Provider profile
Al's Absolute Best Restoration and Cleaning Services
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Colchester-area homeowners dealing with water damage or mold alongside carpet and upholstery cleaning needs, from a father-and-son operation with a 5.0-star Google rating across 91 reviews.
Best for
- Colchester and surrounding eastern Connecticut homeowners who need mold remediation from the same company handling water damage cleanup
- Homeowners facing ice dam damage in winter who need fast extraction, drying, and mold prevention in one call
- Landlords and property managers who need post-tenant deep cleaning and mold assessment before re-listing
- Buyers who want a single company to handle water extraction, drying, mold removal, and carpet restoration after a flood or pipe burst
- Homeowners in the Glastonbury-to-New London corridor who want a small, owner-operated crew rather than a franchise
About this company
Al's Absolute Best is a family-run restoration and cleaning company based in Colchester, Connecticut. Al founded the business as a carpet cleaning operation, and his son Shawn Sims now runs day-to-day jobs. Mold remediation and water damage restoration are newer additions to a service list that still centers on carpet, upholstery, and rug cleaning.
The mold remediation page describes a five-step process: inspection with moisture meters and infrared cameras, containment with HEPA air scrubbers, removal, drying with industrial dehumidifiers, and restoration of affected surfaces. They handle both residential and commercial properties and work directly with insurance companies on water damage claims. The website also advertises a specialized molecular treatment for pet odor that targets phosphate salt deposits rather than masking smells.
This is a small, local outfit. Multiple reviewers mention Al and Shawn showing up together, and one long-time customer (margaret raftery) notes she has used them for years, first with Al and now with his son Shawn. The company offers 24/7 emergency response for water and smoke damage.
A perfect 5.0-star rating across 91 Google reviews is rare for any service company. Every single review in the dataset is 5 stars, with no negatives in the last 18 months. That track record reflects a small operation where the owner handles most jobs personally.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Colchester, Connecticut at 255 Boretz Road. The website lists 80+ towns across eastern and central Connecticut, from Hartford and West Hartford in the west to Groton, Mystic, and New London in the east, and Windham and Willimantic to the northeast. That is a wide footprint for a two-person crew, so response times likely vary by distance from Colchester.
Review consensus
Shawn Sims is named in the majority of reviews and draws consistent praise for fast response times, clear communication, and willingness to work around difficult schedules. Multiple reviewers describe same-day or next-day service for emergencies. Jesse Santostefano credited Shawn with leading the response to ice dam water damage in Glastonbury. Barbara Gozzo noted the crew arrived within hours of a freezer leak and handled both cleanup and drying. Several long-term customers (Annette Hamilton since 2000, margaret raftery for years) confirm consistent quality over time. Al, the father, appears in reviews alongside Shawn on larger jobs. Reviewers frequently mention reasonable pricing without prompting.
0 found across 91 total reviews at 5.0★. No 1-star reviews found in the last 18 months. With 91 total reviews at a 5.0-star rating, there are no recent complaint patterns to analyze.
The perfect 5.0-star rating across 91 reviews is unusual and worth contextualizing. This is a small, owner-operated business where Shawn handles most jobs personally. That level of direct involvement limits volume but tends to produce consistent satisfaction. Most reviewers hired them for carpet or upholstery cleaning rather than mold work. Virginia Shea and mary schaefer are among the few who specifically mention mold-adjacent services (crawl space HEPA vacuuming and mildew removal). The mold remediation track record in reviews is thin compared to the carpet cleaning track record.
Shawn Sims (owner/operator — positive across dozens of reviews). Al (founder/father — positive, mentioned working alongside Shawn on larger jobs). Sean is an alternate spelling of Shawn used by some reviewers.
This company earns its 5.0-star rating through personal, owner-handled service with fast response times. If you need mold remediation specifically, ask Shawn how many mold jobs he has completed and request references for mold work rather than carpet cleaning. The conflict of interest from doing both testing and remediation means you should consider getting an independent mold test before or after their work.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold testing and mold remediation, which creates a conflict of interest. The same company that finds mold also profits from removing it. Ask whether they will accept a third-party test result or recommend an independent inspector.
- This is primarily a carpet and upholstery cleaning company. Mold remediation is one of several service lines, not a specialty focus. Ask how many mold jobs they complete per month.
- The claimed service area covers 80+ towns stretching from Hartford to Groton to Windham. That is a large territory for a small father-and-son crew. Confirm actual response times for locations far from Colchester.
- The website uses heavy SEO-style content with generic mold information. The mold remediation page reads more like an educational article than a description of their specific process or equipment.