacks and an enormous chain to ensure the thing wouldn’t fall down till they could return in the spring. Come spring, they fully replaced the damaged section’s support members and facade, and added bracing to the attic, rendering it stronger than before. Foundation support: The sagging beams and jerry-rigged support columns in the dirt basement of our 18th century house were inadequate. They dug and poured a dozen footings and lally columns, supporting a line of new 6x6 and 9x9 beams that provide solid support to the house above. They showed up promptly every day, worked fast, and left the site clean and finished. Both Brad and Chad have a deep knowledge about old houses and the techniques that were used, and I felt my historic register property was in good hands.

I cannot speak highly enough of Tom and Brad Green of Colonial Restorations. We have lived in our antique house for 16 years now, and like most old homes, some of its previous repairs were good, some not so good. Tom Green worked on this house for its previous owners, and his work was, by far, the best in the house. So, we continued to use Colonial - Tom, then Tom and Brad - as we learned the ropes about caring for an old house - our first house, old or new. Over the years, they have replaced sills and posts and beams, and rebuilt parts of our loose stone foundation. Most recently, they replaced the last original posts in our basement, (one of which was a tree trunk still with bark on it), including pouring new custom footings, in advance of our finally cementing the dirt floor. The work here is never easy - nothing is level, nothing is square - but the Greens' end result has always been beautiful - strong and made to last. Their prices are fair and without hidden costs....maybe not the lowest bid you might get, but you know it's a real bid that they will stand behind. They triage projects for us, giving us an idea of what other items will likely need attention in the next few years. We're not done with this house yet....we've never won the lottery, and there's always another repair..... and plan to use them again soon. I feel confident knowing that the next owners of this house, whoever they might be, will see the quality of the work and know that we cared enough to have the right people help us with the ongoing repair and maintenance of a 275+ year old house. I am a real person, a real customer, with no ties to the company, and was more than happy to write this review.

Brad and his dad were great. They were always at the job on time. They kept me informed each day during the entire project. They are certainly experts with old houses and were happy to explain what they were doing and why. I would certainly have them back when we replace the front doors if we find the sill is rotted. Great guys. Great job.

Colonial Restorations was superb.   Our family very much enjoyed working with Brad Green and Tom Green.  

At the outset, they made thorough assessments of our family's barn, identifying several problem areas and offering multiple proposals for how best to address each (including strategies and estimates).  They walked through the different proposals with us, addressing all questions and discussing different options.  This was extremely constructive and important to the process. 

They demonstrated very clear understanding of post-and-beam wood construction.  They displayed great expertise in working with wood (white oak, red oak, hemlock) and with the tools, jacks and cribbing needed for this work.  They worked carefully, always putting in place the necessary jacks and cribbing in advance of each phase of this project.

They were clear about their schedule and were very responsible about communicating with us.  If there were a day that they would not be on site, they let us know ahead of time.  With the exception of a snow storm and an illness, they were on site five days a week from the first week in January till the second week in February, 2016.  

By the completion of this project, Colonial Restorations had made significant and important structural repairs to our barn.  This work was done with care, craft, accuracy, and to code.  (All elements of this project were examined and passed by the building inspector.)  Most important, these repairs respected and worked with the existing structure and materials of the barn.

We could not be happier with these repairs or with the work done by Colonial Restorations.  It was a pleasure working with Brad and Tom.

Began project on time, finished on time (working around weather issues), thoroughly explained every step of the process and came in close to budget. Tom and Brad are very personable, work very hard and clearly know what they are doing.

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We purchased a Big Deal and Tom came out to assess our barn, even though it wasn't a post and beam barn.   He gave a thorough review of our barn and pointed out areas that needed work.   Tom and Brad were very easy to work with and were always quick to respond to any questions.   They provided an estimate within a day, and even with a full summer schedule, they were on target for the estimated start date and finish time.   We felt very confident in their work and would use them again.

