Objectives of Thorough Chicago Water Damage Restoration

4/6/2023 (Permalink)

If your home sustains water damage, call in the professionals for assistance with water clean-up and remediation services in Chicago.

The Many Focal Points of Water Damage Recovery 

While wind and storm damage are common to the city, residents of the neighborhoods we serve experience water disasters in their homes most frequently. Responding to these emergencies involves calculated mitigation actions starting as soon as the team arrives and continuing until we achieve a preloss condition. Technicians of our roster are knowledgeable with:

• Water removal
• Content management
• Repairs and demolition
• Drying and cleaning
• Reconstruction

It is essential to act fast when Chicago water damage occurs. Because moisture and standing water continue to spread through building materials and open areas, delays in starting restoration can be costly and time-consuming. We have accredited technicians available 24/7 to mobilize quickly when disasters strike. The rapid response of our team saves money and upholds our promise that We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Types of Water Damage Incidents

Water damage claims happen every day. With the frequency of these situations and the severity of the impact on a structure, understanding how destructive and unrelenting these effects can become shows where professional restoration is needed. Emergencies can occur from many possible sources, but the most frequent and common of these include:

• Spills 
• Leaks
• Pipe bursts 
• Broken appliances 
• Flooding

Starting Water Removal Services

The start of mitigation services in a home after water damage hinges most directly on the measures taken to remove standing water. Pooling is detrimental to the property and its building materials, as many of these are semi or highly porous. Using a combination of wet vacuums and submersible pumps, our responding professionals can eliminate standing water concerns and focus on needed drying efforts.

Evaluating Trapped Water Concerns

Water that becomes trapped in building materials should be addressed quickly as well. As challenging as surface water can be, prolonged saturation of sensitive materials can alter the composition of these elements. For example, the cellulose in wood flooring can absorb moisture quickly, so water can become bound molecularly and make these flooring materials unsalvageable.

Starting Focused Drying 

Few processes are as important to water restoration as drying will be. For this reason, our professionals arrive with dozens of drying units, from air movers to drying mats, all with the explicit purpose of regulating drying principles like airflow, temperature, and humidity levels. The balance of these elements promotes effective water removal. Tools include:

• Air Movers – These units introduce blasts of warm air across moist surfaces, drying the water and dispelling vapor barriers created by the evaporation process. 
• Heaters – Warmer temperatures allow evaporation to happen faster but can also increase the room's relative humidity. 
• Dehumidifiers – Tools used to remove moisture from the environment and lower overall humidity.

Mold Prevention Solutions 

Mold is an expected byproduct after water and moisture exposure. Lengthy damp conditions can facilitate colonies, which target organic matter like drywall and wood construction materials. Preventative measures during water cleanup can reduce the likelihood of mold development by applying inhibitors to susceptible surfaces.

Large Loss Recovery 

With multiple franchises owned by the same family and operating from the same primary warehouse, we are more equipped than most restoration teams to handle significant Large Loss events. Chicagoland is home to thousands of businesses, many of which demand swift remediation and clean-up after disasters. Our 24/7 response and inventory of trailered and industrial-grade equipment allows us to manage pressing timelines and expectations.

Chicago water damage events can be widespread and misjudged by a homeowner without the appropriate discovery tools and experience with restoration. It is beneficial to rely on the expertise and fast response of our SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City team to help. Call now at (773) 337-3993.

Water Damage Repair for Chicago Kitchens from Leaking Appliances

12/2/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage restoration is no easy task. Call the experienced team of SERVPRO for fast and immediate service for your home.

Dishwasher Leaks Require Water Damage Repair

Water disaster service callouts are common for our SERVPRO professionals. The kitchen has a convergence of plumbing and water-fed appliances, making it a place likely to experience these catastrophes our SERVPRO team can help resolve.

Is a Dishwasher Leak Likely?

Over their lifetime, appliances like dishwashers can fail or break and cause conditions that require water damage repair for Chicago homes. Kitchens can be rapidly overrun by excessive water, though massive disasters are only one of the ways that emergencies with the dishwasher might occur. Leaks around gaskets and through hose connections underneath the unit could create a slower-developing concern for your residence.

The Need for Controlled Demolition

• Flooring – Laminate flooring and other more porous materials can be slowly damaged over time with a prolonged drip or leak. Even immediate burst pipe damage can overwhelm flooring and require stripping down to the subflooring elements.
• Cabinets – Cabinets can be easily overcome by moisture and water damage, especially with more porous materials like laminates and fiberboard. Warped and damaged base cabinets will need to get removed. 
• Plumbing – Fixtures within the walls or underneath the dishwasher unit might need to get assessed for replacement. When the leak originates from these points, it might be worth replacing the entire hose assemblies throughout the appliance to safeguard against repeats. 

