I highly recommend Barker Metalcraft if you need radiator covers. Brian was great. I had no issues at all with communication and setting up the appointments to measure and deliver my covers. Brian was prompt for both appointments. I'm very happy with my covers! read more

Barker Metalcraft - And bathroom...I love them all! - Metal Fabricators Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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In all fairness - I didn't use Barker for a job and they may be the best in making radiator covers; however, i wanted to give them another chance after my last review about their lack of porfessionalism on the phone. This time I got a voice mail. That in itself is common when companies are busy, but when you get a voice mail for a business it is expected that you reached the correct number - their voice mail just says "Hello please leave a message after the tone." So I called back in case I got a personal phone number in error. It was the same VM, so it looks like this business doesn't want to go through the bother of figuring out how to recortd a welcoming, or even professional, appropriate message. Barker isn't alone in this; over the years, companies make very little effort to be welcoming and professional. It's probably a matter of supply and demand. read more

In response to Brian's reply to my review, my project started in November 2021, 1.5 years after the pandemic began and Ron was in my home explaining delivery expectations with zero mention of COVID-19. I also never received a call to inform me of a delay in delivery so blaming a pandemic for your bad business practice is a shame. read more

The reply this company wrote in response to my review is outrageously FALSE. Total garbage. I see they are no more trustworthy now than they were 25 or 30 years ago. You can tell how absurdly false their reply is just by analyzing it. First, as I said in my review, I had a cardboard template to be used to cut a piece of sheet metal for me. I did NOT take a piece of metal in for them to cut. (I didn't even go to their establishment, I requested a quote based on the measurements by phone.) Logic tells you that if a person had his own sheet metal and wanted it cut, he would mark directly on the piece, not bring in a cardboard template. Even if they weren't telling a lie and I actually did bring in some piece of metal for them to cut, what sense under God's blue heaven does it make for them to say that the piece I brought in could harm their machines--but they'd be happy to go ahead and possibly ruin their machines anyway for a really high price? Common sense tells you they would have said this: "Sorry, but we cannot accept your piece of material to cut, but we would be happy to cut it out of a piece of our own stock for such-and-such a price." THAT is what they'd have said in real life. What a disgusting way to reply to a bad review. Their reply is totally, completely false. I never went into their establishment and never wanted anybody to cut a piece of my own metal (LOL, people don't stock sheets of metal in their homes). My advice: steer far clear of this outfit. Save money, reduce the amount of lies in the world, and surround yourself with decent people and companies. read more

We wanted radiator covers for an old house we moved into about a year ago. Ron came out and measured and when they were ready, he and a helper came out and installed them all. They look great and they are very functional (we have some thermostatic valves on a couple of the radiators and they are easy to get to through the access door). We were very happy with the quality, the look and the price. If you are looking for custom metal radiators at a fair price with good service, then give them a call. read more

I love old houses and radiant heat. You know- the kind of heat that is constant without out all the blowing of hot and cold that forced air heating and cooling gives you. Radiant heat (from radiators or from heated floors) keeps you warm and makes your home cozier because of it. But no one likes the looks of those old radiators. Many have been painted over the years and with the heat are now peeling and they are eye sores in your more formal rooms. Oh sure- you can push your furniture in front of it- but a custom made radiator cover will go a long way in making your radiator less of an eye sore. Enter Barker Metalcraft. Barker will custom design metal radiator covers for your home. Metal is better than the old wood covers as it helps to disperse the heat and they can also be designed to have a humidifier pan installed in the top so you can add water through an access panel, and keep your home comfortable throughout the winter months. I have used Barker for all my old homes over the years as well as my rental properties. They are quick, reasonably priced and will ship where ever you need them to. With the choice of grill patterns, colors, etc, you can be sure to create covers that will add to the elegance of your old house. Give Ron and the team at Barker Metalcraft the opportunity to bid on your next old home project, I think you'll be happy that you did! read more

Easy and professional experience from start to finish and we just love our beautiful radiator covers- what a difference it makes in the rooms to have our old radiators covered! Ron came to our home, measured each radiator (we had seven) and then discussed our options with us. Three weeks later, to the day, as stated, the covers were ready and Ron returned and installed them. We couldn't be more pleased- we highly recommend Ron and Barker Metalcraft! read more

Great service + great product. We got an old Chicago bungalow and inherited some pretty rusty old covers. After searching for weeks for options, we found Metalcraft. They came on site to measure and show samples of everything. Production took about 3 weeks for our custom covers, and install was a breeze. They hauled away to recycle the old ones, and we walked in to an upgraded home! Solid solid construction, the design we wanted, and clean paint. Highly recommend. read more

