West Branch - Service

West Branch Communications Group

Service/Vendor Recommendations

This section is supposed to be of help to residents looking for contractors or vendors. By no means are these guarantees of satisfaction, but they are reports of good experiences with work or services preformed. It is always best to check recent references to be sure things have not changed with a service provider.

These are intended as helpful information from your neighbors. They are not the opinions of the West Branch Civic Association.

If you have had good results with a contractor or vendor, please send a note with your experience to the West Branch Communications Group.

Also, if you have had a bad experience with any of the vendors on this page please contact westbranchca@comcast.net or phone 292-0642 to let us know about the problem. We may be able to help you or at least pull the vendor recommendation from the page to prevent problems for other residents.

We will also maintain a "black list" of vendors to be avoided, based on information furnished by residents. We do not want legal problems that could be incurred by publishing the "black listed" vendors so we will not include the list on the website, but if you are considering a vendor and would like to check if other residents have used the vendor and had problems, contact westbranchca@comcast.net or call 292-0642.

For security reasons we do not list contact info for West Branch residents submitting information for this page. Only the name of the person will be listed. If you need to contact the person please use your copy of the West Branch Community Directory to find contact information.

Appliance Repairs

Country Appliance - 368-5251 or 652-0593 or 999-9570 - For large appliance repairs, I have been using County Appliance to take care of problems with washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers and kitchen ranges. Again, I have used this Service which is owned by Robert L. Sacra of Middletown since I moved to Delaware. He is reliable and his prices are reasonable.- by Tom Olson - 6/4/08 & Rachel Rubin 9/8/08

Auto Painting and Body Work

Amery-Tech Auto body - Richard F. Tory - 302-998-4166 - 8 Had co Road - Building 1 - Wilmington, DE 19084 - Custom Paint and Body work, paint matching specialist. Richard recently repair our vehicle and did an excellent job, looks like new. You can not tell the vehicle was ever damaged. Additionally he completed the work very quickly and also work with our insurance company to see that we got an outstanding price for the work that was completed. By Marty and Chris Dordan - 6/24/07

Brick - Masonry - Concrete

Leon West - 60 E Mill Station Dr - 302-368-2994 - Leon re-designed and rebuilt our front-stairs (of brick) also re-pointed the chimney. A quality craftsman. Perfect gentleman, honest, dependable and even better a WB resident. - By Rachel Rubino & Amy Shay - 9/6/08

Carpenter/Contractors

MVP Builders - Mark Polson - 368-3556 - I was very pleased with the quality of their work and their prices were very reasonable - Rachel Rubino - 9/6/08

Charlie Nielson - 302-312-8435 - We recently had a new Trex deck built. We choose Charlie Nielson as our carpenter. He builds decks, patios etc. He also does lots of other handyman work such as reposting our mailbox, putting in new ceiling fans, and many other tasks around the home. We were very please with the craftsmanship of the deck and we would recommend him to anyone. - Talat Merchant - 11/13/08

Carpet Cleaning

Fiber Solutions - 425-5553 - I was very pleased with the quality of their work and their prices were very reasonable - Rachel Rubino - 9/6/08

Carpet Installation

Steve Sandstrom - 234-2181 - I was very pleased with the quality of their work and their prices were very reasonable - Rachel Rubino - 9/6/08

Chimney Sweeps

Swift Services - (302) 368-1880 or (302) 656-3885 - We used Swift Chimney Sweep. They were efficient, cleaned nicely afterwards and on time. Swift Services Website By Lorri Ann Sword - 11/6/07 also by Amy Shay - 1/11/09

Electricians

Robert Myers - Electrician - 302-547-6914, punctual and was happy to accommodate night and weekend repairs. Rates were very reasonable, and most noteworthy was how diligently the crew cleaned up after the job. No dust. No trash. Licensed and insured.

AJA Electrical Services – 302-235-2929 – http://www.ajaelectric.com/ AJA is a family owned business that has been in business for over 30 years. They can handle all your electrical needs, from repairs to new service. They are licensed and insured and all employees are background checked. We have used them many times over the past years and have been extremely pleased with their work and prices. By Stephan & Elaine Papantinas 2/3/09

Event Photographer

Birthdays • Retirement Parties • Graduations • Sports • Family Reunions • Holidays

Get a different angle and a unique point of view that doesn't cost a fortune.

