Kriste Maintenance Service

There was a two-month period between initial contact and first available date for beginning the scheduled work. However, neither job was urgent and the wait was definitely worth it. Communication with Geary was excellent throughout the process. Phone calls were returned promptly. Each onsite appointment from first visit through completion of all work was honored. Design quality, materials used, and execution were excellent. A change order at our request to simplify the fireplace work was accepted without complaint and resulted in a final cost that was $485 less than original estimates.

Very well. Geary was upfront with timelines and delivered as promised. Work was professional completed and once done all work areas were cleaned up. We will definitely have Geary and team for our next projects.

Arrived about 15 minutes early, performed the work in a professional manner. They were friendly and courteous, and took care to do a complete cleanup.

Wanted to do much more work than was needed, ended up not using this service provider.

From the time I initially contacted Geary Falk of Kriste Maintenance Service to the time work ended, I was completely confident that I had hired the best person to do the work I wanted done. He lived up to all of the A ratings on Angie's List, and I'd have given him A+++ if that metric were provided here. He responded timely to my initial request to estimate the job, which is sadly often not the case with too many contractors. I live in a very old house in a historic overlay, and not only do old houses come with their own oddities, but consideration has to be given for use of materials that complement the original structure. In addition, old houses become less plumb and square after years of settlement, making any addition or alteration challenging, particularly finer finish work and door hanging. During our initial meeting, Geary listened to my requests and then made design and construction suggestions I hadn't initially considered, such as enlarging door widths to fit existing unframed openings, which required customization but maintained the integrity of the space that I requested. The space under discussion here is a master suite with an en suite bath that we had created in an unfinished attic in 1993 in a Tudor Revival cottage built about 1926. The space occupies the entire upper floor of the house and has good vertical volume and natural light from skylights and windows. In order to preserve as much light as possible, we didn't want to cut down theopenings overhead any more than necessary, and we also wanted to ensure privacy from downstairs and into the en suite bath. This had been a very open, loft-like space. I wanted frosted glass in the doors, and Geary suggested using rain glass and putting transoms above the doors. I also wanted to enclose a large opening in the stairwell wall into the master suite, remove the existing recessed ceiling light source, install a pendant light in the stair well, and run an electrical box so we could hang a TV on the newly enclosed wall. Geary's suggestion to use transoms over the custom-sized doors resulted in a wonderful design that looks as though it was planned with the master suite from the beginning. Finally, I have to mention how patient, accommodating, and kind he was. He really went over and above to try to run a cable through the wall to the TV receptacle from our basement though our hallway stairwell wall and upstairs. He ended up using a camera in the wall, breaking a drill bit, wasting lots of time, but never complained. He was also very kind to our three dogs. On two different occasions the door vendor made errors in sizing either the jambs or the thickness of the doors, which necessitated him having to return later and shuffle other jobs around, after having already scheduled this job time. In every case, he kept me updated and proveded superb communication--in short, treated me, the customer, as any person appreciates being treated, always considerate and courteous. I'm providing some pictures of the work. I'm afraid though that they really don't do justice to how nice the project ended up. It took me a while to post this because of all the painting I had to do. I'm so pleased and wouldn't ever hesitate to hire Geary Falk again for another project and certainly recommend him to anybody who wants a person who's above reproach in reliability, work ethic, and quality of workmanship.

They were very honest, dedicated to doing quality work and doing right by the customer. Explained everything he was doing along the way. I would definitely recommend them to others

This is our second time using Kriste Maintenance Service. The first time Geary came out and installed a brace and some jacks under our floor joists. This was to repair a sagging floor due to the joists being cut by a previous handyman that reran some plumbing pipes. Geary did such a great job at a decent price that we went with him for our fence repair even though we had several quotes from dedicated fence companies. Geary came out and replaced 12 post all by his lonesome and now our fence is standing straight rather than leaning and waving. He went out of his way to dispose of the old posts and concrete rather than leave us with a mess as other handymen/contractors have done in the past. Geary did a great job and all posts held strong when a bad storm rolled in that night with very high winds. Geary is always professional and courteous and Kriste Maintenance Service will continue to be the first number we dial when we need are in need of home maintenance or upgrades.