I need to specify that this business deals with post and beam buildings according to the owner. He was prompt calling me, and polite, and honest regarding his limited experience with log cabins. So I prefer that people keep in mind that this was not a review of a post and beam structure. I've dealt with more cases than I care to admit, settling complaints involving construction defects and mold, so since this building was 30 years old and had some clear areas where insects had infested and eaten or bored holes in the wood, it was time to have it looked at. Before he arrived, I realized that I should have verified that he was an engineer. I still don't know that he was. It was not as detailed as I expected, and he continuously disclaimed knowledge regarding log structures but also said he had looked at a few. In addition, he complained numerous times about the fact that this was something Angie's List put together and so, implicitly, he did not like the deal, the amount he was being paid etc. I asked for and he sent a written report, but it didn't provide some of the thoughts he had expressed when we spoke. I went into this having been advised regarding the businesses limitations regarding log homes, so was aware, but also was told that it is 'basically the same". I got my money's worth, because in the end, the most important question was whether anything immediate was necessary and he answered that question which, I felt, was within his expertise. Still, I felt that it did not live up to my expectations overall.

Tom called to asked if he could arrive a bit early (!!) and arrived exactly at the newly arranged time.
He jumped right into his consultation, literally jumping off the porch into the tiny ditch dug four feet below grade to expose a small section of the foundation.  After spending significant time assessing the situation at the foundation, he carefully consider the sill, framing, roof planes, and all other relevant physical details of the space, both inside and out.  He then gave us a detailed recommendation.  He allowed ample time for us to write notes and patiently answered all of our questions and desire for clarification on a few issues.  
Shortly thereafter we received a written report that was as expected.
One or two emails containing questions afterward were immediately answered.
Outstanding, professional expertise.
We give Tom and Colonial Restorations our highest recommendation.

The service was good. I liked the way he assessed everything and he gave me a quote of structural repairs. He also gave me advice on structural issues. I had to pay extra because we are over 100 miles away from his place of business.

It was fine.  He came over and talked about the structural information concerning my basement and was here for about an hour.  He assessed the structural needs and told me that he would leave it alone.  He also gave me the cost for support beams.   He was very knowledgeable, but the only thing I would object to would be the follow up letter in which the wording left unanswered questions and there was a different first name on the letter

The project was challenging as Tom and Brad had to tear out very old boards that had been messed on by creatures that inhabited our attic.  They needed to set up scaffolding and anchor it to the front of the house.  They filled all the nail holes when they finished and made sure that the clapboards were in excellent condition.
In order to help reduce the cost somewhat, we painted the boards ahead of time. Tom and Brad ordered and delivered the boards to us.  They touched up any paint that was marred due to the construction.
Once again, we were very pleased with Colonial Restorations.  This is the second time we have hired them and wouldn't hesitate to use them again if our home needs more work.  (As an aside, 18th century houses need special handling, and Tom and Brad know this and we felt really confident that they knew what they were doing).

It was fine.  I was just looking for someone that did inspection of support it just so happened at the same time they had a deal on Angie's Lists.  He's very thorough.  I don't have anything bad to say.  He's professional.

I would highly recommend Tom & Brad.  From the beginning they did a quality, professional job.  I originally hired Tom to do a structural evaluation of my antique house prior to purchasing it. Based on his findings I managed to negotiate the price of the house based on the need to replace part of the sill. He gave me a comprehensive quote complete with their policy information.
I scheduled them to do the work after purchasing the house.  There was a wait time due to their busy schedule but they kept me informed of their timing and Tom was very good (and patient) with the many emails I asked him prior to the job starting.
I did get another quote from a local structural builder but he was going to use standard framing techniques instead of the traditional building methods used by Colonial Restorations and the quote was not significantly cheaper than Tom's.
The work was done in a timely manner and Tom was very good at communicating with me through the entire process, taking photographs and emailing them to me at work to show me areas where decisions needed to be made about potential additional repairs.  
The work was completed on schedule and both myself and the building inspector were very impressed at the quality and craftsmanship.  The final result was above my expectations.
Later, I consulted Tom on a couple more minor projects and would definitely recommend the company for any structural work.
I feel that anyone would get an honest, thorough and high quality job.