Call Frank Cucciarre at 302-533-5909. By Amy Shay - 3/13/12

Flooring - Wood and Carpet

Empire Today – Flooring – www.empiretoday.com

We had an excellent experience with Empire Today for our upstairs carpeting purchase. After shopping around locally, we were able to purchase an excellent grade of carpeting and padding than with any other company we priced, and at a much better price (by $2000 less) for the entire job (4 bedrooms, a hallway, and the stairs). The salesman was very knowledgeable, the company has an A+ BBB rating, is the recipient of won many consumer ratings awards, and participates in the Extreme Makeover assistance program. And, our installation job was done perfectly. Two installers took about 7 hours and they were both excellent – hardworking (they moved every piece of furniture and never even took a lunch break), had attention to detail, and left te area very clean. I’m hard to impress, and expect there to be issues with home improvements, but our carpet purchase & installation was the best experience all the way around. And they are so responsive and fast! I made the appt. on their website on Wed., the salesman came out on Friday, and the installation took place the following business day. They would have come the next day – on a Saturday – if I could have been prepared for them by then. They also sell and install hardwood, laminate, tile, etc. I highly recommend them, and will use them again for our future flooring needs. ~ Tracy Willman 9/17/10

Floor Concepts - 4315 Kirkwood Hwy. - Wilmington, DE 19808 - (302) 994-5002 - Richard Heckroth - We have been researching laminate flooring for several months now. We looked at quite a few vendors all around this area, including a visit to Avondale up north just last weekend. We finally decided on a nice pattern (wood) and have just placed an order today. I plan to do the work myself, although the person we ordered from came out to measure in the event we wanted them to install it. I can recommend this person very highly. Rich works late on Mondays and Fridays (8pm). Mention our name! - by Phil Huether - 11/7/07

Bob Wagner's Flooring America - www.BobWagner.com - I happen to work for Bob Wagner’s Flooring America. We install all types of flooring and have a very nice design center located at 938 Middletown/Warwick Rd., Middletown, DE. (There is another location on the Kirkwood Hwy next to Panera Bread.) Bob Wagner’s also offers a dustless hardwood refinishing system should anyone be looking for hardwood refinishing services. Oh . . . and we also offer and install Hunter Douglas window treatments as well. - by Karen Berezansky - 11/7/07

Edward Varnes Hardwood Floors - (302) 292-0919 - http://www.edvarnes.com/ - Definitely, Ed Varnes - Cindy Dunn - 11/8/07

Creative Floors, Inc - 105 Sandy Drive - Sandy Brae Industrial Park - Newark, DE 19713 - 302-455-9045 ext # 103 - fax: 302-455-0145 - Our neighbor Debbie Martino has been working for about 8 years at Creative Flooring, a local flooring company located in Newark. They sell and install all your flooring needs; hardwood, vinyl, carpet and ceramic tile. Please call for a free estimate, or visit their showroom. - by Debbie Martino - 11/8/07

Wilson Flooring - 494-4020 - Last month we had new tiles installed in our bathrooms and powder room and this weekend we had hard wood floors installed in our beach house, we used Wilson's flooring. Since we had two big jobs we priced a few vendors, Wilson's were most reasonable. Their work ethics, courtesy and superior quality workmanship is something I would like others to experience. They laid rolls and rolls of paper on every carpet surface to avoid their shoe contacts with clean surfaces, in other words they left my house as clean as they had found. - By Talat Merchant - 12/4/07

Precision Tile Co. - Don Lewis - 302 983 9791 - Recently installed a heated tile floor for me and I would hire him again for my tile floor, walls. They are clean, safe, honest, price fair and their work completed on time. - By Ed Abshagen 2/21/08

Ziggy Inc. - Hardwood floors - 453-1285 - I was very pleased with the quality of their work and their prices were very reasonable - Rachel Rubino - 9/6/08

Garage Doors

John Tanzilli Overhead Garage Doors - 302-738-5759 - John recently installed a new set of garage door on our home and we were very pleased with the quality of their work and the price. by Bill Pace 7/16/08

Overhead Door Company - 737-4400 - I was very pleased with the quality of their work and their prices were very reasonable - Rachel Rubino - 9/6/08

General Contractor

Dan DiCampli - 993-0656 - I would like to recommend a general contractor who is GREAT! He has done work for us and many other people I know. He is very talented and can do just about anything! His name is Dan DiCampli and his business number is 993-0656. By Lindsay Gregor - 11/15/07

Gifts & Specialty Items

Amber Waves Bakery - Mary Warren - 588-0401 - Amber Waves Website - If you are looking for a very special gift for a very special person, this is something that is really unique and will be appreciated by the person receiving it. Amber Waves Gift baskets are just what you are searching for, beautifully decorated baskets containing freshly baked goods and gourmet food products. By Chris Doordan - 4/24/08

