Schwab Remodeling

Description of Work: I wrote $500 because I needed to put in something. Recently, I called Mike to ask him to resurface a counter top for me due to stains. He advised me to just get a new one because it would last longer and cost less. He said bathtubs hold up well to resurfacing, but not counter tops. Likely I will wait for him to measure, order and install the new counter top. He and I have discussed this cultured marble counter top and no one knows how to remove the stain that got under the surface coating from old plumbers' putty. When the original holes for the plumbing fixtures were too small for the new ones, Mike coached me over the phone how to enlarge them, when the plumber was afraid to do the job. I succeeded in doing the job perfectly only to find that when testing the fit of the new faucets, that the original faucets had over-sized escutcheons and the stains would not be covered by any reasonably priced currently available faucet. Over the last 10 years my husband and I have worked a lot with Mike Schwab. The invoices total around maybe $30,000 or a lot more. He has extensively remodeled several rental units for us and with us. He also rescued us after botched jobs by three other contractors. One actually used pieces of drywall as shims to hold in windows and doors! Yikes! Mike was able to repair securely these major mistakes as they were discovered and do this without leaving any evidence in the intricately patterned plastered walls. Another was putting up perforated vinyl soffit panels alternately with solid panels and covered up all the ventilation holes that had been made in the original wooden soffit with the solid sections of the new vinyl soffit; so virtually no air would flow through them. Plus, the contractor I fired (first time I fired anyone!) was clueless that there were formulae for calculating how much ventilation is needed in soffits and attics. Imagine someone who only installs vinyl siding and soffits not knowing how to determine how much ventilation is needed for an attic! All the pro desks at the Big Box stores and contractor supply stores know the formulae. I had not waited for Mike to be available. And I was so glad when Mike came and bailed me out when he became available. Another contractor who had been recommended to us mis-cut specialty green boards for the bathroom tub surround and was going to cover up the mistakes with some sort of patch job before the tiling. Fortunately, I saw the mess and the botched job was redone. That was the last time I tried to hire someone when Mike was not available. I am so glad that we waited for Mike for months when our built in stove died. He was able to enlarge the hole to accommodate the new stove and modify the overhead cabinets to make an over the stove microwave/range hood look like the 30 year old cherry cabinets had been designed for this feature. Originally there had been a double door wall cabinet overhead and the stove had had a down draft exhaust fan. He saved the wall cabinet and he installed it in a new bathroom in our basement, where he installed the ceramic flooring and built other features.

Description of Work: Mike, and his daughter Amelia, completely renovated a small guest bath. Above cost includes materials and fixtures.

Description of Work: Mike remodeled a full bathroom on the second floor of our home.

Description of Work: Removed drop in stove and removed existing cherry cabinet over old stove. Covered old downdraft exhaust. Installed new over the range microwave with exhaust fan. Had to cut back the existing countertops just a hair and remove the existing splash back (from behind the old range) to accommodate new range. Took cherry board which matches existing cabinets from below old drop-in range and placed it above new microwave. Mike worked with me and assisted me so that, before the new, free-standing range was delivered, I had time to paint the existing drywall that had never been painted and to finish the unfinished sides of the existing cabinets that had never been finished. I also painted the floor below the new range since the vinyl did not go back that far. Mike also shored up some of the existing countertop elsewhere in the kitchen. Since he is meticulous I asked him to cut some holes for new outlets elsewhere in the house, since I did not have time to patch walls and wanted the cuts to be precise and wanted to be sure the wallpaper did not tear.

Description of Work: I hired him to complete a bunch of sheet rock and roofing repair.