I can recommend Mark Wolf of Superior Specialty Cleaning in Charlottesville. He cleaned a large oriental rug for us. He did the cleaning in the house; we didn't have to send it anywhere to be done. Did a great job cleaning and deodorizing as it had some pet stains. He also cleans regular carpets, upholstery, and tile/masonry. He can be reached at 434-981-4705; his email is mark@specialtycleaningva.com. Submitted by Maria Spence. November 2021
Carpet cleaning
I highly recommend Allied Pest Control. Sam Vafiadis services both Wintergreen and the Richmond area. Sam treated areas no other pest control technician has ever done. He took the faceplates off of the kitchen outlets and treated the electric boxes, opened the windows and treated the windowsills, sprayed the decks, front porch, siding, and under the eaves. He schedules you for your next quarterly visit while he is there so you know when to be in Wintergreen well in advance. Sam is knowledgeable and friendly. It’s good to know the same technician will service both Richmond and Wintergreen. Call him at 804-380-8262. Submitted by Betty Kane. October 2021
ants, mice, termites, rats, bugs, pests,
We had a leak coming from our ceiling near the kitchen. Peace of Mind's plumbers came out the same day to locate the leak and replace the damaged pipe, but they were not able to handle the repair ceiling. Hearing of our situation, Dave Brown recommended Jose Sillas (434-962-3150), who could make the drywall repairs to the ceiling and touch up the popcorn finish within a couple of days. Jose was fast, professional, and reasonably priced. I can highly recommend Sillas Home Services. Submitted by Tom Riley. November 2024
We once again recommend Jose Silas and his crew for painting and power washing. He power washed the white trim and railings on our deck and rear of our house, which had become quite grimy and showing signs of black mold. He made it look almost new! He then re-stained the deck boards, moving all the deck furniture to one side, doing half, making sure it was dry, then moving the furniture to the other side and completed the job. Inside he re-painted a number of walls, first patching holes where hangers had been removed and scrapes and "dings" in the walls. He sealed off areas with plastic sheeting and tape where he wasn't painting. He was meticulous. When he finished he thoroughly cleaned up, sweeping and vacuuming as necessary. He started when he said he would, and kept us advised of his schedule throughout the job. Submitted by Betsy & Jay Siegel. October 2021
I would like to recommend Jose Sillas whenever you need your house painted. When you use the same service more than once, that is a ringing endorsement of workmanship, quality, integrity, and value. Jose's work is head and shoulders above the rest. He is conscientious, treating your home as if his own. He protects the work area and is meticulous to detail. There is a difference between a person who paints houses and an artist. Jose is an artist recommending solutions and ideas that we did not consider, but now love. His price is fair and justified by the end product. He shows up as promised and gets the job done. If you want to love the end result, we recommend Jose Sillas for the job. His contact number/text is 434-941-2155. Submitted by Francesca Flood. August 2020
I would like to recommend Jose Sillas for any of your house painting needs. Jose and his crew have painted many of the inside rooms, and the entire outside, including trim, decks, railings, and shutters, of our house in Stoney Creek. They also power-washed and gutter-cleaned where necessary. These painters are professional, neat, on-time, and reasonably priced. Jose will make recommendations as to the correct paint to use, how many coats should be applied, and necessary preparation work. If any unforeseen problems arise he will consult and present options before proceeding. He promptly returns calls and is extremely easy to work with as is his wife, Kimberly, who coordinates his schedule. Contact Jose at Sillas Home Services, Roseland; 434-277-9029. Definitely five stars! Submitted by Jay Siegel. (Editor’s note: an alternate phone number for Jose Sillas is 434-941-2155 cell/text) May 2020
Paint, painter
Rex Nicholson (Tree and Landscaping) and his team did a beautiful job shaping my trees and shrubs, as well as felling two dead trees on my two-acre property this summer and early fall. Rex has an eye for symmetry and continuity that just brought my yard to life. What impressed me was that he also recommended to me what he would NOT do to certain plants so that they would thrive. I saw Rex’s dedication to the work and his honesty about the projects, and therefore I would recommend him to others. Call him at 540-245-0401. Submitted by Kathy Watkins-Richardson. October 2021
arborist, yard work, landscaping
