Stuck in Vermont: Carpenter Dario Guizler Builds a Life in Burlington

Burlington has a lot of old homes in need of some love. Dario Guizler is just the man to give it. Renovating aging housing stock takes hard work, and Guizler is the definition of hardworking.
He grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Montevideo, Uruguay, and came to the United States at age 18 in 2003, working 16-hour days at two full-time jobs, one in construction. Two years later, he moved to Burlington, where he learned carpentry from his mentor, Bill Fagan. Over time, Guizler became fluent in English, and in 2008 he started his own business, Dario Carpentry.

He has renovated over a hundred houses and apartments over the years and redone many bathrooms and basements. Guizler often works with recent immigrants from Latin America as apprentices, telling them that if he can make it here, they can, too.

Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger hired Guizler a few years ago to renovate her old house in Burlington. A week ago, Sollberger caught up with Guizler as he tackled an aging abode in Burlington’s Old North End. Guizler turns 40 this month and has now lived in the United States longer than in Uruguay. In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” he opened up about his passion for his work and his experience becoming an American citizen.

Bonus videos: Dario’s work renovating Eva’s home in 2021, putting up clapboards in one day and refinishing her 130-year-old pine floors.

Filming dates: 1/4/24 & 1/5/24

Music: The Mini Vandals, “Vaquero Perdido”

Brian Bolger, “Floating Home”