The Hearth Doctor had one job: install a fireplace. They failed at every turn…read more They claim they went "above and beyond." The photos show otherwise. We've owned and renovated three homes, and this was by far the worst experience we've ever had with any company. We hired Hearth Doctor to install a Renaissance 600 fireplace--a pricey, complex unit--and they botched it from start to finish. Safety ignored: They skipped a required radiation shield and told me to stuff insulation against the chimney pipe--an outright fire hazard. Only after I contacted the manufacturer did they reluctantly fix it, which meant removing a chimney already mounted two stories up. Timeline blown: A 2-day job dragged into 3.5 months, with constant delays and misinformation to my contractor. Poor workmanship: They mis-measured, forced rebuilds, denied necessary vents (later confirmed essential by the manufacturer), installed the unit with a broken door, then crudely bent the keyhole instead of replacing it. Finally, the fireplace was left visibly off-level, making finishing work nearly impossible. No accountability: Across six visits between June and September, I never received an apology. When I asked for a discount, they brushed me off, insisting they'd provided a "safe, functional, professional installation" that went "above and beyond" If this is their idea of "above and beyond," I shudder to think what "average" looks like. Bottom line: unsafe, sloppy, unprofessional. Save yourself the grief--do not hire this company.

can't say enough good things about this business. I purchased my gas fireplace from them 9 years…read moreago and have only needed service once until this week. Although they were incredibly busy, Bill took the time to call me and troubleshoot over the phone but ended up sending someone out - within 2 days!!! Problem was diagnosed and remedied in no time.

From the moment our family walked through the door of Alternative Heat Source, Karl made us feel…read morecomfortable. He did not try to "sell" us a stove, he educated us on the differences, and made a recommendation based upon the stove we were currently using. His son, Kory, came out two days later and took a look at our current stove and chimney layout. He spent nearly an hour looking things over and patiently putting together a couple different quotes for us to ponder. Over the next few days, I emailed Kory with many questions, to which he was receptive and honest, and never tried to pressure us into making a decision. He only provided us with the necessary information to make an informed decision. Once we made our decision, Kory returned ten days later, and professionally installed our new stove. He even moved our old stove into our garage for us. He took the time to touch-up the paint on the stove pipe, and cleaned up every bit of the mess they made, even as minute as it was. I could not be happier with Alternative Heat Source, and highly recommend their sales and service.

Kory was great to deal with! We had an appointment with Irving to install the gas lines and tank…read moreand Kory rearranged his schedule to be at our home early and have the stove installed before Irving came out that day. After the stove was installed he assisted the Irving tech with the install, and stuck around until the propane was fully functioning. He tested out our stove and showed us how to work the remote and all the features of the stove. I highly recommend their work and professionalism!

This is our second season with a wood stove. Two gentlemen came over to evaluate whether or not the…read morechimney needed cleaning. They came in, laid down a drop cloth and got right to business. All my questions were answered respectfully!! They determined that the chimney didn't need cleaning, charged a very small fee and left. As a retired couple, it felt nice to deal with an honest company who wasn't trying to take us for an extra buck!!

I requested a basic chimney sweep, which they performed without issue. However, customer service…read moreleaves something to be desired. Both the person performing the chimney sweep and the person whom I paid the bill for over the phone were really rude for no apparent reason. I have no other chimney service to compare them to in regard to quality of job performed so I can't say they are better or worse than anyone else. However, I do know I will not contact them in the future just due to the fact they were so disrespectful.

Nate came out to look at my project 3 months ago with a commitment that he'd get back to me 2 wks…read morelater w a quote. 3 weeks later, I reached back out to him and was told it would be a couple more weeks. Never heard from him again. I understand and can appreciate the ability to be choosey with what you take on, but I do believe the lack of common courtesy in at least communicating eventually catches up. Thanks for the waste of time.

Nate is a pleasure to work with - highly professional and strong attention to detail.read more

Woodstove was sending huge puffs of smoke into the room. Maine Stove & Chimney looked at our wood…read morestove and said it was totally fine. We called a different company, who showed us that the wood stove is in obvious need of new parts. Oddly, Maine Stove and Chimney tried to blame the problems on the design of the house (!). Even though the stove had worked perfectly in the past! This company will steal your money. Do not even consider them!!!

The repair folks are professional, knowledgeable, and do good work. So why only 3 stars? Because…read morethey charge $199 to walk in the door. If your stove needs an adjustment that takes 15 min, you still get charged $199 (assuming no parts are needed, that would be extra). For complicated jobs the cost is probably worth it, but for a quick job they are extremely pricey and will not pro rate the $199.

Dominic came to our home on time and did a great job with cleaning our Heat pumps. He is an hard…read moreworker, through, very clean. All my pumps work like the first day of use now and I cannot say enough about the work ethic of Domonic. Great worker. I paid a fair price for the excellent work done. I will request Dominic for the next cleaning.

I had a good experience with this service. The owner himself came over and did a really good job…read morecleaning my dryer exhaust vent, which was in pretty rough shape.

I went in here looking for a birthday present for a friend and was surprised by how many good…read moreoptions they have for cute, unique gifts. I also didn't realize that they had so much furniture and that a lot of things were made by women, which I learned from store employees, who were very knowledgeable and friendly.

This group is one of the best interior design firms in Southern Maine. We utilized their services…read moreon two projects, and both came in under budget and over quality. Highly recommended!