We hired Brittany Minter a year ago and she is by far the best cleaning service we have ever used. We used to think our home was clean before hiring her but she has an entirely higher standard. She leaves our home spotless every time and she is very professional. Her number is 434-906-6156. Submitted by Anne-Marie Hughes. October 2021
maid, housekeeper, cleaner,
• We had a very good experience using Scott McCombs of Solutions Mechanical for a plumbing job. When he arrived (on time) he assessed the situation and discovered the pipe to our water heater was leaking. He did a clean and neat job fixing it. We are very pleased with the work. He can be reached at 540-324-2513. I understand they also do heating and cooling work. Submitted by Helen Bates. March 2022
If you need service on a tankless hot water heater, we can recommend Solutions Mechanical out of Waynesboro (540-324-2513. We had a problem with our LP gas Rinnai unit and it turned out to be an unusual, difficult-to-diagnose issue. This experienced plumber handled it professionally. He says he's certified to service all major brands. Submitted by Charles Batchelor, September 2021
plumbers, hot water
Responding to the request for recommendations on local pest control firms, Mary Cowley uses Nagy Pest Control which "honors our request to use the least toxic materials." April 2024
I can highly recommend Steve Nagy of Nagy Pest Control (540-280-6515;
nagypestcontrol@gmail.com). He is pleasant to work with, reasonably priced (but not the cheapest in town), and effective. He will retreat for no charge if there are issues between treatments. He uses green products. Submitted by Julia Rogers. September 2021
We have been using Nagy Pest Control for a couple of years now and are very happy. They use non-toxic eco-friendly treatments; they do a complete check for bugs, critters, varmints, rats and mice. The company we first spoke to about termite prevention wanted to drill numerous holes in our expensive patio; Steve Nagy came up with a non-toxic and no-drilling solution. We are very pleased with his work. nagypestcontrol@gmail.com. Submitted by Becca Elliott. [Nagy received numerous recommendations 2011-2016]
mice, rats, stinkbugs, termites, ants, roaches
• We highly recommend James T. Martin (434-841-5244) for your painting needs. This father-son business is fair, honest, dependable, and trustworthy. They leave you with a great job. When they start a project, they don't leave until it is completed. Over the past 25 years, they have painted not only our home at Stoney Creek but our previous home–inside and outside–and the inside of an additional three houses. They don't advertise; their clients advertise for them. James and his son have lived in Nelson County all their lives so they are your neighbor and they will treat you like a neighbor. Submitted by Mike and Judy Smythers. April 2022
James Martin (434-841-5244) and his crew stay busy around Wintergreen painting. While booked up with major outdoor projects when we called, they were happy to quickly switch gear and take on the inside painting of the walls and ceiling of our master bath when the rain from Ida arrived here on Wednesday. The painters worked with us and moved in and out of the house with ease. The results were perfect. Submitted by Charles Batchelor. September 2021
I highly recommend James Martin for house painting. James and his dad have finished painting our interior. and did a fantastic job. It was precise, timely, and at a fair price. James' contact number is 434-841-5244. Submitted by John Lauler. April 2020
painter
We recently had a consultation with Bill Mauzy, owner of Three Ridges Architecture (540-255-6208). We were very impressed with his professionalism, knowledge, and attention to detail. He provided us with lots of ideas, suggestions, and a mini education on plants- what’s local to the area, what is considered to be invasive, what works best in specific areas, etc. We would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for help with landscaping design projects. He has lots of experience with landscape design from the start to the completion or anywhere throughout the project. Submitted by Karen Reagan. September 2021
landscaper, landscape, architect,
We’re so very happy with the customer service and beautiful granite countertops and sinks we received from European Stone Concepts. Glenn and Heather were great to deal with and the installation team was very professional. I truly appreciate all the guidance and flexibility. The remodel project went quickly and I couldn’t be happier with the end result. I highly recommend ESC for any of your countertop needs. Call them at 434-589-8744; email info@escstone.com. Submitted by Julia Calamita. Sept 2021
kitchen, bath, bathrooms,
For dog care, I would like to recommend Meadowland B&B for Dogs in Lovingston (571-277-5597; roanbusch@gmail.com). Paul and Tim watched my large dog over a long weekend. My dog lived in their house like a member of the family and enjoyed walks through their wooded land. I would have no reservations about leaving my dog in their care again. Submitted by Ryan Milne.