Rebuilding the Damage

With the controlled demolition phase completed, SERVPRO professionals work to sufficiently dry the remaining exposed elements and safeguard them from mold development. Repairs follow, replacing the flooring, utilities, and wall system materials. Cabinets and countertops are the final installations, as these might be the challenging elements to match with existing units. 

The kitchen is an area that might experience water damage repairs in your home’s lifetime. When you need restoration services after these disasters, contact our trusted SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City team at (773) 337-3993.

Water Damage can Happen After a Fire in Your Chicago Residence

6/5/2022 (Permalink)

Our priority at SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City is to take care of your home like it is our own.

SERVPRO Offers Water & Fire Restoration Services to Chicago Homes

Both Chicago homeowners and renters can experience damage to their belongings. Furniture, beddings, clothing, books, and other items can become ruined, or nearly so, through no fault of your own. Repairing items, cleaning them, or performing restorative work can help restore many possessions, helping keep replacement costs low and manageable while also helping to preserve unreplaceable keepsakes.

Residents in Chicago might experience water damage after a small fire. Putting any size fire out with water can lead to damaged areas of your home. Because many people feel relieved after the blaze goes out, they forget to take care of the water, leading to problems later. SERVPRO understands that your initial efforts to save your home and its contents when the fire ignited can backfire all too easily, but we can help solve the situation.

When water stays in place, damage ends up slowly accruing. Stains, bubbled paint, loosened carpet and padding, result in many other problems. Even when firefighters put out a massive fire, removing the water becomes an additional responsibility of the homeowner. Renters might find themselves at the landlord's mercy regarding their belongings, but we also work with these individuals and their families. Water damage can include visible staining and microbial growth in clothing, leather goods, and footwear. Odors can also become a nuisance. Special laundering and cleaning can eliminate many of these situations and save your belongings.

Artwork and wall hangings can harbor moisture from the water you used for fire extinguishment, leading to mold colonies and other microbes growing wildly out of control. Bleed-through and other stains can also become unsightly and ruin your investments.

Drying out your dwelling can stop water damage and allow us the drier environment needed to begin preserving your belongings and undoing any current damage. Air movers, heaters, and desiccant machines help us reach our goals of a dry residence and keep humidity and moisture from continuing to infiltrate your home's environment.

SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City wants to help all of our neighbors when their homes or belongings require restoration after water damage threatens your possessions. We can be reached at any hour, day or night, by calling our local service line, (773) 337-3993, any day of the year.

Water Damage Repair After a Failed Sump Pump in Chicago

5/8/2022 (Permalink)

Basement flooding issues need to be quickly assessed and have the water removal and repair services started on right away. Contact our SERVPRO team.

SERVPRO Provides Efficient Water Damage Repair for Chicago Residents

The basement is one area of any Chicago home that is very vulnerable to flood water infiltration. The basement can get flooded whenever there is a foundation leak, natural flooding, a sewage backup, or soil oversaturation after heavy rains. If you end up with water damage and flooding after your sump pump fails, SERVPRO is there to help with water removal services, damage repair, and drying.

When you call us for water damage repair in Chicago, you can expect to see our team arrive at your door within hours. We must get in fast to begin water mitigation efforts and extraction as soon as possible to limit damage and overall cost for your project. If you have an issue with your sump pump, you must know how it works and what you can do to avoid the problem in the future.

• Sump pumps excess water that comes in from outside and collects inside your interior pump basin. After the basin fills, a sensor triggers the pump to turn on and pump the water back outside a safe distance from the home’s foundation.
• The sump pump must remain functional to protect your home and basement from flooding. During a flooding and heavy rain event, failure to trigger could mean significant water damage.
• Your sump pump’s screen, inlet opening, pump, and basin should be checked and cleaned regularly.

Should you experience flooding or water damage even after caring for your sump pump, calling in the help of our skilled water damage professionals will get everything cleaned up fast. SERVPRO uses advanced extraction tools and drying equipment to pull water and remaining moisture from your basement. We also address possible black mold growth that may have developed due to the water infiltration.

Call (773) 337-3993 to have SERVPRO of Marquette Park/West Lawn/Ford City mobilize a crew to your door. You can look to us for all of your water extractions and water damage repair needs.

Water Damage Can Destroy Your Chicago Home

5/8/2022 (Permalink)

Broken pipes can spill a large amount of water on your property very quickly. Call SERVPRO 24/7 for effective water removal services.

What Happens Without Water Removal in a Chicago Home?

Water damage winds up in properties in a myriad of ways. Common sources are overflowing toilets, broken pipes, or an appliance such as a washing machine going on the fritz.

No matter how the damage occurred in a Chicago home, water removal needs to occur quickly. But what happens if the homeowners simply blot up the water they can see and leave the rest to dry on its own?

Structural Damages from Water

When sheetrock has exposure to excessive moisture for an extended time, it buckles and warps. Once that happens, the only outcome is removal as it has no restoration potential. Vinyl tiles commonly delaminate and on a case by case basis, receive an inspection by SERVPRO technicians for the possibility of reuse.

