Illusions

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It is so difficult to find experts who are willing to do small jobs. Mark put us in touch with his assistant.. His assistant came out three times to complete the work, which we appreciated. He came out and gave us an estimate, returned to do the plaster patch with the right sand finish. He brought the right bit to install the grab bar in the shower. Then he returned in a few days and painted the plaster patch and a small area outside. He was prompt, personable, efficient and we really liked him and his work. I will call him again and I will definitely recommend him to friends and family. He said he considered small jobs just as important as big ones. Mike Sauer has an excellent Assistant.

We had venetian plaster done by a previous person who was supposed to have been great at applying venetian plaster. That wasn't the case-the venetian plaster was not done correctly. I needed help in repairing those walls and corners that didnt look good and which had the plaster falling off. I went into Angie's list and found that Illusions had great ratings so I called Mike and he came to the rescue! Mike and Mika did an absolutely fantastic job in repairing the corners and walls. Mike remedied everything that was done wrong in the first place. He reviewed everthing first hand and made suggestion on to how to remedy each problem that existed. My husband and l couldn't be more grateful for the excellent service that Mike and Mika provided. We are now looking forward to having our dining room done by Illusions. Superior service!!

Mike promptly came to my home after I called him. He walked through the house with me while we discussed what needed to be done and the best way to handle the issues as well as some ways to keep costs down. He provided a very reasonable written estimate within 24 hours. We scheduled the job, which he estimated would take 5 days. I was having quite a bit of other work done so the timing was very important to me. He arrived as scheduled. Once the window coverings were down, we found a number of areas that needed repair that were not in the original estimate, but Mike did not charge extra as a result of the added work. The repair and painting was done well. On one wall that was damaged I have a special mural where the damage came very close to the mural. Mike and his associate did a wonderful job of repairing the plaster and texture around the painting and touching up and blending the paint around the mural. I am especially pleased with this aspect of their work. The job was completed ahead of schedule in just four days, and this is a large home. Once my flooring was installed, Mike returned to paint the baseboards in that area and touch up paint that had been affected by the floor installation. There was no extra charge for this either. Mike and his associate were very pleasant, did the work quickly and cleaned as they went along. Everything was left looking fresh and clean. Although Illusions performs much more complex wall treatments than I needed they did a fabulous job on my home. I highly recommend them.

We contacted Mike a couple months before we wanted the work and and he came over with some samples and discussed our requirements and the colors available. We got a quote a couple days later. Once we were ready to go, it took a while to get onto his schedule because he was busy with other projects. We changed one aspect of the project and Mike was willing to consider our ideas and make suggestions. The finished fireplace looks amazing, it's even better than we expected it to be. A lot of the pictures on the website for the product he uses are for a somewhat rustic style, whereas we were going for a more modern look and he achieved it perfectly! We definitely made the right choice in going with Illusions for our project.

Mike is a consummate professional. His bid was very reasonable and he showed up on time for both the estimate and subsequent repair work. There were various plaster problems that he repair: cracks in window corners from the sill to the floor, bubbling of plaster due to water damage, and buckling of some plaster in an archway. He did a great job and I cannot tell the new plaster from the old. Mike got it paint ready for me which meant he had to come back the next day to do some minor sanding. The work area was kept clean. He did a great job and I highly recommend his services and yes I will call him again for any other plaster issues I have. Thank you Mike!

We first contacted Mike in May of 2012. We wanted to add Variance to our LR, DR & entry way. We were so pleased with Mike's work we decided to add more. As of Feb 2013 we have done every room in our house. Mike was great to work with. We would absolutely recommend him to anyone looking to finish their walls with the Variance products.

I obtained three estimates. Mike's was the least expensive to do four rooms in a home I am remodeling (one estimate was $20,000.-- clearly from a vendor who did not want the job). The rooms are beauitiful. Mike did touchup work once the floors were put in and did not charge me a dime. I couldn't be happier with his work. Highest recommendation!