Gutter Cleaning/Power Washing

Paul Eierman - 838-1980 - I was very pleased with the quality of their work and their prices were very reasonable - Rachel Rubino - 9/6/08

A-1 Gutter Maintenance - Keith Scott - 302-588-3786 atguttermaintenance@gmail.com Very good work at very reasonable rates. Paul and Nora Faust - 6/1/11

Heating & Air Conditioning

ServiceMark Heating-Cooling-Plumbing - 1-800-474-5200 - Service Mark installed our heater and air conditioner in 2004 and we were pleased with their work and the unit they installed. ServiceMark Website - Referred by Bill Pace - 10/15/07 - Nancy Signorielli - 10/20/07 - also had this to say about ServiceMark. I used Service Mark for my new heater/air conditioner and have been quite pleased with the outcome and their continued service.

Tom Delfera and Sons is excellent. 498-5188 or 610-869-9477 or 610-444-2380 Tom was the only contractor of 13 that I contacted the day before a very chilly Thanksgiving who actually was willing to come by and fix my system despite my not having a contract w/ him. Needless to say, I am now on contract with him. My outside air compressor recently (this week) went bad and he had a new one in place within days, and installed it at a time convenient to me too. Feel free to mention my name to him, because I told him I would give a reference to anyone in the neighborhood. Also, any west branch resident should feel free to call me at discuss if they want more details. - Referred by Steve Constable - 10/15/07

Horizon Services - 302-762-1200 - www.horizonservicesinc.com - We purchased an entire Trane HVAC system, including a whole house humidifier and an air cleaner, July 2006, from Horizon Services. We are so completely happy with our new system and the company overall. The system has dramatically improved the comfort level inside of our house in so many ways, and the company is 100% committed to providing superior customer service and they stand behind that commitment on every level, from the sales specialist, to the installers, to the technicians, to the customer support staff, to the training and education specialist who even came out to our home to help us to better understand their system and their proposal. We highly recommend them to anyone researching such companies, and would be happy to share our experiences first hand with any WB residents who might like additional information about them. (They also provide plumbing services, however we do not have any experience with that service - yet. They will be our first call in the event that we encounter plumbing related needs in the future.)

(BTW, their system happened to the most expensive of the 3 we obtained proposals for (the other 2 were from Boulden and Service Mark), but we are confident that we purchased the best system for our house and our needs, at a fair price. A classic example of "you get what you pay for" in a good way!) - by Tracy Willman - 7/25/08

Jos. Frederick & Sons - 302-994-5786 - http://www.jfrederickandsons.com/ - Air conditioning--here too, we were looking for a well-established company that gave us a good price. We ended up (after several estimates) going with Jos. Frederickson, who had once installed a shower for us in another house. Again, their estimate was significantly lower than others and we were highly satisfied with the final product and with their explanation of it, by Leslie Goldstein 7/29/09.

Home Repairs/Handyman Service

Vic DiRienzo - 738-4753 Cell 750-7543 - General Repairs and Small Jobs. Plumbing, Electrical, Kitchens, Decks, Basements, Drywall, Paint, Tile, Doors, Windows, Trim, Black Top Sealer, Trim Trees and Shrubs. Free Estimates.

Vic is a retired carpenter from the Dupont company. Vic has done work for several residents in West Branch and also other friends I know and everyone reports extremely nice work at very reasonable prices. Plus he is a very nice person to deal with. 3/14/12 - Steve Purvis

Landscaping

Checkered Flag Landscaping - Kent Riggs - 302-562-2146 - Kent has been mowing and weeding for us for over a year now, thanks to our neighbor's recommendation. His prices are reasonable, and he is reliable and a pleasure to work with. - By Amy Shay - 10/7/07

Kent does a very professional job mowing the lawn and trimming the front and back yard. He also does hand weeding, small tree trimming, and general yard clean-up. He charges less than half of what most services charge. Plus, he's practically in the neighborhood -- he and his wife and two daughters live on Delrem in the first house outside of the development. I've recommended to several people in the neighborhood and they all rave about him. In the winter, he may be available for small home repair jobs as well. - By Rachel Rubino - 11/2/07

Painting and Wallpaper

Eric M. Buck - (302) 275-4066 - Eric is licensed and insured in Delaware. Eric does Interior and Exterior Painting, Wallpapering, Pressure Washing, and Staining as well as Wall Paper Removal and Drywall Repairs. Eric is the son of our neighbors John and Margaret Buck. - by Chris Doordan & Margaret Buck 11/8/07

