Recommended Contractors

For work never performed, I recommend ABC Glass & Mirror (703/257-7150, info@abcglassandmirror.com). They came to my home to measure for a sliding shower door and provide free estimate, but realized that a shower door would leave only 27” of left & right maneuver space while showering. Their recommendation which I gladly accepted was to stick with a shower curtain. Ordinarily, they would have installed the door and left me to live with the outcome, but I applaud their honesty and therefore recommend them to you. They also do custom mirrors, windows, patio glass replacement and more.   

Abdullah Hagi (Edmonton Court), a rising WSHS Senior and certainly a jack of many trades, though still learning in order to become a master. Power washing, leaf raking, garden bed prep, gutter cleaning, mowing grass, car washing / detailing and just about anything you may need and willing to invest in the lad’s growth into manhood. He has done enough work for me to earn my (John Cooley's) recommendation. Text him or call him at 703/886-6794.

Abilmona Landscaping is owned by a GMUstudent whose quality of design and work far surpasses companies that say they've been in business a really long time. Fair prices, no upselling, listened to what I want and delivered.
They did an amazing job.

Phone: 703-303-4287.

Website:   https://abilmonalandscaping.com

- We’ve been using Absolute Tree (703/969-6207) for all our tree stumps that needs grinding.  Reasonable price and they have it done quickly. 

We recently had a mouse invasion (heebee geebee). We contacted Josh of Affordable Wildlife Solutions, he was fantastic and yes very affordable! Just in case anyone out there has a need his number is 540-498-2243 .

Replacing the flush valve in the toilet is well withing my skills, as is replacing a leaking shutoff valve.  When the threads of that shutoff valve are stripped, it's more than I want to deal with.  Faced with the prospect of no water from Sunday afternoon until sometime on Monday, I called a few places, the first one that could help (and by this time it was after 5) was After Hours Home Improvement.  Reid Gravitte sent a man out within an hour, and within another hour I had my water back.  It was not inexpensive.  I learned that it is not a good idea to break something on a Sunday, but they bailed me out.  They can be reached at 703-405-5090.

My glasses slipped off. and I made a nice catch.  Unfortunately when I caught the glasses I broke one of the temples.  I took the glasses back to where I got them and was told that the parts to fix them were no longer available.  They did, however refer me to All-American.  Once I found the shop in the back of a building next to a palm reader.  The owner explained that he would have to grind the piece down put a drop of solder on it and solder the whole mess back together.  I stood there saying uh-huh during the explanation, not because I didn't understand, but because my fingers could never do that, even with robotic aid.

20 minutes later I had my glasses back and you wiould never know that they had been broken.

All American Eyeglass Repair

6801 Richmond Highway

Suite 201

Alexandria, VA 22306

(703)241-1778

Alloy Wheel Repair – Paul Ruyter, 443/454-8929, annapolis@awrswheelrepair.com, www.awrswheelrepair.com/anapolis. Bob Lomax (Edmonton Court) used them to repair his wheels that had been scratched during tire replacement. Bob was happy with Nick, their technician who serviced his car.

Holiday Home Cleaning – Amada Recinos cleans several village homes and has openings for holiday cleaning or scheduled cleanings as you may want. She can clean once, once per week, once every other week or monthly. Her rates are competitive and she is very good, reliable, loyal and honest. You can reach her at 703/987-5243.

Ed's quote was reasonable - a lot less expensive than another quote that I received.  His crew finished in one day, and I haven't seen any nails or other detritus since the job was done.

Contact Info:

Ed Vander Hoven

Atlas Roofing

7311 Highland Street

Springfield, VA  22150

703-644-3047

atlasroofing@cox.net

Bernie Koehle (Edmonton Court) is looking for three more lawns to mow this summer. Bernie cuts only when your lawn needs cutting unlike other services that cut every week regardless of need. Prices are negotiable, but a typical lawn will cost $25 - $30 per cut, that includes trimming, blowing the clippings off sidewalk and bagging on a case by case basis. He can be reached at 703/569-2989. NOTE – Bernie cuts my yard and does excellent work, but doesn’t like it when I call him my lawn boy. Ha! 

BIG Plumbing:  The owner is a Master Plumber with over 10 years experience. His prices are 1/2 of what you'll spend with one of the biggie local companies like FH Furr or Dwyer. Give Hasib with BIG Plumbing a call: 202-845-0557.

