Testimonials

Written and Video Testimonials

Bob Kelly and client Dan Witte discuss installing WickRight passive ventilation on Dan's brick and split face block building in Lakeview, Chicago, IL

Diversey Avenue, Chicago – "The parapet walls dried out completely – all the way down to the through-wall flashings. Since WickRight (Coping Vent) was installed, we've hired WickRight (General Contracting) to seal the building and to build a rooftop deck. Bob is a pleasure to work with and his guys are always courteous and friendly."
— Dan Witte, Unit Owner, Board President

Finished metal coping with Wickright passive ventilation installed underneath on parapet wall in Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Building is now dry.

Winthrop Avenue, Chicago – "No more nasty smells after about two weeks. No more heavy humid air in the common areas. And the whole building dried out from the foundation to the parapet in a matter of months. I highly recommend WickRight (passive ventilation) if you have water issues."
— Tom Kiloran, Unit Owner, Board President

South Calumet Avenue, Chicago – "WickRight (capstone vented drip edge) worked like a charm on the South-side of the building. Now we're having Bob do truss reinforcements and installing WickRight on the North side of the building. Bob is helping me stage the repairs to keep the costs within our building's budget"
— Curtis Wilson, Building Owner

WickRight capstone vented drip edge being installed on parapet wall in Grand Boulevard neighborhood, Chicago, IL. Building is now dry.

Water damage to ceiling in foyer of clients building caused by leaking door to the roof top. North Clark Street, Chicago, IL Building is now dry.

Clark Street, Chicago –
Our condo building's roof was a mess due to shoddy construction. Extensive leaks through the membrane and brickwork. We hired people, they tried to find and resolve the problems. Mostly, a waste of money.

Bob Kelly, considered by most of the people we interviewed as the "Gold Standard" in this industry, was the one who figured out a plan that worked. Bob finds the solution by coming back multiple times and watching the effects the work he does has on the roof. His repair plan addresses the problems as specifically, completely and economically as possible.

He adjusts his work plan as needed if he finds a cheaper solution that works just as well. He works hard to stay within budget and he prioritizes the repairs by need.

In short, Bob is not a cookie-cutter or pre-fab roofing repair expert. He tailors his recommendations according to what he sees as the project progresses.

Diane Knight, who juggles many hats in her various capacities, makes every effort to keep clients apprised on the status of the repairs. Given the nature of the work -- (onsite, out-of-doors) it is not always possible to get an immediate answer to questions. Diane, however, often stays into the evening to keep clients informed. She remains upbeat and calm, regardless of the situation. A true professional.

In short, I cannot recommend Wickright more highly. Particularly if you have a complex repair job, you simply cannot do better. I would give them ten stars if I could.
— Marianne Hagendoran, Unit Owner

Houzz Review -

https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/wickright-general-contracting-llc-pfvwus-pf~1136009574

Center Street, DesPlaines, IL –
Our condominium (association) has been working with WickRight to resolve a water intrusion issue of unknown origin.
After months and months of trying to find the source, we met WickRight at an exposition (Chicagoland Cooperator). Their help and the team of experts they coordinated finally found our problem.
It is difficult to coordinate multiple vendors at certain times of the year because the seasons dictate when trades people are busy. Since we have found the source of our issues and can now resolve our problem, it was worth the time and effort that went into having WickRight coordinate this project.
I highly recommend them. The vendors they work with are also quality trades people, which makes a difference as to how your project is going to turn out.
— Jan Prinz, Unit Owner

Diagnostic drawing on brick building in Uptown, Chicago. WickRight installed new window casings to stop leaks on all front elevation windows.

Leland Avenue, Chicago –

Our condo building was facing serious water damage from our roof and brick work, especially around the window frames. WickRight was able to come and assess the damage, provided us a prioritized list of solutions and worked with us to get it scheduled before the next winter hit.

They were consistently providing us updates throughout the project, flexible to solve the issues the right way and setting our building up to stand for the long term.

It was a pleasure to work with both Bob, Diane and their team.

The water damage issues have been resolved and they didn't make us break the bank to do it!

If another issue arises, we won't hesitate to reach out since we know they can solve it quickly and correctly!

– Rae Markwell, Unit Owner

We installed WickRight Capstone Vented Drip Edge and Vented Receiver Clip on the front elevation parapet and WickRight Clay Coping Vent on the rear and south side elevations. We also removed the existing cladding on all the windows on the front and north elevations and fabricated and installed new metal claddings. Fall 2023, we will be repairing the north facing common brick wall.