The Threat of Mold Damage

As fast as 24-hours after a water loss in a home, mold spores can germinate and spread throughout the area. This scenario is costly as mold infestations require professional remediation to ensure no cross-contamination occurs along with correcting the issue that created the favorable environment for the establishment of colonies.

Foul Odors

The need for odor control is another outcome of inadequate water cleanup. Water that runs behind baseboards or within wall cavities can set the home up for foul odors, and quite often, mold growth is a part of the equation.

Professional Water Extraction Methods

When SERVPRO technicians handle water damage, they use moisture detection equipment to determine all areas of excessive moisture. They then use water removal equipment, remove baseboards as needed, and extract any remaining water.

Professional equipment for drying also makes a difference. Using attachments that force warm, dry air into floors and walls to ensure complete dryness. Dehumidification equipment assists in the lowering of ambient humidity that also helps reduce odors and dry existing mold colonies.

SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993 stands ready to assist local property owners with any size needed water removal job. The certified technicians work quickly to make the damage “Like it never even happened.”

Ice Dams and Water Damage in Your Chicago Attic

3/1/2022 (Permalink)

Time to call SERVPRO when ice dams create water damage on your Chicago home's roof

When Your Chicago Attic Has Suffered Water Damage or Ice Dams, Call SERVPRO

During Chicago winters, the temperature of your attic can reach above freezing, which melts the snow on your roof. When this melted snow runs down your roof and into the colder eaves, it refreezes. Over several days this cycle continues, and freezing snowmelt builds up and creates an ice dam. Behind this, water forms into puddles that are quite large. This water can push into your attic or damage the structure's siding.

With attic leaks, you may not even realize there is an issue at first, which could worsen the water damage by the time you notice it.

Your Chicago home needs the help of water damage professionals to get it back in shape. SERVPRO is always ready to help you clean up the water mess and repair any damage that has been done.

Attics are not always easy to access, and the amount of equipment we can get into the damaged area can be limited. The drying process can be difficult because of water-soaked sheetrock, which may require demolition, allowing access to the attic crawlspace.

Restoration of attics often involves SERVPRO crews to manage the insulation. We can dry out wet fiberglass insulation and save it, but we might not be able to restore damp plaster or sheetrock under the insulation. Typically, it is more efficient and cost-effective to remove and discard the insulation. Removing insulation and sheetrock during demolition can make vast amounts of dust, plus high air movement can force the dust to move throughout your home. In this case, we might have to build containment to minimize cross-contamination and utilize negative air pressure to channel the airborne particles to the exterior.

SERVPRO of Marquette Park/West Lawn/Ford City is sure to be careful while drying and repairing your attic after water damage. Call us at (773) 337-3993.

Restoring Water Damage To Your Chicago Apartment

1/21/2022 (Permalink)

For assistance with water cleanup, call the experts at SERVPRO. We are Here to Help.

SERVPRO Can Help With Restoring Water Damage In Chicago

Owning an apartment in Chicago comes with an added set of concerns when a disaster occurs. Even a seemingly minor incident could produce significant water damage. The threat of this kind of emergency makes a property owner have to be even more diligent with preventative maintenance of appliances and plumbing to reduce the risk of something costly occurring. The trouble is that some unfortunate incidents occur with no warning and can entirely be the fault of someone else.

Water damage to your Chicago apartment is very different than a typical homeowner having a substantial leak from their basement pipes. In a building full of flats, you have to be concerned with more than just the immediate damages to your place and couple that with concerns for the damage that spreads out to nearby apartments both to the sides and underneath yours.

With added stresses of needing to consider potential damages to your neighbors, it is imperative for you to reach out quickly to SERVPRO. Our emergency response team is outfitted with the tools and skills to clean up the mess and to restore the area, provided that the damage is not beyond replacing damaged drywall.

Our SERVPRO professionals work quickly to assess the root of the problem and prevent it from getting worse as soon as we arrive. Depending on the severity of the water in the apartment, portable pumps can be used to remove standing water. Drying the area is critical, as this prevents the spread of the damage to neighboring properties sharing common walls/floors and reduces the moisture available for mold colonies to start forming.

We will work closely with your insurance company to assess the damages and the appropriate actions that have been taken to remedy them. This direct communication helps streamline the process and ensure that the work is completed to restore your apartment in a timely manner.

Owning an apartment does not mean that you have to handle water damages to your property alone. You can call us at SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at any time at (773) 337-3993.

Three Ways Pipes Can Break in Chicago Homes

1/7/2022 (Permalink)

For any type of water damage in your home you can count on SERVPRO to help. Just call (773) 337-3993.

Knowing How Disasters Occur Ensures You Have a Plan to Protect Your Chicago Residence After Water Damage.

