Get matched with top brick or stone tuck pointing pros in Somonauk, IL

"Our beautiful new (to us) home has a gorgeous chimney that had gone unused and without maintenance for about 23 years. We wanted to ensure it was both safe to use and ready to withstand autumn, winter, and festive holiday fires for years to come. After a thorough inspection we got a lot of good news. Our chimney is well built, the stone is holding up great, and it absolutely could last us a lifetime. Then we got the not as fun news…we had about 23 years worth of maintenance to catch up on. Thankfully all of it was well within our budget, thoroughly explained, detailed without being overwhelming, and he even did a deep dive all over the house just to be extra sure there wasn’t anything missing that would require another visit. (He even fixed some loose stone in an unrelated part of the house for free.) Already looking forward to my first fire in my new home. I’ll be calling Top Hat for our annual maintenance as long as we own our home."

"Chimney destroyed by lightening strike! Rob and crew removed all debris, built new chimney, inspected 30 yr. old chimney shaft and suggested liner(for safety and code compliance) .installed new damper, cleaned up entire area inside and out. great work, very courteous, fair price. I would recommend them for any type of brick/chimney service!"

"Great work!! Very friendly and highly recommend this company"

House Revitalize is a locally owned and operated company that values honesty and integrity in all aspects of our business. Our dedicated team of professionals have over 12 years of hands on experience, to provide innovative ideas and suggestions tailored to your projects. Our services are customized to your individual needs, paying close attention to the details of each project that we are involved with. Please feel free to contact us today!\n\nWe are committed to excellence in every aspect of our business. We uphold a standard of integrity bound by fairness, honesty, and personal responsibility. Our distinction is the quality of service we bring to our customers. Accurate knowledge of our trade combined with ability is what makes us true professionals. Above all, we are watchful of our customers' interests, and make their concerns the basis of our business.

"They called me after only about 15 minutes from my initial contact with Angiâ s. Patrick and Jeff came out the very next day which was a Saturday. I thought they were coming just to give us a quote but they said they could do the job then. We hired them and within 3 hours the job was done. The chimney was relined and they repointed the top bricks and fixed the flashing. They were professional, friendly and courteous. We are waiting for a heavy rain but I feel very confident that there will be no leaks."

"Great work!! Very friendly and highly recommend this company"

"RESPONSIVENESS TO NEEDS
There are different measures of success on any project and different constraints and issues that will challenge those measures.  My primary measure of success was a DRY basement, and Brian?s proposal to deliver it was comprehensive. He was committed to meeting my request while satisfying my second measure of success: do it at an affordable price.

ESTIMATE
Brian does all estimates himself instead of sending out salespeople (which I appreciate).  I scheduled Brian's first visit in the days following a large rainfall that caused flooding in neighboring areas, so his schedule was packed. Understandably, Brian was crunched between appointments when he arrived slightly behind schedule, but he had kept me updated in the hours preceding his arrival.  Brian quickly conveyed a focus on resolving the seepage problem.  He also listened to my concerns, identified primary and secondary issues, and said he would send a thorough e-mail containing precise details for a solution with a cost breakdown.  He arrived and left in about hour, and within a couple days he sent an e-mail estimate with two options. 1) A complete basement drain tile system with crack repairs, or 2) a partial system that he believed would resolve the problem at a lesser cost. He offered to allow me to "upgrade" to the full system in the future and pay the difference between the two estimates. This type of offer was not even discussed by the three other companies (two big names and one small business) that came for estimates.

With the exception of the extended (years-long) payment / financing options offered by the larger companies, Brian?s proposed solution was almost a hands-down winner.  The other small company was comparable, but after sending the initial estimate, Brian offered to return on the weekend to give me the opportunity to talk again when there was more time.  Other companies' approaches to doing exterior excavation ranged from doing minor reinforcement to not even wanting to touch it.  Brian, in contrast, said he can?t honestly guarantee a dry basement when he didn?t know what the previous repair looked like.  He offered to completely excavate the two walls that had work done previously and to replace (if necessary) any inferior quality materials with his own fix.  Now we're cooking with gas!  The cost of the job remained competitive, and this ?extra mile? effort on top of everything else fully satisfied my need to be 100% sure the seepage would be stopped.  I opted for the full drain tile system.

TIME
The timeframe Brian quoted was in line with all of his competitors: 2 days max.  The time element of the job met some challenges, taking 5 full working days to complete, (Tues-Fri plus half days Sat-Sun).  The reason?  The crew found the floor was new, dense 4-inch concrete poured on top of the original 4-inch concrete floor.  This meant twice the work for the breakup crew that was prepared for a conventional job, making it impossible to accommodate the original time frame. Brian promised to never leave a job unfinished, so he juggled his crews' schedules to make daily progress, and he never once raised his price despite the extra time or material (concrete) required. I was very grateful.  He also personally came to finish the job on the weekend rather than pushing it out to Monday or Tuesday.