Charles Syvy, 302-239-1964 or 302-540-7075 - Wallpaper Removal/Painting/Misc. Restorations and Renovations - Our neighbor recommended Charlie because of the outstanding work that he did for him, and we were very pleased with the work that he did for us. - By Amy Shay also Steve Purvis 10/15/07

Pet Sitting

Jack Dordan - 456-1318 - cell 757-3988 - Professional Dog Walker - Dependable young man, great handler of all dogs large and small. Available days (until school starts) and evenings. $5.00 per walk completely around the circle or will negotiate prices for shorter walks. - by Steve Purvis 8/9/11

Furry Friends Pet Services - 302-834-9391 - Valorie DeLisle - Furry Friends Website Furry Friends have been caring for Bill & Joyce Pace's cats for several years now and they have been extremely pleased with her services. She will also take care of plants, mail, newspapers and walk your pets if you would like. Bill Pace 1/13/10

Natalie Eleuterio - 302-463-3278 - We needed someone to watch our dog and were very fortunate to have found Natalie Eleuterio. She is a UD junior majoring in Neuroscience and is currently doing an intern-ship with PAWS.

Natalie walked him several times and played ball in the basement - all and all she was here for about 3 hours. She lives over in Nottingham - almost in the neighborhood - a nice down to earth girl - we really like her and she thought it would be great if we gave her name and number to our neighbors. - By Diana Adamson 4/11/08

Pet Care 4 U - Cheri Van Ness - 368-5088

Warren Skopowski (369-4296) - Warren has been sitting for my cats periodically for the last 2-3 years while I've been on vacation. He's done a great job- I've always arrived home to find the cat's food and water bowls filled. Warren also is willing to do more than pet sitting- he's taken in my trash can from curbside when I've needed to leave it at the curb just before leaving on a trip, pulled in the mail daily, etc. His rates are extremely reasonable too. Dependability and great service- why look further? - By Steve Constable 8/24/09

I also want to second Steve Constable's experience with Warren Skopowski, who is listed as a pet sitter. He is very polite and hardworking. By Amy Shay 8/4/10.

Plumbing

MJ Cuomo - 427-0695 - I was very pleased with the quality of their work and their prices were very reasonable - Rachel Rubino - 9/6/08

Joseph Frederick & Sons - 302-994-5786 - I still use Joseph Frederick & Sons in Stanton for my plumbing problems since 1988 when I first moved to Delaware. I have found them extremely responsive when I was in dire need. I had a sump pump go down at 11:45PM on a Tuesday night April a year ago. I called them right away and they had a man in my doorway at about 1 AM with a replacement in hand. The pump was installed and he was gone by 3AM.
They only use first rate equipment, not like some who use the junk from Home Depot or Lowe's. I had a 50 gallon hot water tank go down only a month ago on a Friday morning. I called them at a little past Noon and they said that they would not be able to get to the house until late afternoon. They called at 2:45PM to advise that they had not forgotten me and while I was on the phone their crew called in to the person I was speaking with to advise they were on their way. They arrived at 3PM and were gone at 6PM.

Now you must realize that they are not inexpensive. Calling a man out at Midnight to install and re- pipe a sump pump (especially mine with the plenum drain and the radon pump hooked into the sealed sump hole) cost me $650. The replacement of the water tank was $951. But, as far as I am concerned, it was worth it, because they came when I needed them, not two days later like most of the companies you find in this area. By Tom Olson - 6/4/08

Realtors

Sean Casey - 733-7000 - Cell - 893-3379 - West Branch Homes and Real Estate Thinking of buying, selling or would just like information about area real estate contact Sean. Sean and his family reside in Fairfield and is very familiar with the Newark and New Castle County area.

Roofing

John Belusko (West Branch resident) - 366-8783 He and his crew did a great job on our roof three summers ago. John does quality roofing, he will replace all flashing and the drip edge. By Mark Deshon - 6/3/08

I needed to repair my roof after the past winter's hard wind storms. I interviewed 5 vendors. John had not only the best price, he also did a quality job. He added a lot of finishing touches that others didn't offer- like drip edges all around and making a custom cap to protect my metal chimney stack. John was also very responsive to my situation- flexible to fit within a crazy work schedule and wrapping up the job in a timely, clean and workman like manner. I'd recommend his work to anyone. By Steve Constable 8/24/09
I would also like to express my appreciation for John Belusko's roofing business. He and his workers did a great job. By Amy Shay 8/4/10.