Pipe bursts are among the more common reasons our SERVPRO team must provide emergency services for homes with water damage. These situations occur without warning and can leave properties contending with several inches of standing water in a short period. Our fast-responding professionals appreciate the urgency to resolve any of the main reasons pipes might burst. 

Old Materials Can Degrade 

Many homes in and around the windy city are decades old or more, so water damage to Chicago properties is inevitable. Copper and lead lines, which were the staple of plumbing construction until the late 1980s, show their wear and degradation over time. The erosion and scaling of water lines leave them vulnerable to splits and separations. 

Freezing and Bursting Pipes

Freezing and frigid conditions also cause problems for vulnerable plumbing. Under-insulated pipes and fixtures exposed to the elements but still energized by the main lines pose a potential problem for bursts, flooding, and severe structural damages. 

Irregular Pressure or Blockages 

Variances in pressure within the line, such as an air pocket traveling through your water heater and distributed through the service lines in the property, can force weakened joints and bends to expand beyond their thresholds. The result is a break, leak, or rupture of the pipe. 

How Can SERVPRO Help After Pipe Bursts? 

How you respond to severe water damage can make a difference in the harm your property experiences. Professional restoration like we provide helps to solve pressing issues as soon as the team first arrives, including: 

• Extraction
• Drying
• Content Relocation
• Plumbing Repair 

There are many reasons that pipes could burst or leak in a household. Still, however, water damage exists in area homes. Our SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City team is Here to Help. Call today at (773) 337-3993.

How Water Damage from Your Leaky Windows in Chicago Affects Your Wooden Floors

8/17/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage can be so unpredictable, call SERVPRO today for your Chicago water damage.

Contact SERVPRO Before Water Damage Ruins Your Hardwood Flooring

There are several reasons window leaks can happen, but usually, they are from poorly installed windows or windows that have parts that are worn, causing the breakdown of sealants. If your Chicago home’s windows are leaking, you have a big problem with your hands. Window leakage is not just annoying. It can create damage to your home, including mildew and mold growth, rotting wood, and even problems with your foundation.

If you notice the windows in your home are leaking, do not ignore them. You should think about having them repaired or replaced right away, and if there is already water damage to your Chicago home, contact SERVPRO immediately to help you clean and repair the damage.

Save Your Hardwood Flooring From Water Damage

When you have wood flooring under a leaking window, our team can help you restore it. We understand how moisture affects different materials and how to dry them properly. Exposure time and permeance are the two primary variables in figuring out how much damage has been done. Permeance refers to how quickly water vapor can go through a material, while exposure time refers to how long the floor was wet. It is, therefore, necessary to contact us right away when you notice a problem to avoid additional damage.

Wood naturally contains moisture but it expands when it absorbs excess moisture. Boards can warp and expand one's butt up against each other, causing buckling at the joints where the boards touch or where they meet the walls. The flooring needs to be replaced if proper drying and refinishing cannot get rid of the damage.

Cupping happens when the water absorbs from the sides and bottom of the wood. The edges raise up slightly. We can typically sand cupping out of the wood.

Crowning occurs when the top of the wood has more moisture than the bottom and sides, which makes the wood arch, making a bowed shape in the middle. It usually happens when the bottom of the wood is over-dried. SERVPRO techs generally cannot sand out this type of problem.

If your leaking window has caused damage to your wood flooring, SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City can assess whether we can dry the wood out and fix the problem or if the flooring must be replaced. Either way, residents in the areas of Chicago, Downtown Chicago, or Ford City should call us as soon as they recognize a problem at (773) 337-3993.

Can Chicago Water Removal Specialists Mitigate Carpet Water Damage?

8/4/2021 (Permalink)

Damp carpet from water damage can cause quite an issue. Call SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City for assistance today.

Chicago SERVPRO Techs Remove Carpet Water Damage with Specialized Extraction Tools

Whether the damage is caused by pipe leaks or appliance failures on a Chicago property, carpet and pad can become a thriving environment for mold growth in as little as 24 hours after moisture exposure. Without rapid-response water removal, moisture can seep through to compromise subflooring and any floors below.

SERVPRO professionals provide water removal for Chicago homes day and night to return affected structures and contents to a preloss state. Highly-trained techs carefully observe Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) guidelines for water damage mitigation.

SERVPRO Extraction for Chicago Home Carpeting and More

Chicago SERVPRO professionals take a multi-pronged approach to save carpet and pad from moisture exposure:

• Specially-designed carpet wands pull water damage out of carpeting with the vacuum component of the extractor unit
• Portable extractors address nooks and crannies in walls, baseboards, corners, and other hard-to-reach spaces
• Rover vacuums use weight and pressure to pull water out of saturated carpeting

Technicians can then pull up carpet and pad to examine the subfloor and prepare it for drying with centrifugal air movers and low-grain refrigerant dehumidifiers. SERVPRO can also inject or spray carpeting with EPA-registered antimicrobials during the cleanup process.