pet sitting, kennel, dog,
• I highly recommend Lili Gill as a piano teacher. Very much a beginner, I've been taking piano lessons from her here in Nellysford for several years and find her to be a wonderfully talented piano teacher (and pianist). She teaches both children and adults, and at all levels. Her enthusiasm for music is infectious, she has a gentle yet knowledgeable and encouraging teaching manner, and seems to have an infinite amount of patience! Her website with contact information and more details is LiliGillPiano.com. Submitted by Laura Sorenson. August 2021
Those looking for a plumber should call Wayne Rutlidge (434-227-1043). He is very responsive, reliable, and knowledgeable. He installed a new hot water heater and repaired an outside spigot. Submitted by Fred Abbey. August 2021
We would like to recommend Wayne Rutledge. Call him at 434-227-1043. He is very meticulous and reliable. We will definitely use him again. Some of the work he has done for us includes installing a new water line for our ice maker, framing and installing a new pantry door, adding knobs & handles to our kitchen cabinetry, installing a stone backsplash in our kitchen, fixing a leaking cold water shutoff valve on the washer, putting new baseboards in the pantry, adding new plumbing fixtures, and putting in a garbage disposal. Submitted by Scott & Suzanne Speers. March 2021
Wayne Rutledge (434-227-1043) did a terrific job installing a ceiling fan and light kit in the bedroom of my Wintergreen mountain condo. He showed up when he said he would, he was able to fish new wiring from the existing single-switch electrical box through the wall and ceiling. Also, he expanded it to a double-switch box, giving the ability to control light and fan from the wall rather than pulling the control chains. He had excellent craftsmanship and charged a very fair price for his time and considerable expertise. I would absolutely call him again for future work. Submitted by Jeff Long. March 2021
I want to recommend Wayne Rutledge, who worked very hard to repair our column freezer. No one else would take a look at it (Thermador product). He kept trying different parts until he got it working! Wayne is very efficient, honest and reliable. He wears a mask and arrives when he says he will. He works for himself and also does electrical, plumbing and some HVAC work. Wayne can be reached on his cell at 434 227-1043. Submitted by Maria Spence. 2020
plumbers, electrical, plumbing, plumber, HVAC, appliance repair
I’ve read on here a few times that people were having trouble finding good and reliable stone countertop installers. We just had our kitchen countertops & backsplash as well as two bathroom countertops replaced. We used Blue Ocean Granite LLC in Troy, Va. (just outside of Charlottesville).
We had a great experience from start to finish. Their prices and selection are both good. They are a smaller business so you are able to get personalized attention. Everyone who works there is great to work with. The installers worked hard the entire time they were here and were very respectful of us and our home. Their attention to detail was outstanding. Janoah, the owner, is meticulous with the way he cuts the stone and lays it out. He makes sure that the pattern in the stone matches up at the seams. Our home is in Stoney Creek but I specifically asked him if they go to the top of the mountain and he said yes, they do. If you are thinking of replacing your countertops and or cabinets I definitely recommend Blue Ocean Granite. Submitted by Thomas Garber. July 2021
kitchen, bath, bathroom, tile, countertop,
Travis Kidd of Golden Rule Pressure Washing (540-471-1096) and his helper recently washed all the windows and skylights on my Wintergreen mountain home. They did an outstanding job from start to finish and were courteous throughout and did it for a reasonable price. Submitted by Charles Murphy. August 2021
I would like to ditto the recommendation for Travis Kidd at Golden Rule Pressure Washing. I contacted him after reading the piece on the WTG Bulletin Board. He responded within hours and came for an estimate within a few days. I had other estimates done because I had no frame of reference for the cost of pressure washing a 2-story 2,500 sq ft house with decks, large windows, and a screened porch. The other estimates were over two and over three times Travis’ price. Travis removed mold and mildew from our house, decks, and porches. I rediscovered a paint color I didn’t know existed. He cleaned multiple staircases, railings, high windows and glass doors, and skylights. He and his son even helped me move some furniture and things from the screened porch so he could access it. He worked hard for over five hours, all the time being kind, conscientious, respectful, and responsive. I highly recommend Travis and Golden Rule Pressure Washing. 540-471-1096, GoldenRulePressureWashing@gmail.com. Submitted by Kim Traw.
Looking for gutter cleaning or power washing of your home? We highly recommend Travis Kidd at Golden Rule Pressure Washing. We found him via a Google search and he responded to our online inquiry the same day, scheduled service within the same week, and did a great job of cleaning out our clogged gutters and removing mildew from our front porch, railings, and rear deck. Total for all of the work on our single-story, 1,370 square foot home was $225. Contact Travis Kidd at Golden Rule Pressure Washing, 540-471-1096, GoldenRulePressureWashing@gmail.com. Submitted by Valerie & Steve Passwaiter. July 2021.
power washing, deck cleaning, windows