I purchased 2 (very expensive) radiators' covers for my 2 bedrooms in 2020. I was overall happy with the end result. I contacted Ron again recently to finish the job he had started 2 years ago, this time in in the living room and dinning room areas. After 3 or 4 attempts via text and 1 phone call (he is awful about responding), I finally got a text back. It said "Do not text or call anymore". How would you like a response like that? In my experience Ron was extremely rude and unprofessional. He has no people skills and he is overpriced in my opinion. read more

Our rental apartment needed three radiator covers. After looking at reviews, I decided to hire Barker, and I'm so glad I did. Ron is the owner, and he came to our building, took measurements, and showed me styles I could choose from. He is knowledgable about radiator heat and suggested how the radiator covers should be designed to produce the best output of heat. It took about one month to build all three and the cost was around $1000. I would highly recommend using Barker for your radiator needs! We would call Ron again! read more

We hired Barker Metalcraft to make radiator covers for our vintage home. These custom-made covers fit perfectly. We are very happy with this company, they did an excellent job for a fair price. read more

Barker Metalcraft - Radiator cover in remodeled NR - Metal Fabricators Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's difficult to find a company that can custom craft old-fashioned radiator covers--particularly to fit in difficult areas--so we were pleased to find Barker Metalcraft here in Chicago. One of the covers had to go over a cast iron radiator next to a sloped wall that narrowed the space with which to slip it over...a problem Ron solved by reducing the size of the back that isn't seen. Workmanship was impeccable and we were very pleased on delivery. With his skills and decades of experience, Ron is fair but firm about prices. Our 2 covers cost $894 with choice of pattern and color plus professional measurement and delivery (2 home visits). It was well worth it for the perfect fit and gorgeous appearance. read more

If I could give more than 5 stars I would! Not only was Ron and his staff super professional, Ron has to be one of the most sincere and personable businessmen I've worked with. They did 9 custom radiator covers for my preschool and some were awkwardly placed and sized. They do all sorts of metal coverings for various purposes and I highly recommend this company! Superior quality and service! read more

BEWARE. DO NOT TRUST THEM WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION. I hired Barker Metal for 2 radiator covers and a floor grill. Ron (the owner) quoted me $1,060.23 TOTAL. He asked for $500.00 down. I HAVE A RECEIPT IN HIS HANDWRITING STATING "FULL PRICE": $1,060.23. I paid the $500.00 down, and when he came to install the covers he said I owed $1,160.23. I said no, heres your receipt, I owe $560.23. He said "Oh, OK I could not read it, its dark in here." He took my credit card information but said he forgot the machine to run the charge. He then ran the $1,160.23 anyway helping himself to an extra $100.00. I said AGAIN I only owed $560.23, this time his excuse was he "forgot to charge me taxes." Thats a lie --The quote of $1, 060.23 included taxes (clearly, he didn't randomly quote 23 cents in the original price). Disgusting tactic. Must be desperate these days. My bank is reversing the charge. read more

Although i have seen some negative reviews on this company. I could not have been more pleased with the service and work that was done. I called Barker Metalcraft to get an estimate on air conditioner covers and Radiator covers for my home. I spoke with Phyliss who could not have more helpful and pleasant. She said that the owner Ron would come out and give me a free estimate. He showed up promptly on time, gave me an estimate that I thought was fair. He informed me on the time of delivery and installation. All completed on time and in a professional manner. My house looks beautiful with my new covers from Barker Metalcraft. I highly recommend this company. read more

We had Ron (the owner) build and install anti-burglar window grates on our two basement level windows. He showed up pretty much on time and had samples of the covers available, as well as paint chips to match the colors to our frames. He also explained why grates were better than bars for anti-theft protection. Though the grates were expensive ($195 each plus $40 for installation) and took a week to build and then install, I think he did a good job and I feel safer now. He also sent a nice thank-you letter a week later! read more

I was a little apprehensive to patronize this business based on the middling (at best) Yelp reviews but since it's one of the only radiator cover providers in Chicago, I felt forced into using their services (hello- problems with a monopoly. Go free market! but I digress). Fear not! This place is great! Radiator covers turned out handsome, were reasonably-priced, and staff was courteous. If I had to think of one thing not exactly perfect, it would be that Barker took a few days longer to manufacture our custom radiator covers than the original time estimate. And not the most expansive business hours. But these were minor details compared to the great product with great service! read more

Nothing but great things to say about Ron and our new radiator covers! He and his staff refurbished three of our 80yo covers and they look brand new. He also measured and constructed 3 new covers for some really wacky radiator/pipe situations. They fit like a glove. Service was excellent and the price extremely reasonable what with the price of metal these days. read more

This was one of the most pleasurable experiences we have ever had. We needed about six radiator covers. The owner came to our house, measured everything and had samples of the various styles and colors. Two weeks later, he came back to install the covers, which looked great. Prices were fair, service was great and completely without hassle. read more