Don’t wait for clean category 1 water to degrade into gray category 2 or black water which is category 3. Then the pad must be discarded and generally also the carpet. 

SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City proves that We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster service 24/7 for property owners who call (773) 337-3993.

Water Damage from an Overflowing Sink in Your Downtown Chicago Home

7/16/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage from an overflowing sink can sometimes be quite severe. Contact SERVPRO 24/7 to arrive quickly on the scene.

Be Aware that Water Damage can Grow From Small to Large to Mold in Days

A sink that overflows can create just a small amount of water damage if it is caught quickly. However, if it is unchecked for several hours, the results can be devastating. It is one of those human errors that are seemingly small but can lead to huge consequences. Plus, if the overflow occurs on the upper level of your residence, you can easily wind up with water damage throughout the home.

Water removal in your Downtown Chicago home must be done as soon as possible to prevent further damages. You need the professional help of SERVPRO, a water damage restoration company. We have the training and experience required to get your home back to its preloss condition.

You may have the overflow from a child playing in the bathroom or something foreign being placed in the sink and clogging the drain. At SERVPRO, we understand the stress of such a disaster, so we are available 24/7 to help you out when you contact us.

Water Damage Restoration to Prevent Mold Damage

Water from your sink is safe for consumption. Therefore, there are not many bacteria that can cause harm right away. The threat, however, develops if a fair amount of time passes before you have the water cleaned up. Temperature and time let bacteria and mold grow and thrive, which heightens the contamination and water damage. Our technicians check your home for hidden moisture or mold growth once we have all the standing water cleaned up, as mold can begin growing in as little as 24 to 48 hours.

We also communicate with your insurance company, so it is a worry that you do not have to handle yourself. Instead, you can focus on your family and their needs while we take care of getting the coverage you deserve.

An overflowing sink is not something to take lightly, as it can cause lots of damage to your home, so contact us at SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City as soon as you are aware that you have a problem. We can be reached anytime at (773) 337-3993.

Water Damage in Your Downtown Chicago Residence Can Negatively Impact Furnishings

6/14/2021 (Permalink)

Water not only damages floors and structures, but also your belongings. SERVPRO is trained to restore you water damaged home.

Your Furnishing Can Be Severely Affected by Water Damage in Your Downtown Chicago Home

Your home is more than just four walls and a roof. You and your family have things in it that you consider being special. Memories, trophies, gifts from loved ones – they all have a special place, a secure and protected place, inside your home, safe from damaging threats of the outside world.

In Downtown Chicago, leaks from water lines or appliances inside your home can release water that can damage your furnishings and those prized possessions. This damage can occur in moments when books and magazines are saturated or over a few hours or days when it involves Grandma's antique quilts stored in the basement. Depending on the source of the water and the location, things can become soggy and wet fast.

Trained Technicians for Water Damage Repairs

The water damage restoration technicians at SERVPRO can preserve your belongings by drying them out, along with other restoration techniques. Our equipment covers a wide range of possible needs when disasters involving water happen in your home. Repairing a home's structure is not the only aspect of restoration we provide. Our IICRC training includes certifications for cleaning and restoring upholstery, drapes, carpets and rugs, and other home furnishings made from textiles.

Upholstered cushions with textured weaves are often made from various fibers. If these are not cared for correctly, the different components can dry unevenly. These need to be dried specially and possibly stretched while drying to retain their correct lengths. Soft but stiff brushes can also be necessary when restoring cushions to maintain their original naps.

Unique keepsakes such as antique quilts and wall-hangings can be taken to our site and laundered and dried with special equipment. These are often too large to be handled adequately in a home's washer and dryer. Placing them inside a unit that is too small can result in shredded fabric. Reading materials can be dried rapidly so that curling of pages is minimized, but it is rare when books or magazines are completely undamaged by contact with water. We can ensure that the moisture content of paper-related items is within normal moisture content levels before they are returned to you so that secondary water damage is not a concern.

Let us help you restore your home's contents after water damage has affected your home. Call SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993 at any time of the day or night. We're always available to answer your call, and we consult with you regarding the situation.

Downtown Chicago Homeowners Rely on SERVPRO for Water Damage Mitigation

5/6/2021 (Permalink)

If your home is damaged by water, call in the professionals for assistance with water clean up and remediation services at (773) 337-3993.

SERVPRO Offers 24/7 Water Damage Restoration Services to Downtown Chicago Residents

Located on the southwestern shore of the majestic Lake Michigan, Downtown Chicago is home to over 2.7 million proud residents. With 100 neighborhoods and 77 community areas, it is the third-largest city in the United States. A truly multicultural city, Downtown Chicago embodies the values of America's heartland. 

The city is known for many things- a gorgeous skyline, amazing museums and more importantly, the food! Downtown Chicago has some amazing restaurants and eateries. From Michelin star fine dining places to unassuming little pop-up restaurants, there is something for every palate. 

