Marvin's Painting

Vendor responded promptly when price quote for exterior painting was requested. However, all we needed was to have the shingles painted. Vendor almost insisted that all trim, gutters, etc. be painted as well, and appeared miffed when I requested that only shingle painting be included in the quote. His (verbally quoted) price was reasonable, so I followed up with calls to choose a work date. Calls were not returned. About a month later, vendor called to state that they were ready to begin work, by which time I'd already seleccted a different painting company, at a slightly higher price. The work had to be completed this summer; no choice, as this vendor was un responsive until it suited THEM to call back. Impression: My job wasn't important/expensive enough to deserve attention until they ran out of higher-paying jobs. Suggestion: If you want your whole house painted, you'll probably get better attention from this vendor, especially if it's an expensive job. and quot;No job too smalland quot; definitely does not apply.

Marvin and his associate, Hugo, replaced the drywall and installed new insulation where necessary, skim coated the drywall, repaired the cracks, and repainted the entire family room, dining area, living room and bedroom. They removed and replaced all furniture (or covered it with plastic sheets). They worked steadily until the job was completed (the better part of a week) and kept the work areas picked up or covered up by the end of each day. They were very respectful, conscientious, neat and easy to get along with. We were very pleased with their work.

The stairs in question were a 2002 replacement of the original cinder block and concrete stairs built in the 1950's and which were in terrible shape. Unfortunately, the prior contractor did a very poor job on the 2002 replacement stairs, the risers of which were rotting and peeling only a few years after their installation. This was a result of the contractor providing insufficient space between the Trex boards used for the top of each step. Also, the length of each stair, and the spindles of the handrail, were not all uniform. Marvin pulled up each Trex step, made them uniform, power washed and put them back in place. He also replaced each riser with PVC board. They now look 100% better. While dismantling the steps Marvin also discovered that the supports holding up the entire stairway were inadequate and installed new and additional ones. He also discovered that the prior contractor had cut a notch in the end of three 2x7x10 first floor joists that were a serious structural concern. Marvin rectified this by installing a new joist next to each notched one, and redoing the final stair from the landing up to the front door. He then completely sealed the area to prevent moisture from getting into the cellar from that area. Marvin did charge us extra for these unforeseen repairs, but it was reasonable and money well spent. Marvin appears to be a very conscientious worker, always checking for preexisting problems and ways to improve the outcome of the project in a reasonable manner. Some of this activity may result in more work for him, and more expense, but I don't believe that is his motive. He seems to be all about doing each project the right way. We are very pleased with the results of this job.

This was the first job Marvin did for us after being highly recommended by close friends, and presenting us with an extensive list of personal recommendations. The job went very well, taking about three days to complete. Marvin and his crew seem to have this work down to a science. They arrived early in the morning and worked steadily and hard throughout the day. They were quiet and respectful. And they kept the yard clean and orderly, using a strong magnate at the end of each day to pick up stray nails. Marvin seems to be all about pleasing his customers and going the extra distance, sometimes evan without an additional fee. After the old shingles had been removed, Marvin inspected the sub roof with me, based on my previously expressed concern that it too might have to be replaced. That concern was based on comments and actions of the prior roofer in 2003. Marvin showed me that the sub roof was in good shape and assured me it didn't need to be replaced. This was a big relief. I think getting good recommendations is very important to Marvin, as he feels they increase his chances of getting more work. Marvin and his crew were a pleasure to have on this job, and we were very pleased with their work.

We had used Marvin for other jobs during the past few months, and as usual, were very satisfied with this work. During the project Marvin made a significant, unsolicited, cost saving suggestion, and several aesthetic suggestions that we thought improved the results of our renovation. The bathroom floor included some unexpected and time consuming work to repair and level a subfloor problem left by a prior contractor who had built a master bedroom and bathroom addition years ago. Marvin did this without charging anything extra. He is very conscientious about and quot;doing the right thingand quot;, including finding and fixing problems left by others. On several occasions Marvin and Hugo worked until 8:00 or 9:00 PM to keep the projects on track and our inconvenience to a minimum. They were very conscientious about putting up plastic barriers to contain dust, and thoroughly cleaning up their work site at the end of each day. We were very satisfied with Marvin's work.

Marvin was referred to us by close friends in town who had their own floors and other work done by him in the recent past. They raved about him, and we were impressed right from the start. He performs a variety of jobs. He is very prompt, personable and easy to get along with, and seems to be honest and trustworthy. Marvin and Hugo worked diligently to get this job done under the immediate supervision of our daughter while we were away for a week. After the varnish was applied and there was a strong odor in the house, our daughter spent two nights with our friends. When we returned the floors were done, the house had been aired out, and all rugs and furniture had been properly returned to their places. We were completely satisfied.

Marvin and his team were consummate professionals, diligent workers, and considerate of our home and property at all times while on site. Our children (ages 3 and 4) looked forward to seeing everyone when they were working, and often conversed with Marvin over the course of the job. After seeing the careful work that Marvin and his team were doing on preparing the outside of our house, we asked him to increase the scope of work and give us quotes on painting two interior rooms, as well as staining two decks on the rear of the house. After receiving the quotes we agreed that he would perform the additional work. I cannot emphasize how much preparation for the job makes a difference in the quality of the final product. Marvin and his team prepared all surfaces diligently, and were especially careful to sand smooth the decking on the rear of the house, as they knew we had small children that would be enjoying the space. We had one surprise as there was some water damage where a compromised window sill had allowed water to leak inside a wall. Marvin personally was able to repair the damage, replace part of the window frame, insulation, wall framing, and save the window itself. While this was an incremental cost to us, it saved us considerable expense in not having to replace the window. The final product looks immaculate. The care taken in all work was impressive. The team was clean and respectful, both inside and outside of our house. Other than the equipment that was at the site during the course of the job, you would not have known they were there during the day. If you’re looking for someone to just “slap a coat of paint” onto something, then this is not the company for you. If you’re looking for a very high quality job, done at a fair price, then I would highly recommend Marvin and his company.