“It’s Perfect for Coffee in the Morning and Cocktails at Night”
To say Jim and Cindy Barratt are big fans of the work done by Airik Lenz and his company Premier Home Upgrades, would certainly be an understatement. After completing a kitchen project, the couple were so impressed by his work, they asked if Airik’s company would be able to construct a deck and here I will let Jim continue the story.
“Airik showed Cindy and I some photos of decks that his company had completed in the past and we were very impressed. We had come up with our own deck design, but throughout the building process we were able to make some adjustments to the original plans, which included the addition of a 10 by 14 foot Gazebo. Airik was able to incorporate and build walls into the finished product, which to be honest, was something that I would have never even thought of.”
That was earlier in May, and now Jim and Cindy have contracted Premier Home Upgrades for a third project that will see Airik and his crew do a major bathroom renovation, a further testament to their confidence and trust in the quality of work that the company provides.” One of the reasons why we liked Airik so much, was the fact that when we were first interviewing for someone to renovate the kitchen, he actually sent us to one of his customers’ homes and we were able to see great examples of his work. We did interview other Contractors, but Airik’s work just stood out! His attention to detail is second to none and his crew is just fantastic!”, states Cindy. She adds that she was in Orangeville one day and just happened to pick up a copy of ‘Living Spaces Magazine’ and there was an article on a project that Airik’s company had recently completed and she and Jim thought that the project featured in the magazine, seemed very similar to what they wanted to do. Jim called Airik and within a few days they met and the rest you could say is history. “I’ve dealt with contractors before”, Jim says, “but it was just such a professional and smooth process from the ‘get go’. Cindy and I both liked the fact that he was also able to supply some of his own ideas and they seemed to mesh very well with our own.”
As a gesture to show how satisfied Jim and Cindy were with the completed work on both the kitchen and the deck, the couple hosted a ‘Thank you’ barbecue for both Airik and his family and also his workers and their families as well.” They were such nice guys and very trustworthy and the kind of individuals that you didn’t mind giving access to the house to, which actually was a good thing, because with the kitchen project, we really weren’t around a lot”, adds Jim.
The couple also liked the attention to detail shown, especially on the deck project. “Not only is every line as straight as it can be and every angle ‘spot on’, but they also added some little things to our deck, so the screws won’t show and they will never raise or even scrape your feet. They also waterproofed every piece of material on our deck framing, plus they totally enclosed it, so that ‘critters’ can’t get under. Also, the siding material that Airik showed us looks like barn wood with a foam backing and we just love it and it certainly will add some insulation value. Moving louvers were added to both sides of the patio and were a great touch that added a tremendous amount of privacy because they open and close, the space looks much more open now”, says Cindy.
Jim adds too that despite the onslaught of rainy weather this past May, the deck was completed in just over a month, basically a time-frame that Airik had forecasted initially. He says too, that Airik also built a deck for his next door neighbours at the same time and says that they too are just thrilled with their completed job.
“We also had an old deck that they were able to remove and we needed the new one to be built around our existing hot tub. They did a fabulous job and in fact, it actually looks like they put the tub in themselves, it just worked out perfectly. I gave Airik a layout of how I wanted the deck to wrap around the hot tub and when you see the the finished product, you can really tell that it is a custom job”, Jim says.
Cindy says too, that they liked the fact that Premier Home Upgrades, were able to provide so many little extras, like building the Gazebo that the couple had purchased. “The Gazebo actually came with eavestroughs and apparently Airik noticed that the water was running down the legs and he drilled some holes into the deck, which then prevented the water from pooling. Instead, it went right into the ground. Airik and his crew are always looking for ways to provide more attention to detail”, she adds.
For Jim, details happen to be very important, especially when it comes to the business world, as he is sole owner of Log Books Unlimited (logbooks.ca). The company sells numerous stock and custom log books, they continue to improve and modernize record keeping in accordance to current by-laws, codes and standards. “I have now successfully integrated members of my family into the company’s operations, while advancing the implementation of my strategic succession plan”, he adds.
So, you can enjoy your deck more?
“Exactly, actually I said to Cindy this morning when I was going through my notes for this interview, that the headline for the article should say, ‘It’s perfect for coffee in the morning and cocktails at night!”
WRITTEN BY: LARRY SIMPSON | PHOTOGRAPHY: CORY BRUYEA
RESOURCES: PREMIER HOME UPGRADES