The Food Scene in Downtown Chicago

The deep-dish pizza is as iconic as the city itself, but there is so much more to try in Downtown Chicago. The following are some of the best places in the city to have a bite. 

• The Signature Room at the 95th- Perched on the 95th floor of one of Downtown Chicago's most famous skyscrapers, the Signature Room is an experience to behold. The sweeping panoramas of the city are as gorgeous as the food itself. You can find upscale menu items here, including roasted racks of lamb and seafood towers, to name a few. The wine and spirit collection is also quite extensive. 
• Gibson's Bar and Steakhouse- A steakhouse like no other, you can't miss Gibson's if you are in the city. The restaurant exclusively uses its own USDA-certified Angus Beef for that extra punch of flavor. There is a long list of choice cuts on the menu, from the dainty filet mignon to the gigantic tomahawk. They also have an exquisite take on a hamburger that they call 'The Sandwich King,' which is also worth trying. 
• Girl and Goat- One of the newer entrants on the scene, the restaurant is helmed by Stephany Izard, the first female chef to win the cooking reality show 'Top Chef.' The place is known for its shareable plates and experimental dishes such as an oven-roasted pig face. Since it opened its door in 2011, the restaurant has grown in popularity and fame, earning the finalist spot in the 2011 James Beard Awards. 

SERVPRO Offers Reliable and Efficient Water Removal Services to Residents of Downtown Chicago

Water damage can cause significant problems in your Downtown Chicago home. Water damage remediation must be done promptly to avoid any significant damage to the structure or contents of your home. SERVPRO restorers have years of experience in water removal and cleanup occurring due to-

• Ceiling leaks
• Burst pipes
• Leaking roofs from storms
• Basement flooding

SERVPRO water damage restoration experts assess the damage and establish a drying goal as soon as they arrive at your Downtown Chicago property. It is crucial to eliminate not only the standing water but also residual moisture to prevent any secondary damage. Our technicians use several types of equipment to monitor the moisture content of the damaged homes to establish the best possible strategy to achieve preloss conditions. Some of the monitoring equipment we use include-

• Moisture sensors
• Thermal imaging cameras
• Moisture meters
• Thermo-hygrometers

Give a call to SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993 for a fast and reliable water damage restoration service.

Is Water Removal Sufficient to Save Hardwood Floors in Ford City Properties?

4/15/2021 (Permalink)

Your hardwood floors are an investment. You can trust SERVPRO to restore your water damaged floors.

SERVPRO Takes Extra Steps during Water Removal from Ford City Homes for Satisfactory Outcomes

Wood flooring is semi-porous and thus vulnerable to water exposure. The water also penetrates beneath the floorboards through the joints. Although timely water removal helps limit damage on hardwood floors, it might not be sufficient if focused on the surface.

When called to handle water removal in a Ford City home with hardwood flooring, SERVPRO teams have resources to handle extraction from the floor surfaces and beneath the panels. The resources prove helpful, especially when dealing with severe water issues, including:

• Leaking roof from storms
• Cleaning up after a sewer backup
• Burst pipes

Extracting pooling water from the surface requires equipment with a sufficient vacuum lift. We have a wide range of extractors, including truck-mounted extractors. Once surface water is addressed, other resources are essential. Flat lay tenting materials help concentrate air circulation close to the wooden floors expediting the drying process. Our SERVPRO technicians use plastic sheets and duct tape to create the tenting, focusing dry air currents over the floor surface. 

SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City can help perform all necessary steps to ensure water removal effectively resolve water damage repairs. Call us at (773) 337-3993 for assistance.

High Tourism Promotes Efficient Water Removal in Chicago Businesses

3/3/2021 (Permalink)

Contact SERVPRO at the first sign of water damage to avoid further damages of your property.

Water Disasters Can be Threatening to Structures and Require Immediate Mitigative Action. 

The Windy City has always been culturally diverse and leading in terms of art and historic preservation. More than 58 million people visit Chicago each year, which has a lot to do with the unique attractions and venues available in the city for those looking for a change of pace. As the third-largest city in the country, commercial properties within the municipality's borders offer something for everyone. Tourism continues to thrive because of the adaptability of the city to meet changing needs and desires of travelers.

Most Visited Tourist Locations in the City

You do not become one of the most visited cities in the country without having charming venues and attractions for visitors. Many of our landmarks are as iconic as our pizza, preserving stories and history of both Chicago and Illinois. From our dark history with the American mafia to maintaining one of the original baseball venues still operating in the country, there is much to learn and see in Chicago. Some of the top attractions visitors can experience include:

• Art Institute of Chicago – For those that come to Chicago for the arts, music, and cultural influences – this is a must-see location. This center is a culmination of local and national talent spanning centuries.

