A Windsor family going through heartbreak is getting a fresh start – thanks to a trio of contractors from the Greater Toronto Area who’ve built a massive online following around helping families in need. Over the past few weeks, the brothers behind Rudan Metal Roofing have been hard at work transforming Christine Mercer’s home on Matchette Road – replacing the roof, gutters, soffit, fascia and more… all free of charge. “I thought it was a scam at first,” Mercer said. “I went to go to the door and there was three guys standing there with orange shirts and they said, this might sound weird but we would like to replace your gutters for free.” She told CTV News the work on the roof and the rest of the exterior was long overdue. “It was pretty bad,” Mercer said. “The shingles were all curled up and all over the place. The eavestrough was sagging down.” While the Rudans initially told her and her partner Dwayne they’d just be working on the roof, the offer expanded to a full exterior makeover. “They pulled us both outside and surprised us,” Mercer said. “Obviously we’re ecstatic. It was great news.” Mercer said her partner had been preparing to tackle the repairs himself. “He was just going to do it himself and try and get some friends to help out and this is what happened instead,” she said. “So a little procrastination paid off.” From roofing company to YouTube sensation The Rudan Brothers – a Serbian-Canadian trio based out of the GTA – have built a following of more than one million YouTube subscribers by posting videos of themselves fixing homes for people struggling to afford repairs. Milos Rudan said the idea started as a way to give back while also growing their company. “We came up with this idea, let’s do something good for the community, help people out, but also in the same time promote our business,” he said. The brothers say they drive through neighbourhoods looking for homes in obvious need of repairs before approaching homeowners directly. “And then we just randomly knock and ask the homeowner if we can replace their gutters. And from there everything starts,” Milos said. According to Rudan, Windsor viewers had been asking the brothers for months to make the trip down the 401. Rudan said it didn’t take long for the group to find Mercer’s home. “The first time we came to Windsor, 50 minutes later, we were in this street,” he said. “And we knew we found the right family.” ‘It was definitely a blessing’ What the brothers say they didn’t realize at first was the emotional weight the family was already carrying. “My daughter passed away a couple months ago. She was 25 years old,” Mercer said. “They knew we were going through a lot and they helped us out. It was definitely a blessing.” Mercer said the brothers have gone “above and beyond.” “They’re doing everything possible on the outside of the house that needs to be done. And all of it is absolutely free.” The Rudan Brothers say support from viewers – and from local companies that volunteer materials and labour – helps make the projects possible. “People that are watching our videos, that’s what now helps us do all this stuff,” Rudan said. “Because we’re not millionaires.” While CTV News was on location Thursday afternoon, Windsor-based Zack Brick Stone showed up to help repair Mercer’s chimney. “He drove by, he recognized us. He said, ‘Hey guys, I watch you all the time. Can I help you?’” Milos recounted. The brothers say they hope Mercer’s home won’t be their last project in Windsor. “We are tired, but it’s a different type of tired,” Rudan said. “It’s not an everyday job, you know? It’s more like, we’re inspired.”