This is the 3rd project Geary has completed for us since we purchased our home last year. He did excellent work that met and/or exceeded our expectations in the prior two jobs, but this one was so well done that I had to write a review, even as he deservedly has so many excellent reviews on the site already it seems like he hardly need another! In fact, the only negative you could try to come up with is that he is so in demand with new and existing customers that there tends is usually a wait before he has an opening. But we've waited three times for him to be available and it has been worth it and far better to have the job done right than immediately as far as we're concerned. The first two projects Geary did were some changes to an old built in shelf and TV console to better fit modern flatscreens and remove a plaster framed picture above the entrance. Both came out great and while we originally just hired him to remove the eyesore of a sculpture, Geary had the idea and completed something in its place--some molding that matches the rest of the foyer. Next he removed and hauled away an old trash compactor and replaced it with a built in sliding trash can shelf. It looks like it was always there and works well. Most recently he put in a door and glass transom. This was a very wide opening with a high ceiling where no door existed before, and where a staircase actually cut into most of the wall. Prior to Geary we had heard everything from moving the wall, to cutting the staircase to expanding the wall to get a door in. A relative who is an engineer and accomplished DIYer, didn't think it was possible at all without major structural work including refinishing the hardwood floors afterwards. But the door is in, works well and looks like it belongs there and has always been there. It also could easily be removed if needed to return it to previous condition including the original moldings which are intact and just covered. All that was required was him ordering the door, then installing it in one day by himself. It was an excellent job, and one that few even wanted to try for us due to the difficulty. In our experience, would be hard to find anyone better for home improvement and repair projects, and he's reliable and very reasonably priced.

We own a condo in Nashville with tenants and Geary gave a quick response to my phone call for an estimate and worked around my schedule to come on a Saturday when I could be in town. Once we decided to use Kriste Maintenance, Geary scheduled to install a good quality attic door while removing the old (and dangerous!) broken wooden door that had broken steps and springs. Work was completed in a timely and efficient manner, the work site was clean, and old materials were removed. We are happy to have a safe, well constructed door that will last for years, and that provides easy access to our attic (which is inside the condo) for storage and for HVAC access. We highly recommend Kristen Maintenance Service.

The gates were large solid pieces of wood and Geary was able to further customize the gates to (actually) fit our doorways perfectly. When ordered they were theoretically measured to fit, but in reality, when they arrived they were too large and I was so overwhelmed by the job and had no idea where to begin. We were so thankful to find Geary- he came out to complete an estimate on Saturday and then had a cancellation and was able to work us in two days later. The gates ended up needing to be cut down on either side, cut in half to mimic saloon style doors, stained to match the rest of the gate, installed over trim work and installed new locks to work best with the fences. Literally could not have done the job without assistance. He was in and out in about 5 hours, very professional, provided quote prior to completing work. Ah-MAZing!

Excellent, very professional and knows his business .My new doorway is beautiful (Gary put an oak piece between the rooms and I love it) My bathes look so much bigger. He was very methodical about everything. I had Gary installed the ceiling fan in an awkward place but he was able. Very happy with the work and will have him come back for other jobs. Highly recommend him. At this time I haven't received my bill so I didn't put that in.

Prior to our scheduled date of work, we told Geary what our goal was to update both bathrooms. Geary suggested what types of toilets, vanities and flooring/trim to use. We purchased everything with the exception of the flooring and trim. Geary and Hugh arrived as scheduled each day and worked all day quickly and professionally. Vanities/plumbing, toilets and lighting replaced, old tile flooring removed and replaced with plank style flooring and PVC trim. Geary always has the most up to date suggestions and materials in home remodeling to make your home look so appealing to go with the current trends. We have used Kriste Maintenance for 20 years and have always been extremely pleased with all results. Our bathrooms look amazing thanks to Geary's suggestions and hard work.

