Almost done!

There’s not much left to complete at the Staikos Homes Home Build for Healthcare site; just a few last-minute details to attend to as it moves towards its public unveiling during the Quinte Home Builders’ Association’s Parade of New Homes on October 2 and 3.


The Maple model is a popular 1,472 square foot all brick bungalow well suited for growing families or seniors. It features a large, open concept living space and the large kitchen/great room space that has become the central meeting place for so many modern families.


The model boasts two large main floor bedrooms; the master with walk-in closet and a private en-suite bathroom. There is a third large bedroom with cathedral ceiling and large windows, making it a bright and airy room that some families may chose to use as a den or study.


This Home Build for Healthcare model has a finished basement with an additional washroom, a large family room, another bedroom and additional space that would make a great office. With the added space in the finished basement there is total living space of over 2,300 square feet.


Some of the added features in the Home Build for Healthcare home include:


• Energy efficient two-stage gas furnace

• Air conditioning

• HRV air exchanger

• Finished basement

• 9 foot ceilings with coffered Great Room ceiling

• Dropped ceiling detail in kitchen

• Transoms above front and rear exterior doors

• Large cove moldings in all main areas

• Interior pot lighting

• Quality American Standard plumbing features

• Maple kitchen cabinetry with pot and pan drawers featuring wood dovetailed drawer boxes, full extension slides and soft close feature.

• Centre Island with breakfast bar

• Granite counter tops

• Oak staircase

• Porcelain floor tiles in entrance, laundry room, kitchen and bathrooms

• Heated en-suite bathroom floor

• Mirage engineered hardwood flooring on the remainder of the main floor

• Pressure treated deck

• Concrete walk and driveway

• Irrigation system

• Landscape package


Staikos Homes and their suppliers and trades have built this home with Dream Home features and their goal in pricing it is to offer the buyer an outstanding value while providing significant support to Quinte Health Care. This extraordinary home is offered for sale at $329,900


This week we look at two more of the Staikos Homes contributors.


This is a, “what are the chances” situation where the owners of both businesses being profiled have the same name: Manny Almeida.

Quinte Drywall


In 1983, Gandhi won the Oscar for best picture, M*A*S*H aired its last episode and Manny Almeida left a partnership that he had been in since 1972 and struck out on his own to start Quinte Drywall.


Like so many others, Manny’s business started relatively small, with a crew of about eight men, most of who had been with him in the other business. He quickly established a reputation for quality workmanship and solid business practice that led to an ever growing list of clients and demand for service that now has him managing a workforce of 40 men.


Manny has several men with him who have never worked for anyone else in 30 plus years. He says he likes to hire young fellows – kids – to give them a chance and teach them the trade.


Working with Quinte Drywall would certainly give you the opportunity to learn all facets of the trade. Like the name says, they do drywall, but they also do mud work, trim, plastering, stucco and even framing of things like bulkheads in basements in preparation for dry walling.


Manny’s crews also have the chance to work in just about every kind of construction setting imaginable: new home construction, home renovations, institutional, commercial and industrial.


Watching the six man crew measure, cut and install drywall in the Staikos Home gives the impression of a highly organized and well rehearsed dance troupe. They move with an amazing speed, but it’s clear the pace is the result of experience; not haste. Each man knows his job and can do it with an ease that would give a handyman heart palpitations.


“We’re quick because we’re good,” Manny says. “We never sacrifice quality for speed.”


Manny is one of those very generous contributors to the Home Build for Health Care who is working on both the Staikos and the Geertsma homes. He says both builders are, “Great. Very, very good in different ways.” Of Staikos, he says he thinks of himself as their “lifetime” drywaller, having worked with them since 1990.


There is no question that Manny supports the Home Build; you might even say with all his heart. “Number one, I believe in the cause and I want to contribute. I’ve had some issues in the past, and every time I’ve needed the hospital I’ve been well treated. I ended up having a triple bypass so I know how important it is to have a well-equipped hospital.”


But it’s not just his own experience that drives Manny to get so fully behind the project. “You’ve got to look at the whole picture,” he says. “What goes round comes round. This is good for the whole area. People buy houses and move here because we have a good hospital. A good hospital is good for everyone.”


There’s no doubting Manny’s sincerity, or his willingness to put his money where his mouth is, when you consider that his people have put in more than 400 hours of work on the two builds.


Summing up Quinte Drywalls contribution to the Home Build, Manny says, “It’s like I said, what goes round comes round, and a good hospital is good for everyone.”



M. A. Cement Finishers

The M. and A. in M. A. Cement Finishers are owner, Manny Almeida’s, initials. Having his name on the company is just one of the reasons Manny strives to provide the very highest quality product and service to his customers.


Manny started M. A. Cement finishers in Kingston in 1995. Since then he has worked hard on every job to establish and maintain the reputation for integrity, quality and workmanship that has seen his customer base grow through good, and even lean, economic times.


Now he and his crew of five employees keep a hectic schedule as they strive to meet the demand for both new construction and renovation projects in residential, commercial and industrial projects.

“Anything to do with concrete, we can handle.” Manny says. “Driveways, sidewalks, curbs; concrete floors in basements or garages, patterned concrete: you name it and we can do it.”


M. A. Cement Finishers has been working with Staikos Homes for the last five years. Echoing a sentiment expressed by all the trades that work with Staikos, and are contributing to the Home Build, Manny speaks of what a pleasure it is to work with Staikos Homes.

“They are super nice people; everyone at Staikos,” he says. “They care about their customers and they want only the best quality. Like me, their name is on the business; there’s a lot of pride in doing the best.”


Manny says that although he doesn’t live right in the Quinte area, he’s very happy to participate in the Home Build for Health Care. “Of course, it’s a pleasure to work with Nick and Chris on the project – that’s probably enough reason to be involved – but there’s much more to it than that.”


He went on to explain that he believes everyone should give back to the community. “When it’s a good cause that will help the community, hey, I’m there. When someone asks, ‘Can you give me a hand,’ I’m going to help.”


Speaking of Quinte Health Care, Manny says he considers it an honour to do something for the hospital. He added, with a chuckle, “I might move to Quinte and might need to use the hospital; I want to know you’ve got everything it needs.”

Manny’s actions certainly back up his words about giving back to the community and his support for this project. He is covering all the costs of having his full crew of five work for almost two full days doing the concrete finishing at the Staikos Home Build.

“Like I say, you’ve got to give back to the community and there’s no better way than to support the hospital so they can buy the equipment they need to give everyone the best care possible,” Manny explained. “Hopefully, this will make lots of money for Quinte Health Care so you can get the equipment you most need.”