EXTRAS AND RESPONSIVENESS
Some plumbing in the floor was impacted by the concrete breakup and required repairs due to its age and condition.  Brian took the time to find the exact materials I requested for the repair and installed them.  I was not present at installation so he took photos and video and sent them to me via smartphone so I could verify he got it right.  What other contractor does that?! He also paid attention to every detail for laying out the design of the downspout tie-ins, finishing touches, and every single special request I threw at him. He also spotted an additional leak in the corner of the foundation and sealed it up as well. His commitment to resolving every issue to my satisfaction was outstanding.

Brian made himself accessible via phone, e-mail and text, and he responded quickly to inquiries.  I wanted to know every detail of the work, and Brian accommodated. Another totally unexpected surprise came when Brian discovered that some of the promised work did not need to be performed, and he provided credit for this instead of using the difference for my extra requests.

SATISFACTION
"You'll be happy," is Brian's mantra.  He addressed a couple gripes - dust exposure to the first floor space; a few trampled plants outside - by providing equitable financial credits.  These professional oversights on his crew's part are unacceptable to Brian, and credit on the final bill was all he could do to make up for it.  Overall, the crew was polite, and one even brought a stack of extra floor tiles from his personal supply to replace some I'd lost during demolition work I had done weeks earlier!

From start to finish, despite delays and minor shortcomings, Brian executed on the proposed project by 100% nailing the two most important measures of success ? quality and cost. As for timing, the job ran long but Brian didn't quit until the job was done. I never expect perfection; nevertheless, Brian aimed to earn my satisfaction as his primary goal. I give an A+ on nearly every category, taking a point or two away for the issues mentioned.

Rain is coming in the next two days, and I'll only edit this review if the repairs fail to deliver a dry basement.  I am posting this review before the rain comes as a vote of confidence that I won't have to change a word.

The most important criterion to assess a job well done is whether you'd recommend a service provider to a family member or friend.  In Brian's case, I absolutely would."

"Progressive Restoration (Marcus Postawa) had a contract with our Town Home Association since 2012. They did an outstanding job on the town homes they painted that year. Due to financial difficulties, our Association did not honor the 2 buildings per year requirement in the contract.  Marcus was more than patient, and worked with the Board in order to fulfill the contract terms.  He even waited 3 years to get the balance paid in full. (9/2015)

The Board of Directors had a 5-way phone conversation with Marcus at a Board Meeting ( April 20, 2016) and we voted 4-1 to accept the new Change Order for 2016, which included a price increase above the 15% contract cost for our default of the 2 buildings per year requirement. The extra cost was due to severe weathering and deterioration of our siding and trim, which was going to require extra time and work. At no time was our Board of Directors considering legal action against Progressive Restoration. 

 Progressive had already signed other contracts prior to receiving our Association's signed contract and down payment, due to one Board member. He needed to complete the other jobs before starting our labor-intensive project. He wanted to begin when he could complete the two buildings from 2015  and start/finish the next two buildings without moving paint , painting equipment, and ladders. 

 I  was the Board member who was in contact with Marc during this new contract change order signed on April 29,2016, and was kept informed of targeted starting dates for our town homes.  He said he was about a month or so out from starting, but an unusual rainy June delayed completion of his other jobs before beginning our town homes.  

 Marcus and his painters had always been courteous and professional to me and other homeowners,  and they were always willing to explain work details.  Marcus contacted me on several occasions to tell me of compromised roofs, cedar trim, and gaps in flashing and siding.  He was told to paint the trim anyway so it looked uniform until it was replaced.

Progressive Restoration fulfilled their contract ( Power washing, caulk, 2 coats of paint...I  watched them while they painted one building in the 90 degree heat). He even included a 60 year caulk at no extra charge. The Board mailed homeowners and asked them to move patio furniture and yard objects away from the buildings prior to the painters beginning, but many didn't comply. The Board had told homeowners that anything not moved would be removed at their own expense, or this area wouldn't be done.  Marcus and his painters moved much of this themselves., at no charge. 

Punch lists were completed.  The President of the Homeowners Association, a Board member on the Architectural Committee, and  I walked each and every building with the painters, with their paint brushes and paint buckets in hand, and asked them to touch up a few areas before they were paid. They reminded us that their work comes with a 3 year warranty, and they seemed very proud of this!

Marcus and his painters did an excellent job, considering the condition of our siding and cedar trim boards. He really is a perfectionist, and I'd recommend Progressive Restoration for any painting job!"

Ellison Tuck pointing has been a established Masonry company for over 20 Years ! We service all your masonry and tuck pointing needs. Cracked walls,Chimney repairs,Full brick houses,New and old construction. Fireplaces and much more. Don't let a simple crack turn into a house nightmare. Water can and will do lots of damage including mold ! Fix it before it gets worse ! WE CAN HELP !! Call us for a free estimate !-815-739-5537 Ron Ellison

"Wow, I can't think of a more knowledgeable professional than Grant when it comes to water vs. house issues. He gave me a lot of tips on brick "seepage", foundation penetrations, and roof/wall leaks. The estimate for repairs is forthcoming, but whatever it is, I can't think of a more competent individual for this work."