CONTRACTORS

Carpenters

John Chaput - Finish carpenter
Chelsea
Home: 781-246-4740
Work: 617-889-0007

Comments: Works at Curvoflite Stairs and Millwork in Chelsea. This man is all buisness. He built me a lovely oak and mahogany staircase in 2 days. He came when promised, charged what he estimated, and finished on schedule. He does prebuilt staircases as well those based on specified designs and measurements. He does other fine custom work as well (he is milling and installing mouldings on my windows to specifications), but staircases are his specialty. He does his own work on referral only. Featured on This Old House, but reasonably priced for the quality of work.

Electricians

All Electric Works
Revere
781.643.5659

Comments: They show up when they say they will and are very professional.

J Resendes Electric
Taunton, MA
508-824-3333

Comments: A disciplined businessman, referred to me through the website www.servicemagic.com. Lowest prices of any estimate given for rewiring of my downstairs. Came when promised. Recommend highly - no extra charges. More than one member of CSNA has used them and been very pleased.

Floor Sanders

Abraham Wong - floor sanding
Broadway, Chelsea
617-884-3494

Comments: He has always been ready to come right away to give us an estimate. He schedules the work with no delay. His work is fabulous and his prices are reasonable, if not downright cheap. He may use lower quality polyurethane to keep the price down, but I'm sure he'd be willing to use whatever you wanted for additional money.

Andy's Floor Service
156 Central Avenue
Chelsea
617-884-2403 or 617-884-0029

Kenny (no one knows his actual name--a Vietnamese guy)
781-766-1749 (beeper)

General Contractors

Chaput Construction
Eddie Chaput
Wakefield, MA
781-246-4223

Comments: A long-time Chelsea resident who relocated, Eddie is reliable, honest, and does very good work. He is, however, highly in demand and it may be difficult to get him quickly or for small jobs, though he tries to fit them in the pauses on his bigger projects. Eddie is not old-house sensitive, but he is indulgent with those who love their old houses. Best of all, Eddie, listens to what you want, asks questions if he's uncertain, and makes sure you're happy with the finished results. He also is careful to choose skilled subcontractors if your job involves something he doesn't do, such as plumbing or plastering.

Community Builders Co-operative (contractors and builders)
Webster Street, near Union Sq., Somerville
617-623-8340

Comments: This is a worker-owned business. They are a bunch of smart, creative lefties from the 60s who are great to work with. One is an avant-garde music video artist, another has his photos on permanent display at the DeCordova. They do great work, are honest, and reliable.

Kendra O'Neill
O'Neill Contracting
[[Need phone number!]]

Comments: A good general contractor who is old-house sensitive: Does windows, siding, wallpaper.

Orazio Sirignano
617-721-6606 (cell)

Comments: Does very good work.

Masons

Alison Chimney and Fireplace
617-201-4125 (cell)
Chelsea

Comments: Alison Chimney is run by Ali Ramadani, a refugee from the former Yugoslavia. He is a very good mason, though you may want to consider Black Magic Chimney for more complicated work. Ali is kind, honest, and he gives a good price to his Chelsea neighbors. Tell him Marsha recommended him.

Black Magic Chimney
21 New Street
Cambridge, MA
617-876-4456

House Cleaners

Daysi Gomez
617-561-7852

Comments: Daysi cleans for several members of the group and eveyone praises her to the skies. If you want your house clean, as opposed to just cleaned, she is the person to call. Speaking as a veteran of other cleaning services, I can say that Daysi is exponentially better than any other cleaner I know of. Get her while you can.

Painters

John Smyth
781-396-5990

Linda Stephens
781-598-5051

Comments: Specializes in faux finishes.

Robert J. Maronski
617-889-6165

Comments: Eccentric is the word for Bob, but he does provide a prompt, clear estimate, and a legal contract. His prices are reasonable. He provides samples in a large range of colors. He says he does inside as well as outside, but I am only familiar with his outdoor work. He had a tendency last year to abandon ladders, but I was otherwise pleased with his work. I suspect that fine work is not his forte.

Plumbers

AJ Plumbing & Heating
Anthony Jeffrey
Chelsea
617-947-1883

Comments: Highly recommended. A few CSNA members have called Anthony and he has been reliable, reasonable, and helpful.

Roofers

Branon & Sons
Roofing & Decking
Melrose
781-397-7663

Comments: Does rubber roofs.

C&S Construction
781-662-3346

Comments: Does shingle-style roofing

Tilers

Lawrence Jeffreys and Lawrence Jeffreys Jr
617-889-3117

Comments: Larry is a very take-charge guy : I came home and found he had installed several decorative tiles in my upstairs shower before I'd asked for them. Fortunately his choice was good and I thoroughly loved them. He's willing to shop at more places than Home Depot. He's reasonably quick (they've been alot of plumbing emergencies in the last week and he had to help out his sone a few times). My floor was started last Wednesday and is finished now. I'm delighted with how it came out. My downstairs shower is still to be finished and we're going up to Woburn on Saturday AM to get the tiling I want for my shower - smooth natural stones on a netted backing for ease of laying. Larry also does carpet on floors and stairs, in case anyone is interested in a runner for their Victorian staircase. I have no idea how good he is at that, but he's been in business over 30 years, I think he said. I'm holding off a final evaluation until he finishes, but my only real complaint is that he smokes in the house sometimes. If you hire him, be aware that he says he's a bit colorblind so you'll want to make all decisions with regard to color. I overrode him several times and was glad of it.

Wallpaperers

David Servita
Peabody
978-535-7612

Comments: Does wallpapering and interior painting. I have not tried him for the latter, but he's great with wallpapering. He's also personable, responsive, and reasonably priced.

Jim Grinches
Chelsea
617-889-1692

Specializes in hanging historic and high-end wallpapers. A charter member of the Cary Square Neighbors Association.

Web Resources

Service Magic: http://www.servicemagic.com

Comments: I got my wonderful electrician through servicemagic.com The site is free to users and gets paid for by the contractors themselves. So far everyone I have interviewed has been really good. It is user-friendly and although there are relatively few names in some trades, there are plenty of plumbers, carpenters and electricians. You enter your zip code and the site emails you a list of 3 names in your area to contact. They ask later if you ended up hiring any of the people they recommended. Finally they send a followup inquiry about how the person you hired worked out, how you would rate his/her work, etc. I was told by one of the painters I interviewed that the site was very thorough in investigating his credentials and "asked everything but my underwear size". The site also includes a section on tips to homeowners on how to tackle this or that project - the "Homefront Library."

Window Refinishers

John Smith
Minuteman Furniture Stripping
380 Somerville Ave
Somerville
617-628-4244

LOCAL BUSINESSES

Curvoflite Stairs and Millwork
205 Spencer Avenue
Chelsea
617-889-0007

J B Sash & Door Company
280 Second Street
Chelsea
617-884-8940

Sells and installs windows and doors.

Kirchon Paint and Wallpaper
124 Pearl Street
Chelsea
617-884-4741

Comments: A large, well-stocked store that supplies everything for your painting project. They stock Benjamin Moore paint. The only place I have ever been where the paint they mixed actually matched the sample.