Duo Building Ltd.

Old South Kitchen Renovation – The Story After 36 years in my Old South home, I was faced with doing a major renovation of the kitchen in order to do necessary upgrades. After considerable thought and a quite a few sleepless nights, I decided to combine the kitchen and dining room, thus opening up one whole side of the main floor. Therefore, I needed a renovation company that I felt I could trust absolutely…enter Patrick Malloy of Duo Building. When we initially met, I expressed my anxiety over such a major renovation but Pat assured me that Duo was used to the challenges of older homes; mine was built in 1937…and I would survive! Duo produced a floor plan, which worked perfectly. They also suggested several companies that I could consider for the cabinetry, flooring, work surfaces and appliances. The wall between the kitchen and dining room was removed, the counter space was expanded, the lower cupboards were replaced with deep, wide drawers, the upper cupboards were replaced with new cupboards and a floor to ceiling pantry, a range hood was added and a substantial island was incorporated into the design. New tile floors were laid at the front and back doors and a new hardwood floor was installed throughout the main space. A new tile backsplash, quartz counter top and sink, a granite slab topping the island, a beautiful, shiny, new faucet, and new lighting completed the renovation. Duo matches their staff with the client and assigned one carpenter, Norm, to my project. By most renovation standards, this was not a big, complicated project but it was quite detailed so their choice of carpenter was the very best; calm, methodical and detailed-oriented. The kitchen and dining room were dismantled, piece by piece, including the wall in between; the work site was cleaned up every day and the stove and refrigerator continued to be useable. Norm was on-site daily and always willing to address any questions or concerns that I had, review my options and/or explain why, if I didn’t have any! Alternatively, if a situation arose that required a deviation from the initial plan, I was always included in the discussion in order to reach the best solution i.e., the one that I was happy with. All the trades were coordinated through Norm and he kept me informed at all times. I was adamant about keeping as much of the character of the house as possible such as the original doorbell which was situated on the wall slated for demolition and had not worked for some time. Thanks to Keelan Malloy’s suggestion, I approached a local clock repair business, the doorbell mechanism was cleaned; it now works and has been relocated. No detail was too small to be accommodated. I requested the wiring for a future ceiling light be moved half an inch and it was done with no complaint. Shortly after completion of the renovation, I noticed an issue with the transition from the new tile flooring and the top of the basement stairs. I called Keelan, explaining my concern and the next day, the problem was fixed to my satisfaction. After the final walk-through, there was a very small wiring issue under the sink. The next day, it was fixed. In this way, my renovation proceeded smoothly and was completed in about three months, with surprisingly little stress. I cannot recommend Duo Building highly enough. The treatment I received from not only all the Duo personnel but also the companies employed by Duo, was professional, helpful and respectful. The quality of the workmanship, from the installation of the cabinetry, all the flooring and the hard surfaces to the re-installment of the curved mouldings, is first-rate. My trust in Duo Building was well placed and I would not consider using another company.

Duo BUliding Ltd., especially Keelan and Troy, the manager and site supervisor, were extremely respectful, polite, caring, and highly professional in their trade. our 44 years old home has been transformed into a beautiful modern home. We have kitchen, ensuite, bedroom and walk-in-closet along with foyer and upstairs hallways remodeled and painted. I highly recommend Duo if you are looking for a quality workmanship and attention to details work. They absolutely worth every money and thank you for your superb work Duo. We highly recommend them and will call again for future jobs.

Duo Building transformed our 35 year old house into our dream home. Incredibly professional, Duo completed our project on time and on budget. Duo ensured that all trades, including plumbers, electricians, HVAC, gas, painters, plus kitchen cabinets, custom stair railings and flooring were well coordinated and on time. We appreciated their advise on decisions that had to be made during the renovation process. My wife and I would highly recommend Duo building for ANY renovation project!!!

We are delighted with the final result. Duo staff and subcontractors were all highly skilled and easy to work with. Norm led the work and also provided valuable advice on many occasions that undoubtedly avoided future issues we would not have thought of. From Erin's design to Smiley's tear out we are glad we selected such a quality building partner.

Duo were true professionals from start to finish. Our main floor of the house was totally gutted. Office, front room, powder room, laundry room, dining room, kitchen and sunken family room. A few walls were removed and we now have a dream kitchen with two islands and a walk in pantry. The huge window over the kitchen sink allows us to admire the backyard view . The new dining room is open to the kitchen and the space allows for huge family gatherings. The office space is more functional. The powder room amd laundry rooms are updated. The family room is level with the main floor with wonderful built in shelving and gas fireplace. The Duo team showed up on time and worked consistently. The head carpenter coordinated the trades and made sure the job was done to the highest of standards and in a timely fashion. If a concern arose it was dealt with in a timely manner. It was a major undertaking and we lived in our home during the entire experience. The workers respected our home, our space,and cleaned up daily, Thanks Duo for a job well done that allows us to love our home again for many years to come!

Excellent company to deal with. Renovations were extremely well done -- end results were what I expected. Good attention to detail and followup. Work area always left neat and clean. All staff are polite and accommodating, taking pride in their work.

