MARK & BUTTONS C-S INC

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All good in the end.

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They were very good.

I appreciated their honesty.

I was pleased. Mark was one of numerous contractors that I requested provide a quote to perform the work. He arrived on time, thoroughly inspected the 2-flue chimney from top to bottom both inside and outside, and followed-up a few days later with a quote that included a break-down of the services to be provided. Based on my related professional experiences with chimney repairs, my conversation with Mark, the thoroughness of the quote, and the price I was confident in hiring Mark and Buttons. A work crew arrived the weekday prior to the completion of the bulk of the work in order to set up the required scaffolding. The following weekday the same crew arrived and performed the crown installation, masonry repairs, and liner installation. I worked from home that day so that the house was available for access and because it is, generally, my policy to do so when having contract work performed. The crew worked diligently and they were quite courteous. Throughout the course of the day they kept me informed of their progress and warned me when they were about to perform any task that could be disruptive to my work, as the noise and vibrations of grinding away old brick mortar can be alarming to someone who has not experienced it before. They also asked permission prior to entering the house to connect the new liner and flue to the furnace and replace the thimble. On separate occasions I asked each member of the crew about the work that they were performing and on each occasion the crew member would stop what they were doing and politely and intelligently address my inquiry. At the end of the day the fresh mortar was wrapped so that it could cure without being disturbed and the site was cleaned. Later, when the mortar was cured the protective wrapping was removed and the waterproofing applied. My one criticism would be that the scaffolding was not protected from public access. This was not a major concern in this instance because my house is relatively secluded. However, if that were not the case I would have been concerned that a child, or irresponsible adult, may have been tempted to climb it.

My initial impression was fantastic. I called at closing and was surprised, expecting an answering machine the owner answered the phone and told me what I needed to do to make an appointment. He followed -up with me the next morning when he said he would. I was very impressed to this point. The Company website is very helpful and informative. However, when I returned home from work the day the service was performed seeral weeks later I was very disappointed based on my initial impression. The wood stove wasn't put back where the workers found it, the workers left soot on my patio where they had cleaned a pipe, and there was a cigarette butt on my driveway. For $208 dollars, especially these days I expected a little more given my initial impression. One of the aforementioned questions asks,"Would I use them again?". I wish there was an option "unsure". I am suppose to call them back after I burn a cord of wood. Now based on my final impression I'm not sure what to do.

They are good, professional, and honest. I have recommended them to others.

The crew of 2 arrived promptly and completely the work quickly with minimal disturbance of the room. They kept everything very clean. They took photos as part of the inspection and allowed me to copy them for my records.

I had called another company, to come and clean the chimney which had a fireplace insert. The 1st company wanted to take the insert out to clean the chimney, but couldn't figure out how to get the insert out. Mark and Buttons came and hooked a vacuum to the lower part of the chimney and pushed the interior of the chimney down. It was very clean and quick and cheaper than the 1st company's estimate.

Mr. Burlbaw came to my house to do the estimate on May 27 and the estimate came a few days later. The work crew started work in late June at a time when I could be home while the work was completed. They set up scaffolding, ground out the old cracked crown, installed the new liner, and poured new cement for the new crown and installed a large animal guard. After that, they removed the scaffolding and cleaned the area. I had a large witch hazel shrub trimmed and branches from a hemlock tree removed prior to the work and this helped with the scaffolding set up.

Made an appointment with a pleasant representative on the telephone. Because of a cancellation they were able to come earlier than scheduled. Two cleaners arrived and were polite, pleasant, and professional.They checked chimneys first to be sure that they needed to be cleaned. Then they cleaned both chimneys without causing any dust or dirt to enter the house. They cleaned up after themselves and returned things that they had to move, i.e., furniture, to their proper place. Also gave me advice on repairs to chimney that might be required in the future without pushing to do unnecessary work now.

Awesome! Several chimney sweeps and fireplace stores recommended Mark and Buttons (Mark's wife) for any work beyond the "usual." We knew our 40-year-old damper control was broken and we were considering changing the firebox as part of a remodeling project. Mark came with an assistant to inspect the fireplace and chimney, and determined that we needed the new damper and cap. He returned two weeks later (including a delay due to ice on the roof) to do the installations. In addition to those, we received a thorough education in how our fireplace works, how it's the same as and different from others, what we really needed to do and what we couldn't do. He was very forthcoming about how much any of our ideas would cost and shared his recommendations willingly. Mark's the man to hire when you're intentionally burning wood in your home.

M and B began the work on schedule. Scaffolding rather than ladders were used (a good practice). Four young men performed the work. Their workmanship, skill level, demeanor, and performance were average per current standards. The owner supplied replacement shingles (as agreed), and lent one masonry hand tool upon request during the work. The attic was accessible and the crew performed the masonry work from both the attic and roof. Flashing and shingle work were handled well by their experienced roofer. Weather and temperature were exceptionally mild, so we didn't get to see how they would have handled inclement conditions. The crew asked the owner for use of his plastic film to cover the roof overnight; finally they used several of their own small tarps, but it was questionable if the tarp job was done securely. Fortunately, there was no rain. The owner (Mark B.) was not present during most of the work, but inspected the job prior to finishing. Their invoice requested performance feedbac