We have used and would recommend either of these businesses for stump grinding:  1) Big Steve's Tree Care Service 703/499-3668; and 2) Israel Hernandez Tree Service 540/212-1421. Steve is an arborist and is very knowledgeable. Israel is a referral within the neighborhood who most recently removed our lovely front maple tree that had expired. He did quick, clean, and affordable services and even moved wood and mulch into our backyard

About 15 years ago, David Wiesenhahn (Cabot Court) needed a retaining wall rebuilt. Brian Pastoric of Home Owners Bricklayers did the job. Since then, David’s porch sank, which also caused some of his walk to heave. He called Brian again, and he did another great job. He helped choose bricks that matched the color and style of their house, and left the Wiesenhahn family very happy with the results.  Brian lives in North Springfield, and was professional, showed up on time, and cleaned up afterwards.

Here’s his information: Brian Pastoric, Home Owners Bricklayers, 703/256-5297,  http://homeownersbricklayers.com.

Have used Burke Forest Veterinary Clinic at 6214 Rolling Road for several years now. Just recently, a new Vet (Dr. Jennifer Bowles) took over the practice and has now had her first experience with our Yemeni Street Dog – Sadiqi. Dr. Bowles worked very efficiently and effectively with Sadiqi. If you’re looking for a small animal vet – give the Burke Forest Veterinary Clinic a try. She does some surgery, but also pet dental and boarding for cats. They can be reached at 703/569-8181 or by email at burkeforestvet@gmail.com. Their website is http://burkeforestvet.com/.

Samson Properties Alexandria VA
Licensed in Virginia since 1986
571/205-5642
fairfaxvahomesearch.com

Comfort One Heating and Air Conditioning

Bob Havey (Rolling Road) owns and operates this one-man shop. He makes house calls to fix computers and network problems for homes, small businesses, and especially home offices. Bob can be reached at 703/569-8195 or via email at havey@dtwod.com.

www.dtwod.com

Just had some recessed lighting done by Dane Electric.  They’re a small, local, family run business.  We could not be more pleased with their work. Quote was very reasonable. Told us they would be here at 7:30 to start the work.  At 7:29, they were pulling up in front of our house.   They were very courteous and professional.  (We had one of the Dane brothers doing the work).  Did great work, and I’m pretty sure that they left my basement cleaner than it was when they started.  100% recommend them for any electrical work that you need done!

Phone: (703) 866-9966

Website:  http://www.daneelectricinc.com/

Dawson's Plumbing

Annandale, VA

(703) 354-9358

Chris and Heidi Pappas recently had an addition put on their King model house on Wythe Lane. Chris & Heidi highly recommend Flash Services, who did an outstanding job. Mike Fleshren did high quality, craftsman-level, work. Mike has a great attention to detail, is flexible, and made the process a truly enjoyable one. Mike's website is flashserviceshomeimprovements.com 

Met Horacio Garcia last weekend who was doing some landscaping work for a neighbor. He said that he does weekly lawn maintenance, mulching, bush and small tree work, sprinkler repair, gutter cleaning and plant bed maintenance. Also said he’d be glad to provide free estimates. His number is 571/439-9384. I did check with my neighbor and he said that Horacio’s prices were very reasonable; he showed up on time to do good work which satisfied our neighbor.

We used Green Visa Tree Care when we had trees removed and stumps in the yard ground down  https://greenvistava.com/)

Gaye & Marion Evans found Gus as a small business owner for home services. Gaye reported that he was prompt to respond and to create an appointment. He did some electrical work as well as took some stuff from two different houses to the dump at a very reasonable cost. Gaye said that she would definitely call on Gus again to address home services. Gaye said that she was happy to support a small business, especially one from our local community. NOTE: Gus is a general contractor, but has branched into smaller scale construction (handyman) to keep his crews game fully employed. They specialize in decks, sheds, porches, landscaping and during this virus - most outdoor jobs.

Gus and Sons (571) 351-4800

Handyman Extraordinaire – Haidar Sadiq – 703/589-3474, hsadiq72@yahoo.com. Many of you know him and can attest to the quality of his work and his competitive pricing. He is a licensed HVAC serviceman and a wizard with electrical, plumbing and practically all jobs in/around a home. This is the same man who managed to keep me and Suzanne McCormick alive while in Kurdistan. Many know him and have asked for him, but he was traveling to check on his mother and family who are still in northern Iraq (Kurdistan); but he’s back!

• Hardscaping - Jose Asencio (240/406-6544) and his crew have laid flagstone on top of uneven and fractured concrete pad at my house. I am impressed with his attention to detail, cleanliness, and his prices. You are welcome to stop by (8131 Edmonton Court) to have a look.