They did everything right.  They came when they said they would;  they brought everything they needed and it was high quality (a really nice 12" X 10" x 10 foot oak beam).  They did the job safely, they did it well, they did it right the first time.  These guys are masters at timber framing.

The housing inspector in the town (Winchester) was really impressed with the job they did).

Their price was fair.  It was no more than the estimates from local carpenters who had never done a job like this.

They were really interesting folks. 

I really liked doing business with them.

Bill McKay

it all begins with a sagging floor like other reviews. 
I called them and set up the appointment. During their visit, Tom often says "not every one is proud of their job", "the previous builder did a terrible job", etc. I then chose them because they give me a good quote and have very good review from their website (that could be fake because they can edit it, or delete the bad reviews). 
Several days later, they came and took my ceiling apart. they call me after about 2 hours. Saying that there is no problem in the beam as they suspected when doing the inspection. Tom says that the beam looks straight and he even used a level to show that it`s straight. We even came up to the attic and he says that it seems perfectly fine. He even yelled at Brad "Brad, did you find any problem down there" (he mean in in the first floor ceiling), Brad said no. They emphasized that the beam is enough to hold the room above because there is no much weight on it. So I ask them "so what`s causing the sagging floor? is it because the hard wood floor it self is bending", Tom said that it`s possible. Because I was almost certain that the beam has some problem, I confirmed this with them many times. 
So I decide to not do anything about it, because the beam doesn`t have any problem. So I told them I will end the project here and save money to fix the floor instead of the beam. They came the next morning and pick their stuff. 
After they left, my general contractor (that remodels the kitchen) came and took a look at the beam. He immediate found the problem of the sagging floor. It`s not the beam that`s bending, but another beam that supports this beam is bending. Tom and his son totally missed it. Even a general contractor that does the kitchen remodel can find this problem immediately. So of course I`m very upset. I called them and ask them to come again because they missed such an important part. 
Tom says that Brad will come and take a look. After a while Brad came and I told him the beam that supports the main beam is bending, he says "oh yes". So I ask him how can we fix it? ****************He said that "my father will tell you this, he`s in charge of that". ***************Then he says that he needs to get some tool.(of course he`s just calling his father telling him what`s happening so they can come up with a plan). He return without any tool and Tom also comes back. Tom begins to say "I already told you yesterday that the beam is bending, it`s U shaped". He did not tell me anything yesterday. Otherwise I will have him fix it, at least reinforce it. He also says that "I told you it`s bending and it cannot be fixed because of various reasons and you decide yourself not to do anything about it." 
It`s very frustrating to deal with a liar. If what he said is true (that he and his son told me the beam is bending), then Brad will tell me immediately that "yeah, we found that yesterday and told you that". Also Brad can just call Tom and ask him to come here in front of my face, instead of coming back to his car and making up some secret plans with his dad to fool me. Another important fact is that, I called and tell them that I found the beam is bending, they came and took a look instead of saying: "I told you so yesterday".
Also you have to pay for their commute. Although the working hour is less than 7 man hours, they charge me 8 hours of commute, which is ridiculous, I never got played for commuting to work.
Summary:
1. Not professional enough. (missed the bending beam which is found by a general contractor at the first look)
2. Lie to their customer and unwilling to accept their mistake/take responsibility.

unknown

It was fantastic.  He called right away and we scheduled it.  He was professional.  He gave us the report right away.  He was very experienced and thorough.