We hired DUO to transform our entrance hallway from the typical house builder look to a more modern welcoming entrance. This included adding a new floor to divide the ill-proportioned 'grand' two storey entrance to provide a new walk-in closet off the master bedroom on the second floor and a cozier front entrance. DUO was very accommodating on a number of items. They came in a couple of months earlier to put up the new wall dividing the old dining room and the hallway in preparation for the new kitchen being renovated, then returned later to complete the new floor above the hallway. Also, since I wanted to do some of the finishing work myself they were able to complete the project up to the point of final inspection and allow me to take the project to the final completion. Having this flexibility was very important to us as not all builders/renovators will allow the home owner to become involved with any aspect of the project. Great team to work with including their sub-contractors.

In 2015 Duo Building did a great job of replacing a flat roof over our sunroom and kitchen with a peaked roof which beautifully ties in with the roof lines of our 1884 house and 1985 addition.They added insulation and ventilation so that we no longer have ice dams in the winter. They also did a lovely job installing new windows and finishing off the plastering and painting.

From every aspect of the job (front porch) completed, the DUO staff was exemplary in its professionalism and quality. Time is always taken to explain the job before, during and after.

Whole house Reno in 3 phases. Included Electrical, HVAC , Drywall, Painting,Flooring, Doors & Windows. First Phase was combining dinning room & kitchen. Second Phase was living room, wash room and common hall area. Third Phase was bedrooms & basement entertainment center.

We hired Duo to build our custom home. The project is almost finished. They have exceeded our expectations in all areas. There have been no delays and they have addressed our concerns immediately. They have been excellent at guiding us through the process from start to finish. The quality of the workmanship is extremely high. We had some specific requirements that were less common in newly built houses and Duo were able to easily accommodate our wishes. They also understood our core values such as using locally sourced materials, minimizing environmental impact, energy efficiency and using low VOC materials. We cannot recommend them highly enough.

To Whom It May Concern: I would be delighted to be a reference for 'DUO Building Ltd.' They undertook a multifaceted restoration job at 'Selby Place,' a heritage designated property under 'The Ontario Heritage Trust,' that other contractors wouldn’t even contemplate it was so complex. Work extended from July & Nov. of 2014 and continued again May, 2015 Others walked away after seeing the site. One of these contractors was even a professed specialist heritage window restoration company! Not only were the large front multi pilaster Palladian window and window box supports restored but so was the original 65 pound ascending garden sash window entrance at the back of the house using spring balances sourced out of Rochester N.Y. Only a remarkable carpenter such as Kenny Woods has had the wide range of skills to handle the plethora of tasks involved. I’m sure Kenny is the only one in London who has ever, in the history of London, restored such a sash window using spring balances invented in the 1880’s. He figured out the solution and we looked at companies in the States and in England on the internet before we both felt we’d the right company and the right technical device. There were many emails back and forth to various company representatives before a solution was found. Kenny and I were in a constant on-going conversation, too, as to the nature of the problem/solution. It took a full two days for Kenny to install the spring balances. Unfortunately, I don't know how to send photos so you could see the large size of them. Kenny figured out what was needed to make the window operational again as its old attic pulley system was long gone. More, he then figured out how to install the spring balances to make the 77” high sash window operational. What has impressed me, too, was Mr. Woods’ understanding of aesthetics. I had custom “Z” clips made to hold the storm windows in place. They are so discrete as to be almost invisible. You can’t even source “Z” clips in SW Ontario, possibly even in all of Ontario. Yet Mr. Woods understood that the typical turn window buttons would be immensely distracting visually – like warts around the window. The custom made “Z” clips by 'Hurrell Sheet Metal' resolved with strength and integrity the aesthetics of the window. The clips, I might add, are subtly varied in size so as to perfectly accommodate each irregularity of the old original storm windows. Kenny totally understood and implemented their placement. I am unable to include the 1819 interior photo of the 'Salem Custom House's' Palladian window. It is virtual the same as the woodwork at 'Selby Place,' a Colonial Revival design. Hence the heritage designation of this property. I should add, too, that the 'Bard Graduate School' in Manhattan did a thesis on this particular design of which there are only four known homes in United States and 'Selby Place' in Ontario. Featured three times in extensive articles in 'House & Garden' magazine in the early 1930's, this design is considered to be important to the development of modern American domestic architecture in the 20th century. I really believe the restoration of the important heritage features at 'Selby Place' were only possible by 'DUO Building Ltd' and the inestimable skills of Kenny Woods and the project manager, Nick Barbosa. ' I should mention in my 'DUO Building Limited - Customer Satisfaction Survey' response that I am an Arts Specialist (Ministry of Education] with an honors undergraduate degree in Fine Arts [Univ. of Guelph]. As well, I have a Masters Degree in Fine Arts [Pratt Institute, New York]. I taught Fine Arts for some thirty years. I am also a continuing member of the 'Architectural Conservancy of Ontario' [London Branch]. Too, for years I was on the 'Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee' in Woodstock, Ontario. In that involvement, I was the architectural reference person for the successful 'Save the Jail' campaign for Woodstock’s historic Gaol. The latter heritage work was before I came to London in 1986. That latter structure is now occupied by the 'Oxford County Public Health' unit The relevance of all this is that 'DUO Building Ltd' had to meet my exceeding high standards for accuracy in restoration. I was an extremely knowledgeable client demanding utter accuracy and am delighted with the results of the multiple restoration projects, large and small, for which I have engaged 'Duo Building Limited. ' Regards, R. Bruce Flowers