Veteran construction manager and general contractor Mark Kelly installed WickRight Capstone Vented Drip Edge on the Missionary Sisters' Learning Center in Wheeling, IL.

Per Mark, WickRight "cured" their masonry moisture intrusion problem and alleviated the musty smells from the building. Bob Kelly, (no relation), inventor of WickRight passive ventilation devices, provided installation training to Mark and his crew at the job site.

Since this installation, WickRight General Contracting has performed multiple repairs and installed passive ventilation on two additional convent properties.

Learn more about WickRight Passive Ventilation® at www.WickRight.com or call 312-720-1467

These videos are of Mark D, one of our satisfied Rogers Park customers. We performed a number of repairs at his building, including installing WickRight Capstone Vented Drip Edge and WickRight Roof Vent. This work was performed in 2016. There have been no issues with the repairs. We have returned to the building several times to perform repairs for unrelated issues.

Today the building is performing properly. It is dry inside and out and there are no musty smells. If you would like to speak to a unit owner about their experience, give us a call at 312-720-1467 and we will get permission for you to contact them.

"I have, personally, seen this product installed on a number of buildings and find it to be one of the most innovative construction products, ever. It solves both the problems of flashing and venting, all in one."

– William Decker, Certified Master Inspector

Decker Homes Services

847-676-8393

Email: wjd@deckerhomeservices.com

Website: www.deckerhomesservices.com

William Decker, Certified Master Inspector

"No one could have convinced me 15 years ago that I'd ever find this type of water damage in buildings constructed from 1996-2007. The number of leaking and water damaged buildings is mind boggling, and it doesn't matter if it is an inexpensive condominium building or a high end multi-million dollar home.

Huge numbers of buildings in the Chicago area were constructed incorrectly. They leak, and they're everywhere. People need to understand that old buildings and new buildings are completely different. Old buildings are drafty, they don't have ton of plastic and vapor retardant materials, and the building lumber is old growth timber, which is full of toxic saps and oils that are extremely resistant to decay, mold, and moisture damage. Old buildings "breathe". Moisture is rarely a problem.

New buildings have huge amounts of plastic materials, they don't "breathe." They are loaded with tree-farm grown and engineered lumber that is structurally adequate if kept dry, but extremely susceptible to moisture problems. Wet tree-farm lumber grows mold quickly and the material rots. Even if there isn't any visible damage, there can be serious problems brewing. In addition, indoor air quality is greatly effected by moisture hidden in the walls causing mold growth.

No one should be living in a mold infested home, and the only way to stop mold growth is to dry the structure out. Mold can't grow without moisture.

Unfortunately, repair options are limited, because repairing masonry buildings is not simple, easy, or cheap. It's often complicated, hard work that can cost a lot of money if appropriate systems and techniques are not used. It's not good enough to treat a building with sealant and walk away thinking the problem is solved, because it's not. In some cases, sealants accelerate problems; they keep water out, but they also keep water in.

It's necessary to have continuous venting and vapor transfer out of the masonry. WickRight products and building repair techniques were perfected in the field, actually repairing buildings; it's not an abstract concept. Bob Kelly's systems (WickRight) are a necessary component of any moisture damage repair. No one knows more about this stuff than Kelly does. He's opened up more buildings, found more problems, and repaired those problems better than anyone. He's developed a completely unique approach to a complicated problem. And, he's been doing this stuff for years with a solid track record of documented results. No other repair systems even come close to the WickRight systems, which are adaptable to all manner of buildings and all sorts of configurations.

I have witnessed the rodeo of "waterproofing contractors" who promise results that never materialize and essentially rip off consumers with false claims and techniques that ignore established building science. Owning a building with water problems is bad enough; but spending thousands of dollars on "repairs" that don't work and leave you with the same problem and a depleted bank account is much worse.

I've seen the WickRight systems work, and I would recommend it to anyone that is having moisture related problems with their building. I'd even recommend WickRight installation to homeowner's that aren't currently experiencing water problems as a preventative measure to insure that their home has satisfactory indoor air quality for healthy living."

– Kurt Mitenbuler

Home Inspector, Moisture Intrusion Expert

Licensed/Certified

847-332-1400

Email: kurt@chicagohomeprimer.com

Website: https://kurtmitenbuler.com/