Wet Building Solutions

Wet Building Solutions Wet Building Solutions evaluates wet buildings of all kinds and designs solutions specifically for
each one.

We diagnose leak sources, prioritize and recommend repairs. We design building envelopes,
flashing details, ventilation, rain screens and recommend innovative materials to prevent leaks.

This 1970s, 27-unit, 4-story brick/block building in DesPlaines, IL was experiencing leaking in multiple units on differ...
03/15/2026

This 1970s, 27-unit, 4-story brick/block building in DesPlaines, IL was experiencing leaking in multiple units on different floor levels and some odd smells wafting through halls. Multiple contractors tried to find the source.
We met Jan at the Cooperator Condo Expo. We brought in building scientists to perform water testing, roofers to examine the edge metal/roof situation and masons to evaluate the brick. We opened up drywall in several units and tested for moisture coming through the block.

Turns out water was coming in everywhere. Moisture from the brick was migrating into the concrete floor/ceiling decks, the roof membrane was cut short under the edge metal allowing wind driven rain to enter the walls, the window casings needed to be re-caulked and the cantilevered concrete balconies were transferring water to the masonry walls. Repairs were started on the roof.

If your building has leaks of unknown origin, call Bob at 312-720-1467 to schedule an evaluation. Or visit www.WetBuildingSolutions.com to learn more.

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All buildings have mold, its a fact of life as we know it.Issues arise based on the type of mold, amount of mold, the lo...
03/14/2026

All buildings have mold, its a fact of life as we know it.

Issues arise based on the type of mold, amount of mold, the location of mold in your building and the mold's food source.

If your masonry building has funky smells and/or persistent leaks, give Wet Building Solutions a call and schedule a consulting session with the owner, Bob Kelly.

Bob's advice, be proactive. The longer you wait, the more damage your building could sustain and the more dangerous mold can become.

Call 312-720-2168 or email [email protected] to schedule an assessment
or visit www.WetBuildingSolutions.com to learn more

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Leaking ceilings? The top pic is damage from a roof top door that needed door pan flashing, among other repairs, the bot...
03/11/2026

Leaking ceilings? The top pic is damage from a roof top door that needed door pan flashing, among other repairs, the bottom pic is leaking from an unflashed parapet wall directly above the leak. If you have random leaks in your ceiling, give Bob Kelly, founder of Wet Building Solutions a call to schedule an evaluation.

Visit www.WetBuildingSolutions.com to learn more.

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03/10/2026

Bob Kelly of WickRight Passive Ventilation, Wet Building Solutions and 365 Construction Tents talks with folks in Passive House Accelerator Contruction Tech team - Zack Semke, Kevin Brennan, Shannon Pendleton, Shaun St. Armour and Mark Wille.

Bob shows techniques and technologies of fixing water-damaged masonry buildings with flat roofs with some very dramatic photos. His whirlwind tour includes parapet walls that were soaking wet, efflorescence on brick walls, and even in one case a waterfall pouring out of a punctured cinder-block wall. He explains that he’s been solving these water management issues in Chicago for over a decade, but there's 100,000+ more problematic buildings to fix in every urban center across America -- These issues are certainly not limited to the windy city. Bob's solutions are firmly rooted in building science. Preventing water intrusion and creating vent pathways for moisture v***r are the guidelines he uses to dry out wet masonry, extend the life of flat roofs, and prevent truss damage...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80wX5D2jGw8&list=PLOGToCkNlgvO48qkgx_mCiBGYxJtiDuYU
https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/

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Over the course of 3 years, Bob Kelly, founder of Wet Building Solutions, consulted on repairs needed on this historic b...
03/08/2026

Over the course of 3 years, Bob Kelly, founder of Wet Building Solutions, consulted on repairs needed on this historic building in Uptown. It needed masonry maintenance (repointing), window casing replacement on the front and consulting on repair of a side wall that had been deteriorating for years.

Working with the HOA, Bob established a staged approach to help them budget for repairs. He designed and fabricated new window casings to prevent moisture intrusion around the windows. He coordinated multiple subcontractors to repair the building, including replacing rusty lintels and he recommended installing WickRight vented flashings on the parapet walls.

Visit www.WetBuildingSolutions.com to learn more or give Bob a call at 312-720-2168

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If you home or building leaks, stinks or has white stains, call Bob Kelly at Wet Building Solutions to schedule a consul...
03/07/2026

If you home or building leaks, stinks or has white stains, call Bob Kelly at Wet Building Solutions to schedule a consulting session. Bob's advice, be proactive. The longer you wait, the more damage your building could sustain.