Our curved fireplace surface (a very prominent feature in our living room) had been plastered over years ago by a previous owner. It started buckling and peeling after we'd lived in the house for awhile, and we realized that the job was not done right the first time. We peeled and chipped off almost all of the old stuff, but this left the fireplace looking pretty awful. We hid the ugliness under various decorations and behind plants, but we didn't know what to do with it and it didn't seem like a DIY project we could manage. It was a real eyesore. Mike Sauer met with us to discuss repair / re-plastering and explained the advantages of using Variance products, and we decided to use his services. He was able to accommodate us fairly quickly, and showed up on time both days he worked on this project. Mike managed to successfully fill in some really challenging contours, plastered over a dated brick arch, and covered the entire thing with a beautiful Mediterranean-looking finish we selected. This major home feature has been totally transformed. Mike's work and attention to detail was excellent, the price was fair, and he was very willing to come back to touch up a spot needing an extra bit of stain. We're really happy with our "new" fireplace!

He's a great guy, shows up on time, and does a wonderful job. You can't ask ask for much more!

We called Illusions because they were listed as a company that applies Variance finish to walls. Mike called us right back and was very polite. We set up an appt. day and time and he was very prompt, courteous, and professional. We had just had our kitchen remodeled and had been working with a lot of different companies and he was definitely a breath of fresh air. He brought a batch of samples of different variance finishes and colors. We had a paint color picked and he had another company make up a sample of it in variance so that we could see it before it was applied on the wall. We had to go and pick it up from that company. He came on time on the day he was suppose to do the job. He was professional, friendly, and did an incredible job! We had a bathroom finished in variance and so I know what a good variance job is suppose to look like and he delivered beautifully!!! There is an artistic component to applying variance and he definitely has the knack! We are definitely going to call him again to finish several other walls in our home.

Excellent from start to finish

Mike and I communicated primarily via email regarding the bathroom we wanted re-plastered. I sent phots and he sent detailed information regarding the product he uses as well as color samples via U.S. Mail. He was very professional and prompt in his responses. We set a day for Saturday the 28th for him to complete the work.We are extremely happy with the results as well as his professionalism, promptness and thorough completion of the bathroom replaster. There was a lot of repair that needed to be done first, and you can't even tell there was damage no that the work is complete. Mike left additional plaster in case we ever need to touch anything up. Mike worked straight through the day and completed everything same day. He left the place clean and followed up with another email the following business day. Last but not least, Mike final price had actually come in lower thatn the original estimate. We highly recommend him and look forward to hiring him back once we are ready to plaster other parts of the house.

It went very well. Mike exceeded our expectations and completed the job in a shorter period of time than he quoted. He was efficient, personable, and honored his appointments. Final cost was on estimate--no surprises.

MIke was professional, on time and the job was done to perfection! Not much more then I can say...

Mike did a large painting and Variance job for me a few years ago and it was an excellent experience all the way around. I hired him again today to do just 1 room. As always, he responded quickly, came when it was convenient for me, was prompt and professional, and did an excellent job for a competitive price. I would not hire anybody but Mike for my future painting needs.

Mike was very punctual, professional, nice, and did an excellent job at a reasonable price. He kept in communication with us by phone and email and was very prompt answering our questions. He provided accurate, reasonable price estimates (we had 3 bids from different companies on our project). He turned out a beautiful piece of "art" on our walls. The variance is just amazing...we are so happy. He cleaned up after himself and emailed us the invoice after the job was completed. We will definitely use him again for more of our walls and will recommend him to friends... no hesitation!

The experience was great. Mike has been doing work in our home for the past 5 years, and once you have had Variance done in your home, you are addicted. You will never ever want painted walls again. Mike always showed up on time and even spent a few weekends finishing our job so that it was perfect. He approaches the job as if he were doing it in his own home, that is, "he cares". It is very cost effective when you look at Variance versus painting, because of its durability.We will continue to have Variance done and will always choose Mike Sauer.