Mr. Falk is a class act. He returned my calls promptly and completed the work when he promised. He is on task and professional the entire time he was in my home. Everything I needed done was done right. When he left, he had cleaned up after himself and it was as if he was never there.

As mentioned above, Geary arrived exactly on time, calling in advance. We had the list of all jobs, wanting him to start with the front door, which he did. The most time consuming task was rebuilding the base of the two columns on either side of the door, then the grout for the tub and sink. The window now opens freely. In my estimation, all were done about as quickly as possible, and everything looks wonderful and works!. All of the original estimates were right on. I would recommend Geary to anyone and actually already have today! We will definitely ask him for his expert services in the future.

Geary is awesome. He was scheduled to be here at 9 am to do the weather stripping on my front door. He arrived on time and by 9:02 was removing the existing threshold. I've lived in my house for about 2 years, and the front door has bugged me since the first day I moved in. There was always visible light coming in around the edges of the door. In the summer it let in hot air, and in the winter it let in cold air. It drove me nuts! I told Geary about it when he was out fixing something else for me and he said he could fix this, too. He ordered special weather stripping from California. Now the door has no visible light around it. The threshold looks great with polished brass that matches the other door hardware. I'm so pleased! I can honestly recommend Geary if you need a handyman. He can do just about anything you want done.

The quote was clearly expensive and I didn't use them. They even took long to get back to us.

It was good. All the work was completed, it was done pretty fast and I haven't had any problem. He gave an estimate.

Geary was as promised by other members - prompt, professional, and skilled. Overall it was an A++ experience and I will definitely be using him again. It's rare to find someone who does excellent work, shows up when they say they will, charges fair prices, and you feel comfortable with them around your family/children. Geary checks all these boxes. I have had hit and miss experiences with service professionals, but Geary was definitely a home run.

Gary was prompt, professional, and was very talented with a solution to my unusual problem. He did exactly what he said he would do. Yes, I absolutely agreed to the price, but I do not think he is an inexpensive provider, and that is what is reflected in my grade of B on price. If you hire Gary you are buying a Mercedes, not a Ford. You will get a premium product and your bill will probably reflect that. At least mine did. I'm not "complaining" about the price I paid; I'm letting others who are looking for a handyman know that Gary does top notch work, but he is unlikely to be the least expensive provider.

Geary did a great job working on our house. He arrived right on time and set to work on several different maintenance projects he had estimated for us previously. Overall, he was thorough, professional and we will definitely use him again.

He called, came when he said he would and was very professional. He respected the dignity of an older, custom home. I would highl y recommend him. Only problem is that he is so busy you have to schedule a couple of months out. That probably says more about his work than any words I could use. He's a "yes"!

He arrived on time, got right to work. Did it professionally and paid attention to the smallest detail. Impressed with his desire for perfection.

Overall I was pleased with the service. He fit me in a very tight schedule and I appreciated that part of his approach. The tenant stated he was punctual, went about his work, and corrected every deficiency in a professional manner. He walked her through the home when he was done and showed her every item he had fixed. He called before and after the job. He did quality work and was prepared to fix everything. I think the biggest drawback to his business was that he does not use automation in the least, especially email. His billing was done by paper invoice that arrived some time after the job and it was done manually. I had to send a money order because he did not accept checks or credit cards, only cash. He is probably losing a lot of business due to the inefficiency and I felt like I was adjusted to him rather than the other way around. Busy professionals, such as myself, will have a tough time coordinating a job with him. I thought the price was slightly too much for the deficiencies but not enough for me not to do the work. He did provide the estimate before hand so I was not surprised, another positive aspect to his business.

Geary and his team did a great job for us. Everything looks just great. They even worked hard to minimize the dust while working and they cleaned up everything when finished. In addition, we asked to have different shower heads installed and Geary was very accommodating and made them look great. We're very happy with the results.

On time, great work, good materials. Will use again!