We Will Clean Your Home Thoroughly & Affordably

Our Supplies & Our Equipment

www.homecleaners4you.com

I would like to recommend Homestead Tree Service, (703) 644-2382, for any tree work you might need. They removed some large high branches overhanging my house today, definitely a job for experts, and they did a super job.

We read the winter prep article in last week's enews and it motivated us to recommend Mr. Horacio Garcia (571/439-9384) to clean rain gutters. He did a great job at a reasonable price. He also trimmed overgrown trees back to the size and shape that makes you glad you didn’t tear them out and start over.  But the best part Edie says is that Horacio took those tasks off their winter prep list.

House Cleaning by Rosalia, 20+ years of experience in Northern Virginia. Will clean weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. References available upon request. Interested? Contact 571/435-6897.

House Cleaning by Rosalia - Jhonny Esquivel (Rolling Road) recommends House Cleaning by Rosalia, 20+ years of experience in Northern Virginia. Will clean weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. References available upon request. Contact 571/435-6897.

HRM Automotive (Honest, Reliable Mechanics), Tim O’Connell, www.hrmautomotive.com, 703/866-0602

Image Works Landscaping - When you attempt turning left onto Rolling Road from any of our side streets and can actually see the oncoming traffic on the far side of the median – thank Mike McCarron’s Image Works Landscaping. Many remember just how tall the weeds, grass and bushes would get in between the VDOT infrequent cuttings before Mike. So, we (your civic association) contract with Mike to maintain the median during the growing season. His work has been great, as are his prices for the service. Mike also provides full-service landscape and hardscape services to residents and their residential properties.

Scroll through the pics at this link to see the big variety of recent work he and his team have accomplished:  https://www.facebook.com/imageworkslandscaping -

We have used and would recommend either of these businesses for stump grinding:  1) Big Steve's Tree Care Service 703/499-3668; and 2) Israel Hernandez Tree Service 540/212-1421. Steve is an arborist and is very knowledgeable. Israel is a referral within the neighborhood who most recently removed our lovely front maple tree that had expired. He did quick, clean, and affordable services and even moved wood and mulch into our backyard

J & F Specialties is owned and operated by Village resident, John Boynton (Truro Court). You may recall that previously John offered to help older residents or those with physical restrictions with home projects. Even though that program has ended (for now), some of the beneficiaries want to thank him. Here is one such note from Andrew Bilski (SVD):

            “Thank you so much for your generosity of free time and labor from you and your employees. Your work was done in a clean and satisfactory way and it greatly enhances the comfort and appearance of my house. I gladly recommend your services to others.”

https://jandfspecialties.com

(703)913-3242

Landscaping Contractor Recommendation – John & Lois Hoffmann want to give a big shout out to Wilber Serrano of J and F landscaping. Wilber did such an exemplary job last year that John & Lois invited him and his crew back this year. They arrived on time and meticulously pulled up each and every weed in 10 gardens. They did not cut our hedges and bushes, they manicured them! Once again an exemplary job at a very reasonable cost Call Wilber at 571/409-9310.

I had a small to medium size stump ground down by JL Tree Service. I believe the price then (couple years ago) was $250. Several years prior JL Tree Service took down an entire large Oak tree and their price was by far the best of the companies contacted. I would certainly start with them again if I need another tree taken down. They have been around a long time.

Dan Emrick (SVD) recommends JP Companies, Inc for concrete driveway work. Look around the yellow Honda sitting in front of the driveway at 8113 and you’ll notice a very nicely done new curved concrete driveway and carport. Contact Paulo Nicolau, part owner of JP Companies at 703/327-7007. He quickly understood our desires and offered very helpful suggestions. The crew showed up promptly as promised and completed the demolition of the old concrete and pour of the new concrete in one day.  Paulo left a foreman in charge of the crew but came to the job site several times during the day to check on the work. All went exceptionally well with minimal disruption of the lawn and flower beds plus good clean up after the job was done. Dan says that “if I ever have more concrete work to be done, I'll call on JP Companies without hesitation.”

Appliance Repair – one of the most often questions we get is who do we recommend to repair home appliances. We haven’t had a good answer until Tuesday when Gus Hagi had a kitchen appliance repaired by KOAM Home Appliance Service Corp (703/897-5626, koam.has@gmai.com, www.koamhas.com). Mr. Hagi said that their service rep was punctual, clean and very well skilled at his craft.

• Lawn Services – Mark Gregris (Edmonton Court) recommends that team who left yellow ads taped to mailboxes for a variety of lawn services to include pressure washing and gutter cleaning. The man in charge is Ismari Menjivar at 703/477-3673 or neighborhoodgeneral@gmail.com. Mark had him dethatch, rake, and bag his front yard and is happy with the provided services.