• Wrigley Field – Second only to Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field is one of the country's oldest operating baseball stadiums. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2020 to preserve its appearance and functionality. The Chicago Cubs played their first game in the venue in 1916. 

• Magnificent Mile – This is an upscale shopping corridor positioned on Michigan Avenue. You can find many retail locations in this stretch, from the Chicago River to Oak Street, making it an attractive stop for shoppers.

• Chicago History Museum – This is one of the cultural centers in the city that cater to the history of Chicago almost exclusively. From the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871 to mafia legends, Chicago has been a world all its own.

Water Removal Services for Chicago Homes 

When water disasters occur, it is often necessary to begin water removal for Chicago homes as soon as possible. Standing water can be a threatening presence in these properties, allowing moisture to migrate to more challenging areas that require controlled demolition to dry appropriately. We have multiple extractors that can help with the efficient removal of surface water concerns to begin thorough drying processes as soon as possible.

Extraction often hinges on multiple instruments and devices in a recovery inventory simultaneously. Greater depths of standing water require submersible pumps to overcome, while wet vacuums with attachments can handle shallower damage and trapped moisture concerns.

No matter how water damage develops in your home, our SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City team can help when you call (773) 337-3993.

What is the Smartest Way to Remove Water from a Burst Pipe in Chicago?

10/18/2020 (Permalink)

Removing water from your home isn’t something you can do alone. Contact SERVPRO 24/7 for professional remediation and mitigation from our team.

SERVPRO Handles Water Extraction Quickly with Powerful Equipment When Called to Your Chicago Home

High-pressure water from a burst pipe spells disaster for the interior of your home. Even if you quickly shut off the water supply, there could be a lot of standing water to deal with. Chicago residents know that they can trust SERVPRO to arrive fast with the latest equipment and tools to handle water removal. Along with extraction efforts, our skilled water restoration technicians (WRT) have the expertise necessary to bring your home back to pre-accident condition, “Like it never even happened.”

How is the Water Damage Handled?

Once you call our offices for help, we send out a crew that will begin the assessment phase, followed by prompt water extraction in Chicago. Our inspection and detailed planning allow us to select all of the right tools for the job.

• SERVPRO is here seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to handle your water restoration needs. We are Faster to Any Size Disaster!
• Our team is fully IICRC-certified and able to handle water incidents and cleanup on all levels, including categories 1, 2, and 3 water events. 
• The trucks in our fleet feature advanced equipment and EPA-registered products for cleaning, sanitization, and deodorization. You never have to worry about musty odors or the onset of potentially harmful mold once we are on the job.

Once our crew chief sets the plan into action, our technicians get to work on extraction with truck-mounted and submersible pumps that allow us to handle all of the standing water. For saturated carpeting, we may use rovers or light wands that will enable us to pull moisture from the carpets as well as the padding beneath. Should we see damage beyond repair, we offer replacement with controlled demolition to restore your interior to preloss condition.

SERVPRO of Marquette Park/West Lawn/Ford City is the team to call when you require fast water extraction on your property. Call us for emergency services at (773) 337-3993, and we will be there as soon as possible to get started.

Click here for more information about Chicago.

How Do I Pump Water Out of Second or Third-floor Properties in Chicago?

9/27/2020 (Permalink)

Pumping water from the upper level of your home or apartment can be a tough task. Contact SERVPRO 24/7 for remediation and mitigation services.

SERVPRO is an Expert in Providing Tailored Water Removal Services for Residents in the Chicago Area.

Can flooding occur on the upper levels of a property?

There can be many causes of having excess amounts of moisture in your Chicago home. If you live in an apartment, duplex, or tenement building, certain damages may even occur through no fault of your own. However, once large amounts of water accumulate in the property, the priority is to remove it quickly. Excess moisture can cause humidity levels to rise, microbial growth, and absorb into materials causing warping or cupping. Typically gas or electric-powered pumping equipment is only effective on standing water above two inches. But this equipment may be limited by their twenty-five-foot hoses when working with properties above ground level. SERVPRO can use portable water extractors capable of removing up to 40 gallons of moisture per tank.

What is a portable water extractor?

• A forty to a sixty-gallon water storage tank
• A vacuum element to draw water into the storage tank
• A heating element to further encourage drying times

Why are water extractors used in wet properties?

A water extractor is a vital tool for professionals dealing with water damage in your Chicago home. These equipment combine many drying techniques into one machine. Hot air-movement encourages evaporation, while negative air pressure can draw moisture directly out of a surface or material. Water extractors are up to 900 times more effective than dehumidifying a wet space. Some extractors are weighted to squeeze moisture from carpets or other soft furnishings. SERVPRO technicians can perform the lion share of extraction using this equipment capable of properties situated on the upper levels.

How is wastewater disposed of?

• Storage tanks may be emptied into an open sewer point
• Certain types of water may require disposal in a specialized waste facility
• Wastewater mains provided by the local council

Removing large amounts of moisture requires specialist equipment. Contact SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993.