Mike came out and gave us the initial estimate promptly and explained the process and our choices like a consummate professional. Don't be fooled by the fact he doesn't show up in a "uniform;" Mike is an expert in what he does and genuinely enjoys the artistry of the work. If you have any questions about the various kinds of veneers, not only will he talk through differences in product and process, you can always go to L&P Building Products where he has literally applied every kind of finish to their various walls. A big recommendation for us. Once Mike was here he finished the mud on the bare drywall that "was" the fireplace above the mantle, waited for that to dry, and then applied several coats of tinted plaster and sealer. He checked in with us throughout the process to make sure it was what we wanted and further explained what he was doing. He taped off the entire area exactingly and was very careful of our wood floors and mantle. Even through he was working with a potentially messy product, we never found one drop anywhere. When he left he spent nearly half an hour carefully removing his materials and the room was cleaner than when he came. The fireplace itself was ABSOLUTELY stunning. He gave us a price for having our dining room done in the future. About a week later, out of money from the rest of our remodeling and on a friend's urging, we entertained the bid of a painter who assured us he could use the same product but PAINT it on rather than troweling it. Since the veneer is known for also removing unwanted texture, we had him come by and give us a quote. The entire time the other contractor was here we were missing Mike. We never had any confidence that this other guy could do the job that we knew came with hiring Mike, and Mike's price was much more reasonable. Even though we weren't in the position to hire ANYONE to do the additional work, we know that when we are, we will hire Illusions. Time passed, and not two weeks after Mike had originally come out, we had a "big discussion" like spouses often do, and decided that the color of the fireplace didn't match the walls like we had hoped - the individual who had picked out the color was accused of being color blind. We called Mike about coming out and doing a second plaster job, and he gave us a reasonable price and timeline. Even better, he didn't have any hesitation about "redoing" the work even though it was obviously a homeowner error in picking color. Overall, we were EXCEPTIONALLY happy with Mike's work and as we budget to redo our house room by room, we will definitely think of Illusions.

This is an update to a previously submitted report. Since the original report, we hired Mike to basically "do every room in our house" as we can afford it! While we were on a week-long vacation recently, Mike orchestrated the application of Variance to our kitchen, breakfast nook, living room, extensive hallways, and laundry room (including the ceilings!). We felt extremely comfortable leaving him a key, and when we came back, we couldn't have been happier with the job that was done. Mike has an eye for the touches that really finish a job, and he went out of his way and beyond the quoted scope of the project (at no additional cost) to ensure that when we came home, we would feel like the work was "complete." It is important to note that the work Mike was doing also including "fixing" or applying over the work of workers we had hired prior to meeting him. What a mistake! I wish we had met Mike and seen his amazing work sooner. Would have saved us a lot of money and a lot of heartache! If you have never seen or used Variance before, I heartily recommend you have Mike show you samples of his work and check out his website. More than just a paint, Variance offers the protection and durability of a plaster in many different finishing options. As we are not really "Venetian plaster" people, Mike gave us some other options that come out much more matte and casual than you might be imagining. With that said, there are also texturing techniques and products within the Variance family that can be much showier. They have great colors that you can choose from, or any paint color can be matched to your own "custom" color. After the dust settled, we hired Mike again on two separate additional occasions to do rooms for our children, and when the dust settles again, we'll have him back to do our Master bedroom. Since Variance is so easily cleanable and repairable (by us, the home owner), we are finding it a much better option for us than paint. In the kids rooms, Mike painted the closets and some trim work "the old fashioned way" and used primer on the walls and so I can attest that he is also a good interior painter. But once you have seen the Variance applied, even after you have seen primer of the same shade up in the room, there is really no comparison. The depth of the color and the way the light looks on the surfaces can't be matched. We have had so many complements on our daughter's lavender room. Mike's work took a room that could have looked very standard and blah, even in a fun color, and gave it softness and dimension. For us, the cost of having our drywall redone and the rooms repainted (I mentioned above that we were redoing someone else's very poor quality work) was about the same as having Mike apply the Variance. I can understand if someone was just looking at paint vs. Variance, paint might seem a lot better value. Just simply not so. Try it in ONE ROOM and you will be a believer. The extra cost is in the quality of the product and in the hand time to apply it. This is not a roller job. The Variance is hand troweled in thoughtful, deliberate strokes. Whereas paint has the texture, consistency and thickness of milk, Variance is more like a milkshake. You can use it to cover up all kinds of sins in texture, wall dings, and visual problems. You will be so happy that you did. And you will be so happy if you hire Illusions to bring it to life.

They go above and beyond for their work. They plastered the ceilings and other jobs that needed to be done but did not charge for the other minor jobs he did. We were out of town while he did this part of work. He will be doing the entire home.

Mike was outstanding in every aspect. He was organized and responsive during the planning process, prompt on all days he was scheduled to be at my home and worked a very long day every day, was pleasant to have in my home, and did a superior job with what I had hired him to do. I would highly recommend Mike Sauer for any interior painting or Variance plastering work