Get matched with top brick or stone fireplace installers in Madison, WI

"From the very beginning, Jamie Shea was easy to work and very personable. He helped us pick the right color and proper stone to update the look of the fireplace. Once we selected the stone, Jamie made a site visit to measure the fireplace and walk us through the process. From the day we signed the contract to the date of the install, he was prompt and courteous. The mason crew Jamie works with, were prompt, courteous and did outstanding work. We couldn’t be happier with the finished project. The fireplace is a now beautiful focal point in our living room. I would highly recommend Fireside Hearth and Home. And if you are lucky enough to work with Jamie Shea, you will very be pleased with his positive, can do attitude."

"They were responsive, flexible about timing and professional. I have been pleased with my new fireplace."

"Salesman knew his product installers efficient. Sales coordinator easy to work with. very happy with service from beginning to end."

"Harker Heating And Cooling is the best HVAC contractor we have ever worked with in 40 years. Their web site proudly says they are an “honest company with Midwestern values.” That is absolutely true. Their representative provided in-depth advice, answered our questions. and returned our messages. Their techs were knowledgeable, professional, careful, and friendly. They were on time, on call, and on budget. The service they provided for us over the years could not be better. So when the time finally came to replace our old furnace and A/C we selected them. Unfortunately, they encountered many unexpected problems installing our new equipment. Many more than they had anticipated for the job. But their representative pledged to address every one of them no matter how hard it was for them or how much of their time it took. And that is exactly what they did. No quibbling and no questions. They got the job done right. If you want an honest family contractor who stands behind what they do, and lives by those Midwestern values, then this is the company to hire. You will be glad you did. Doug and Margie King Mount Horeb, Wisconsin"

"Installed Mendota Basic gas insert fireplace:  Install went OK except I preferred to use my electrician and there was a mix up between contractors about how to install the wiring so it had to be done over.  Jim tested the fireplace several times.  He gave good instructions to a carpenter about building a box to support the insert. 
Stone tile around the insert:  Jim did a beautiful job, and he arranged the tiles just the way I wanted them.  He worked with my carpenters to design the framing to accommodate the design for wood trim and mantle that I wanted. 
Rebuilt the chimney from the roof up:  The masonry itself is professional.   This took a long time to complete due to the long winter and to various excuses (e,g, deaths, illnesses, other jobs started after ours).   The scaffolding was left up longer than promised and that annoyed the neighbor who could not use his driveway.  Communication on this issue was difficult for all of us.
Concrete cap on chimney:  This looks great.  Jim forgot to do a little piece of cap on the side, but he came back and did it later, no questions asked. 
Tuck pointing: Grinding went well.  Missed a few "bee holes" the first time round.  Jim came back later and filled those in.  
Waterproofing:  this went well.
Block cutting and installing a larger glass block window: Glass block looks great, and matches the other glass block windows in the basement. 
Window well:  Jim used landscape blocks that matched the style and color of a window well around another basement window.  The blocks are level and fit exactly.  They look great. 
Fireplace doors:  Jim picked doors of a style I wanted.  Installation was professional.  I was disappointed that the doors don't seal airtight as I had understood when we initially discussed the job.  I felt this should have been discussed more before the doors were installed.
Epoxy floor:This didn't go so well.  The grinder left many semi-circular and circular gouges in the floor which could not be ground out.  So the floor is very uneven.  Perhaps this was due to the quality of the existing concrete, but I don't really know.  Then the epoxy paint he used didn't cover the floor.  Jim did this over at his expense.  
Communication:  Early on, Jim kept me well-informed about when he would come and arrived as planned.  However, there were times when calls and emails went unanswered for days.   Scaffolding that blocked the neighbor's driveway was not removed when promised.   During the second contract, the number of unanswered calls increased.  Several times Jim promised to come and did not show up or explain why, which delayed all the other work that had to wait until after the floor was redone.  It also meant I was having to arrange for my daughter to be elsewhere on days even when he didn't show up and put off other contractors.  This happened at least half a dozen times.    
Timeliness: There were several delays on the first job, attributed to weather but not entirely due to that, so the job took longer than we expected.  Therefore,  in the second contract we specified a start date (April 26, 2013) and an end date (May 10, 2013) and a penalty for missing the date.  The job was not complete until the end of August, when he came to install the fireplace doors, to complete the tuck-pointing and waterproofing and to redo the floor.  
 


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