Services Wet Building Solutions provides include for residential and commercial building owners, restoration and new construction architects and fellow contractors:
✅ Leak Diagnosis
✅ Building Envelope Consulting
✅ Roof Consulting - focused on Flat Roofs (low-slope) but also
✅ Masonry Consulting (Historic and Contemporary)
✅ Stucco and EFIS Consulting
✅ Structural Engineering Services for Truss Reinforcement & Replacement
✅ Structural Engineering Services for Leaning or Bulging Masonry Walls
✅ Mold Remediation Guidance and Planning
✅ Repair Planning
✅ Owner Representation
✅ Expert Testimony
✅ HOA and Unit Owner Education
✅ Architect and Contractor Lunch and Learns

Call 312-720-2168
Email [email protected]
Visit www.WetBuildingSolutions.com to learn more

03/05/2026

Building consultant and founder of Wet Building Solutions, Bob Kelly talks about this pervasive issue in Chicago and other urban centers across the US. "It's an enormous problem so big that most people can't believe it even exists," Kelly says.

Kelly describes his first repair project when he became aware of how moisture migrates through concrete block in a three dimensional manner. He also describes how he developed the first passive ventilation parapet vent prototype using a membrane commonly found on roof ridge vents. He also explains how the WickRight Roof Vent was discovered.

Visit www.wickright.com or www.wickrightgeneralcontracting.com to learn more or give Bob a call at 312-720-1467

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Do you have water damage along baseboards? If yes, you might have wet block behind the drywall. Split face block and con...
03/04/2026

Do you have water damage along baseboards? If yes, you might have wet block behind the drywall. Split face block and concrete block buildings leak. They just do. Look at the outside walls -- if they are obviously wet, and you have odd smells or persistent leaks, call Bob Kelly at 312-720-2168. Bob is the founder of Wet Building Solutions, he evaluates wet buildings of all ages, shapes and sizes throughout Chicagoland.

Visit www.WetBuildingSolutions to learn more.

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03/03/2026

Bob Kelly of WickRight Passive Ventilation, Wet Building Solutions and 365 Construction Tents talks with Zack Semke, Kevin Brennan, Shannon Pendleton, Shaun St. Armour and Mark Wille about fixing water-damaged masonry buildings with flat roofs.

His presentation includes soaking wet parapet walls, efflorescence and water pouring out of a split face block wall. Bob explains although he’s been fixing buildings in Chicago for over a decade, and there are still 100,000+ more buildings to fix and millions more in urban centers across the U.S.

Bob's solutions are firmly rooted in building science. Preventing water intrusion and providing engineered vented pathways for moisture v***r to exhaust are the guidelines he uses to dry out wet masonry, extend the life of flat roofs, and prevent truss damage...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80wX5D2jGw8&list=PLOGToCkNlgvO48qkgx_mCiBGYxJtiDuYU
https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/

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We love it when our clients are happy. If you have a complicated water intrusion issue on your roof, masonry, balcony or...
03/01/2026

We love it when our clients are happy. If you have a complicated water intrusion issue on your roof, masonry, balcony or windows, give Bob Kelly a call at 312-720-2168 to schedule a consultation. Visit www.WetBuildingSolutions.com to learn more.

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Got mysterious leaks? Give Bob Kelly, owner of Wet Building Services a call. He'll figure out the leak source and provid...
02/28/2026

Got mysterious leaks? Give Bob Kelly, owner of Wet Building Services a call. He'll figure out the leak source and provide proven repair recommendations to stop mold and structural water damage in its tracks.

Historic or new, masonry buildings can hide a multitude of moisture intrusion issues. If your masonry building has funky smells and/or persistent leaks, schedule an consulting session and get peace of mind, knowing that you're working with the leading moisture repair specialist in the Chicago area.

In the fall of 2025, Bob advised the owners of 4 single family homes and 3 multi-family buildings this year – in Chicago and on Chicago's North Shore that had structural damage caused by moisture intrusion issues. Two buildings required truss reinforcement and 1 building needed multiple trusses replaced.

Bob's free advice, be proactive. The longer you wait, the more damage your building could sustain.

Call 312-720-2168 or email [email protected] to schedule an assessment
or visit www.WetBuildingSolutions.com to learn more

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Address

4311 N Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago, IL
60613

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm

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