House Cleaning / Lidia Elizabeth Palacios (AKA “Betty”) – has cleaned my home and several other village homes for many years. Betty has proven herself trustworthy, thorough and very efficient. She and her assistant Rosio will clean your home before or after special events/parties, weekly, twice per month or monthly. Prices vary with frequency, but are very reasonable and competitive.

She is very loyal. Without reservation, I highly recommend Lidia (Betty). She can be reached at 571/241-7133 or lidiapalacios1981@gmail.com.

Stacey Collins  (8/17/2019): Just wanted to share, we had tree work done at our home this week by M&R Tree Service. Their lead is Marvin at 301-800-9683 or 540-229-9285. Jim had reached out for an estimate. Marvin came by on Saturday of last week and gave us a better price than prior estimates for getting more work done, plus an additional discount for getting the tree work completed sooner than we planned. One of the large trees we had removed, prior companies had told us we needed a cherry picker to take it out. Found out that wasn’t true. M&R had a climber who had no problem going up and take the tree down in parts. They worked all day at our house and then the next day at our neighbors. When they were finished, except for the saw dust on our roof, you would never know we had tree work done, except that is for the addional sunlight! They did a great job with both the tree removal and pruning plus the clean-up. The company is insured and also offers payment plans for folks who don’t want to or can’t pay all at once. We highly recommend them for anyone needing tree work done!

Ben Migliaccio (5/16/21, 9/4/21):  I have used MR Trees for both tree removal and stump grinding. Their work is outstanding, after he ground up and removed a 3-foot diameter stump you didn’t even know it had been there. Contact the owner Marvin at 540/229–9285. They are licensed and insured. 

Marcel's Home Building & Improvement - Decks, Garages, Additions, Custom Remodeling

Marc Bonafe has provided home improvements to many village residents. Additions, kitchens, baths, flooring, patios and more – he does it all. MarcBonafeiii@yahoo.com, 571/233-4290.

Mirian Quel 703-901-4537. She’s been cleaning my house for several years and does a great job.

 Mr. Electric, 703/657-7800, belal@vamrelectric.com. Mr. Belal Aljaradat is gifted with major and minor electrical work. He is highlty recommended by two homeowners here on Eedmonton Court. Belal’s prices are competitive, but his work is second to none. He is a Class A contractor and warranties his work for much longer than most.

MTZ Roofing Contractors Inc. (Guillermo Martinez) - Very honest and reliable! Rob & Lisa Wolfe (Vancouver) had two roof repairs, (not by Guillermo) and continued to experience leaks. Both of those contractors were found using NextDoor.

Guillermo had installed gutters for the Wolfe family in November and did an excellent job. We had him take a look at the roof and he said, “it’s bad, but maybe you could get another year out of it.” 

Last month when we got the really heavy rain it was coming in the upstairs hallway through the door leading to the attic. Ridge vent was leaking this time. Glad it’s finally been done right! 

Guillermo came highly recommended by our friends in Burke. He’s completed work for several of their neighbors as well. 703/801-9914, mtzroofingc@gmail.com.

Over the last twenty five years or so, My Le has done everything from sewing buttons for me to making skirts for my wife. This is an overdue recommendation, but the question keeps coming up on the Facebook page.

My Le's Needle

7706 Backlick Rd Suite E,

Springfield, VA 22150

(703) 451-2522

Long and Foster Realtors, Certified Military Relocation Professional,Certified Staging Expert

Cell/Text:  703-505-3570

Office:  703-452-3912

natalieperdue@longandfoster.com

www.natalieperdue.com

Theodora Poitevin used Neighborhood General Lawn Care to de-thatch her yard last year and thought they did a good job. Contact Ismari Menjivar at 703/477-3673.

Jason Henry (Edmonton Court) used Ismari Menjivar (703/477-3673) and his crew to dethatch and aerate his yard, pull encroaching English Ivy, clean his gutters, mulch leaves to condition his yard and then rake and bag the remaining yard waste. Jason thought Ismari’s free estimate was very reasonable and the quality of their work outstanding. Beyond services mentioned Ismari and his crew also cuts grass, plant, mulch, prune or remove bushes, overseed, power wash and general yard maintenance. You can see his website at http://www.neighborhoodgeneralservicesllc.com/.