Hurlock Roofing - Wilmington - 654-2783 - Hurlock Roofing Website - Hurlock Roofing Blogsite - I have had the same roofing company since I moved to the Newark are in 1988. I still use Hurlock Roofing in Wilmington to send their people out twice a year to walk the roof in Spring and Fall to look for loose or damaged shingles, damaged or blocked gutters and to repair whatever is necessary. By - Tom Olson 6/4/08

Advance Window and Siding - 888-545-9290 - www.advancewindowsiding.net - We purchased a new roof from Advance several years ago and could not be happier with the roof, the workmanship, the clean-up, the individual customer service we received from 1 of the co-owners (Gary Derrick), and the short amount of time taken to install the roof - 1 day! We obtained estimates from 5 companies, and in this case, we were lucky that the company we felt provided the best product and service happened to be the least expensive, by several thousands of dollars in most cases! They gained our trust that they sell a quality product, provide superior service, and all at a very reasonable price. We look forward to consulting them for future home improvement projects, and recommend them to all family, friends, and neighbors in search of a great local company that we know will do a great job. by Tracy Willman - 7/25/08

Wertz Roofing - 302-658-5186 - http://www.wertzandco.com/ - We agonized over the decision whether to just put on a second layer, as many recommend, or to go with a whole new roof, as others just as fervently insist upon. We decided to go with a whole new roof, and we priced several vendors. BY FAR the best price was offered by Wertz, a Wilmington company that has been around since 1926. The cost of a whole new roof with them was only $1200 more than a second layer of shingles would have been with Hurlock. We did the 30 year version of the shingles. I highly recommend them. by Leslie Goldstein - 7/29/09.

Additional Roofing Information

Snow Removal

John Skopowski - 369-4296 - Shoveled snow for us, and did a great job. (West Branch resident)

Andrew and Zachary Brezensky 302-824-6337 - Both of these boys are West Branch residents and will do a great job for you. Andrew can be reached at 302-824-6337. He’ll come alone or as a team with Zachary depending on their schedules.

Shawn Preston - 737-2294 - Another West Branch resident is available for snow removal.

Ryan Vance - 302-530-7789 - Ryan is another long time West Branch Resident.

Kent Riggs - 302-562-2146 - Kent is also available for snow removal. Kent has been doing excellent lawn service work for many residents in West Branch for several years. - Steve Purvis - 2/9/10

TB Freebird - 893-5067 - L Kerst-Way - 2/9/10

Tile Work

Jack Parisi - 892-2455 - I was very pleased with the quality of their work and their prices were very reasonable - Rachel Rubino - 9/6/08

Tree Service

All Phase Tree Service - Alfred Basso - 302-995-2081 Cell - 302-229-9580 - For the last 15 years I have been calling Al for all of our tree removal and trimming and have been very pleased with his work and price. He has also done work for several others in the neighborhood and I have not heard any complaints. - By Steve Purvis - 10/1/07

TNT Window Cleaners - 302-326-2411 - This firm has cleaned windows in many homes in West Branch and all residents have been very pleased with their work and their prices. - By Steve Purvis - 7/1/10

Nonantum Veterinary Clinic - 47 Good Hope Road - Landenberg, PA - (610)255-5145 - Dr Debbie Roberts (Owner) - Finally I can share this information with you. As many of you may know, we are dog lovers. Fortunately over 18 years ago we were lucky enough to find Nonantum. Back then it was a very small practice and had not been accepting many new patients. But, Debbie was always kind enough to squeeze in a few more of our close friend's and neighbor's pets and all have just loved the place. They have just recently built a new larger modern facility and are able to accept new patients. I strongly recommend if you are a pet lover in need of the best medical care you can obtain you for your pet you should contact them ASAP. You will find Nonantum to be a very warm, friendly and comfortable place to take your pet. The entire staff there is great. They are all friendly animal lovers and will treat you very nicely and your pet as their own. Also, not that it is my priority to me, but you will find them to be very reasonably priced and extremely practical. They realize how much we all love our pets, but never try to take advantage of our love for our pets. By Steve Purvis on 2/27/08

New London Vets - 738-5000 - I was very pleased with the quality of their work and their prices were very reasonable - Rachel Rubino - 9/6/08

Aman Sethi, a West Branch resident is a partner in this firm. The do exceptionally nice work at very reasonable prices. This firm is also the group that host and makes possible the West Branch Website at no charge to the residents of West Branch. I highly recommend that you contact them for any of your internet needs. - by Steve Purvis on 3/24/08

Delaware Valley Window Cleaning - Tom Carbine - 302-229-5030 - He did a great job cleaning my windows.