Frequently Asked Questions
What if you can't tell anything from the photos?
Most likely we will ask you to provide more and/or better photos. If we can't give you a likely diagnosis, then you know more — you know it's an uncommon problem. Also, we will alert you to possibilities you can rule out. Or it may turn out that the material is not what you thought it was — you still know more. There are no refunds under any circumstances
Does your company do repair work?
Our onsite work is typically within about a 150-mile radius of Chicago. We will consider going anywhere to examine a structure and assist in evaluating options.
Will you recommend a contractor?
On rare occasions we will offer to quote the work ourselves. The "next steps" in our analysis may include identifying the type of contractor we think is best suited to doing the work.
What qualifies you to offer this service?
- Decades of experience looking at very old (historic) concrete and regularly observing how our new work and the work of others changes over time.
- All the people who perform Quick-Looks have a great deal of experience and regularly follow research in both trade and technical publications.
- We have been trained to think clearly about causes and effects.
- Back in 2000 Leo's experience in looking at historic structures was recognized. He was featured in a trade magazine article. Feel free to read his blog or other writings.
Why do you charge more if my problem is widespread and I want to send more than 10 pictures?
You are paying for the time it takes to review, analyze, and write the findings. More pictures take more time to study and usually if more pictures are required to communicate the problem, then the problem is more complex.
What if we want you to look at our problem in greater depth?
If we have appropriate resources (people) available we can work on a time, materials, and expense basis or we can mutually define a scope which we would then quote on a lump sum basis.