It all started with a sagging beam in the dining room of our almost 300 year old house. We knew that it would require special skills  to figure out what the problem(s) were and what would be needed to fix things. 
Colonial Restorations was the answer!  I found their ad in Angie's List Boston and North edition and went to their website where we found pictures of old houses, barns and mills all requiring the sort of work we knew we were going to need.
Tom Greene and his son Brad came to look at the project, talked in depth with us about what might be needed, and worked up a plan and estimate for us.  They were very honest and straight forward about the problems facing us and the fact that as they started the job they might find more problems than we were expecting. (They were right!) 
My husband, a mechanical engineer , had done a lot of restoration work on other parts of the house many years ago and was impressed with the knowledge and understanding that Tom and Brad about handling this particular job.  They communicated well with us and answered many questions (from me) about what was being done.  The work progressed, between rainstorms in June and July, and when the job was finished,  the north side of our 18th century house was proudly sporting new sills, posts, plates, floor joists and a roof  extension.
We are preparing to hire them back again for another project on the front of our house.  We wouldn't have anyone else do this work.  Tom and Brad really know what they are doing!

First off, Tom and Brad are extremely punctual.  They were very good at communicating when they would be coming to our house and if they needed us to park in a particular arrangement to make their lives easier.  I thought it was quite nice to receive email the day before letting me know what they would be doing on the barn as well.  Tom and Brad have very specialized equipment for doing the job correctly.  Their come-alongs, jacks, and tools were some of the most extensive I had ever seen.  The repairs that they did were very well thought out and done in the proper order.  I asked them a ton of questions via email and they were very punctual with responding.  If something needed further discussion they would call me on the phone.  The overall quality of their work was simply fantastic.  I couldn't have asked for it to be any better.  I would definitely hire them again to do work on my house or barn.  I think they enjoy doing structural work and understand old barns and houses.  I wouldn't necessarily hire them for something other than structural work because that isn't what they like to do.  There was one minor miscommunication having to do with the floor boards not being replaced originally.  They ended up meeting up with me to discuss and remedied the situation better than I can could have hoped for.  
All in all they were great.  Both Brad and Tom are really nice guys with tons of great stories and a passion for fixing old structures.

I contacted Colonial Restorations and they got back to me quickly to set up a site visit. Tom came and went through the barn with my husband and I, discussing what he saw and what problems should be addressed. He prepared an estimate that we received the next day, which he prioritized based on what the barn needed first. 
Tom and Brad (a father/son team) showed up a few months later as they said they would. The project went smoothly. When they discovered more damaged joists (which weren't visible until they started), they told us right away and gave us the cost to repair which we did. They cleaned up everyday which was important as we have many animals and small children. To their credit, they even dealt with the 100+ free range chickens wondering in and around the barn. They are both knowledgeable on older homes and we learned a lot about our barn and house that we didn't know. 
We would definitely use them again in the future and recommend then to others.

Tom came by pretty quickly when we requested a quote, and he assembled a professional, informative document for a fixed fee. We elected to do the work with Colonial, and joined the wait list. Brad and Tom communicated with us throughout the wait period, and we prepared all of the permits etc by email.

Brad showed up on the expected day, and did the set up. The real work started the following day. Things went very smoothly throughout, albeit a bit slowly, so the job took a bit longer than either we or Colonial expected...that was not a problem though.

Brad and Tom certainly know their stuff, and they do very nice work. They're tidy workers too, and when they left they did a very thorough clean up.

Both men could talk dogs off a meat truck, but they're both good company and a pleasure to have around the house.

I will use them again given the opportunity.

This was an excellent experience.  Given the trickiness of replacing a sill, I wanted someone who had done this before.  They specialize in timber framing, so I hoped they would work out.

They started in removing the shingles to look at the current state, which was worse than I thought.  They then went in a supported the house from the basement to prevent further problems.  Then they started in on the replacing.

They kept me informed as the work went on, explaining what needed to be done, and asking for my input as appropriate.  When a stomach bug went through the family (it's a father-son company), they let me know via email as to their absence and when they'd be back.  The only minor nit I had was that their quote didn't include the dumpster and the building permit.  However, when the inspector required more information to approve the permit request, they talked to him quickly and straightened it out.

They had the tools they needed to get the job done quickly and safely.  They did a good cleanup, and restoration of the exterior of my house.  I wouldn't hesitate to use them again, or recommend them to a friend.