Hired this company and paid a 50% deposit to fabricate and install custom, baseboard radiator covers. The owner, Mr. Ron Ked (legal name Ronald Kedzorski) met with my architect and I, at the project site during which we concisely stated our paint requirements and finish (i.e., matte, satin, gloss, etc.). Several days later, Mr. Ked requested an electronic copy of our paint requirements and finish, which he subsequently confirmed receiving. It took enormous effort to get Mr. Ked to commit to an install, and on the day of, we discovered Mr. Ked failed to adhere to our paint specifications (finish) and changed the design without our approval. When confronted with his errors, Mr. Ked persisted in denying our paint requirements (despite my architect and I share the same recollection or Mr. Ked confirming receipt). While on site, Mr. Ked agreed to fix his error. Subsequently, he refused to make an appointment to finish the job unless we agreed to pay him an additional 36% to fix his error. Out of fear he would vanish with our sizeable deposit we settled on 20%. It's been six weeks, Mr. Ked does not take my calls; I still do not have a confirmed install date (i.e., he'll only pick up if I mask my phone # or use a friend's phone). read more

Wow is the woman who answers the phone RUDE. Where did the owner find this person? Rushes you off the phone, doesn't want to answer your questions, if she feels like she has to- she will put you on hold for 10 minutes. She seems overwhelmed when you call her with other things she has going on, stating she "handles multiple tasks in the office". This is a very poor representation of your business for a first time buyer. Yikes! I'll update my review if I actually buy a quality product from this business and the owner calls me back, because the person that answer's the phone there... just wow. read more

If you are looking for radiator covers, I highly recommend Barker metalcraft! Ron came to our home and measured everything and delivered the finished product. We are happy with the job this company did! read more

Looking for something to protect my garage and basement windows to prevent someone breaking in.. and i found this company on the web. Someone came out and measured and install these "WINDOW GUARDS" on my windows. They look good. I feel safe. read more

I've given up on working with this company. I actually took off work to be at a scheduled appointment an hour before, the man called and said he "may not be able to make it". No status call from him happened. Several days later I called to re-schedule and the man acted as if he could care less about re-scheduling, and no apology from him occurred either regarding him missing the appointment or not calling to confirm whether he was going to be able to make it or not. I advise all yo stay away. read more

They quoted me 2-3 weeks to finish. It took four weeks. When the radiator covers were finally ready for pick-up, the covers were the wrong color. I brought it to their attention, and they said it would take another three business days to repaint them. I asked for a discount, and they refused. They were uncommunicative throughout the entire process; my husband continually had to check in on the status of the covers. Considering that radiator covers are their only business, you would think they would have it together way more than they do. You would be wrong. read more

We love our new radiator covers! Barker installed four new radiator covers in our 1927 vintage condo just yesterday. They matched the grills and the paint colors of our existing covers. They made it easy by coming out and measuring, and the covers fit perfectly. We are very happy with the product and the service, and I would absolutely go back to them if we ever decided to replace our old covers. We see quite a few service people, and working with Barker was a great experience, read more

We have an old house, and have dealt with Ron at Barker Metalcraft for over 25 years. They produce a great product at a reasonable price, and the product lasts and lasts, and continues to serve its intended function. I highly recommend them for radiator covers and air conditioner covers. read more

Ron and Barker MetalCraft could not have been easier to work with. Ron came out to measure and show me samples and color swatches. The work was done on time and he came back to put the radiator covers in place. He had great ideas for me and his experience shows in how easy the process was for me. I really appreciate all of his guidance and the radiator covers look great! What a difference. read more

Very surprised with this negative review as we had a great experience with the company and owner. We had custom screens made for a window bench in our new home addition. We needed to hide all of the tv components in the window bench, but needed access so the remote would work. Ron came up with a great solution...build doors under the window bench, put in metal screens on the doors - a vintage look...and the remote could access the components! Looks amazing and works great. They were helpful, on timely and creative and we highly recommend barker metalcrft. read more

Such a pleasant experience! I love my radiant heat but hated the look. My bathroom now looks so much better with my new cover. Everyone at Barker was extremely friendly and great to work with! Cannot wait to order more. read more

I ordered 4 radiator covers for my house. They are local and a small business which I like to do business with to keep in business. They are great! They look very beautiful. Nice crew who came and delivered. I would recommend them. read more

We ordered radiator covers for our home from Barker Metalcraft. The owner called immediately, came out to do the measurements himself and had our beautiful covers finished in two weeks. He came out to install them himself. We could not have been more pleased with the product, the reasonable price, and the service we received. He was friendly, informative and very professional. L.S. and G.S. 2/14/2014 read more