Bill & Carie Mast (Landor Lane) used Orion Home Improvements. LLC to replace their roof and gutters. Business owner is Jeremiah Davies (571/354-0331 or his cell is 571/354-6821). Bill & Carie were impressed with his pricing guides, military discount, quality of work and cleanliness. Check out Orion’s website at www.orionhi.com. You may want to email Jeremiah at Jdavies@Orionhi.com. Understand they also do windows and siding. Why didn’t they advertise in our directory

Steve Gagliano ( a contractor who lives in the Village) recommended that I contact Darren Porter to get my house painted.  It feels good to pull up in my driveway and say "Gee the house looks nice. Reasonable price, and the work was done quickly.

Darren Porter

Porterbuil Internal/External Painting & Carpentry

P.o. box 68

Fairfax Station, VA 22039

(571)259-6159

porterbuilt@msn.com

Janell Maeger reported that they had their siding, soffits, and gutters replaced and now can highly recommended Presidential Exteriors, ( https://presidentialexteriors.com/). Janell said they were very professional, good pricing, delivered ahead of schedule, easy to work with, and had great coordinated communication. They are beyond thrilled with their work, that you can see at 6803 Ontario Street

Ed & Rachel Warren second the contractor recommendation for Presidential Exteriors. In March, they replaced their siding, trim, turned two doorways into windows, and also added an exterior door to their 6720 Greenview home.  They were on time, communicated clearly and often. 

R&R Tree Service. We recently took down a very large Oak Tree (60 feet) located very close to our house. The R&R team came and did a free estimate and came to take down the tree following Ms. Utilities marking all utilities at our home the R&R team showed up early removed the tree with the utmost care and cleaned up at the lowest possible price. They offer a 15% discount with the coupon from the clipper magazine. They also offer Military discount and cash discount if you ask.”

John Warren (Barnack) recommends Smith Roofing out of Woodbridge (703/590-8829). John had a leak in his kitchen ceiling and called Mr. Smith.  It turned out that John’s problem was just couple of problem nails. Smith Roofing fixed the problem immediately at a very reasonable price. John said that the representative could have easily sold him a new roof and wanted to cite Smith Roofing with high marks for integrity and craftsmanship.

Tom’s Cabinets & Design is owned and operated by Tom Fowler, 8129 Edmonton Court. Tom is a master craftsman and custom designs cabinets. He can be reached by phone at 703/451-2227 or by email at TomCabs@aol.com.

Tom Fowler has invested over 25 years to perfect his master cabinetry skills and kitchen design. Check out the photo gallery of his work at http://tomscabinets.com/. Tom’s own words follow:

            As a custom cabinet maker, I specialize in kitchen cabinets, cabinet refacing, custom bookcases, entertainment centers, wall units and custom bars. I will gladly work with you to design and create the finest, most functional cabinets you've ever seen!   I only use the highest quality select hardwoods, hardwood veneer plywood and the most durable finishes available. I have hundreds of satisfied customers in northern Virginia and numerous places around the beltway in Maryland.

            If you would like a quick and easy personalized estimate for your kitchen or custom cabinet project, simply email me pictures of your project to TomsCabs@aol.com. Please include any simple details about the work to be done and essentially what you would like to accomplish, along with a budget range so that I can take a close look at it.  This will enable me to, quickly and easily, send you a realistic "rough estimate" of the project costs without taking up a lot of your time and trouble.  If, upon receiving my estimate, you wish to have a thorough "hands on" evaluation of the project in more detail, just let me know also by email at TomsCabs@aol.com.

Stephen Gagliano, owner of Unlimited Service Construction Company, 6820 Barnack Drive, Springfield, VA 22152 (703/843-3191) for transformed John Hoffmann's 1967 vintage bathroom into a zero-barrier shower ADA compliant bathroom. Stephen paid close attention to John’s Parkinson’s needs determining where to place the “blocking” for the safety bars, pull down seat and shower fixtures.

Ventura Home Improvements, LLC, 703/537-9053, Erika@Venturahomeimp.com, https://venturahomeimprove.com/.

Oscar, owner/operator completed a new drywall repair project for Bob & Jane Lomax (Edmonton Court). The work was completed in one in a half days. He also repaired a ceiling that was beginning to sag in a bedroom. Oscar and his two crew members did a great job from start to finish, keeping things clean and orderly as they proceeded with the drywall job, which isn’t always easy with drywall dust. Ventura Home Improvements remodel bathroom, home painting, and other home improvement projects. Please visit Oscar’s website for pictures of work completed and a list of all they do. Always best to get a few quotes just to make sure you feel comfortable for what you’re paying for the job.  Good luck with your next project. 

Village West Pool - home of the Vikings Swim Team - www.villagewestpool.com, vwpoolmembership@gmail.com

Handyman – Zewar Sadiq at 571/314-9200. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and other household tasks beyond your skill level. He kept me alive in northern Iraq and I trust him with my life and family.