Click here for more information about Chicago.

How Can Freezing Pipes Damage Your Chicago Home?

9/4/2020 (Permalink)

Our certified experts are ready and available to help. Give us a call today (773) 337-3993.

Cold snaps and temperature drops can often have a destructive effect on the plumbing system in your home, including outside hose bibs. 

With both the proximity to the Great Lakes and the persistent winds pushing through the city, Chicago has record-breaking low temperatures during the winter months. As much as many homeowners work to protect their home and its utilities through the proper insulation, this is not always sufficient. In some situations, plumbing can be exposed to the elements without you realizing, such as a mouse that might be removing insulation around the pipe for a nest it is building nearby. You cannot know about these vulnerabilities in your network of water service lines until these extreme lows exist, freezing the liquid inside. 

You often cannot recognize the potential for water damage in your Chicago home before these disasters occur. The pace of water flow from these plumbing breaches is substantial, allowing hundreds of gallons of water to impact the immediate area within minutes. It is vital when these conditions exist that you can focus on relevant, helpful steps such as shutting down the water supply to your home to prevent further damages. It is vital to know where your main shutoff is before a crisis, so you waste little time in protecting the property as best as you can. 

How Do Water Pipes Freeze in Chicago Homes? 

While many homeowners can deduce that freezing conditions and still water in your service lines are enough to cause a problem, there is more to these disastrous events than you might realize. Aging pipes, such as lead service lines, can degrade over decades to become thinner than when installed. These more fragile materials encasing your water supply are now more susceptible to freezing conditions to impact the metal service line and the still water inside. 

There are ways that you can better protect your property and its occupants from these unfortunate circumstances. Knowing what to look for when inspecting your property can help you to identify where more insulation might be necessary or where you could need new plumbing materials altogether. Preventing pipe bursting typically falls into three stages:

• Ensure pipes are appropriately insulated
• Inspect exposed plumbing for damages and wear
• Leave several faucets running a small amount of cold water in deep freeze conditions

What Extraction Strategies Can Help with Standing Water? 

One of the first tasks responding SERVPRO technicians must address after a pipe bursts in the walls of your home, or your basement is removing standing water. Pooling can almost instantly become a concern when hundreds - or even thousands - of gallons of water find the floors of your home. We have multiple extraction tools that can help in these situations to eliminate surface water, so more intricate drying and water removal tactics can begin. The removal of standing water often falls to three extraction units in our inventory: 

• Submersible Pumps
• Carpet Wands
• Wet Vacuums

How Can Drying Be Efficient in Damaged Homes? 

The removal of standing water is only part of the concern, however. While the most pressing damage can occur from pooling and water exposure to elements like the flooring and wall systems, adequate drying is also critical. Many tools must play a role in the drying and restoration of your damaged home, much of which can be within wall systems and structural cavities. Controlled demolition can often provide direct access to damp areas of the house without requiring excessive build-back and reconstruction once mitigation efforts complete. The tools most commonly used in evaporative drying of damaged Chicago homes include: 

• Air Movers
• Desiccant Dehumidifiers
• Floor Drying Mats
• Positive Pressure Systems
• Portable Electric Heaters

Does SERVPRO Perform Repairs? 

Instead of waiting for the available scheduling to line up with third party residential contractors, we have in-house building trade professionals that can help to provide controlled demolition solutions for damaged drywall, wood framing, and insulation. These same experts can seamlessly transition into build back, and reconstruction when mitigation completes and plumbing repairs have allowed for the re-pressurizing of the water utilities in the house. 

Pipe bursts from cold snaps during the harsh winter seasons of the Windy City can be a damaging situation for your house. Our SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City team is Faster To Any Size Disaster, and we are ready to mobilize quickly when water damages occur. Give our professionals a call anytime that you need us to make loss incidents "Like it never even happened." We are available 24/7 at (773) 337-3993.

All the Water Seems to Have Drained Away -- Do I Need Water Extraction in My Chicago Home?

8/5/2020 (Permalink)

If you don’t act quickly, water damage in your home can escalate. Contact our experienced SERVPRO team right away.

There Is More to Water Extraction in Chicago Than Meets the Eye, and SERVPRO Has the Training and Tools to Spot the Damaging Trail Water Followed Through Your Home.

This list of events that can lead to a significant water loss is long, and the manifestations of the damage are diverse. Whether because of a plumbing leak, or appliance failure, water spreads and flows unless it is impeded or contained. It seems to disappear while instead finding cracks, crevices, building cavities, and highly permeable and absorbent structural components and contents in which to hide. 

Why Is Locating Hidden Water Inside Your Home Important? 

Because we use it for so many things -- drinking, washing, bathing, sprinkling, cleaning, and more --it is difficult to imagine just how destructive it is to building materials and contents in your Chicago home. Water extraction is critical when significant amounts escape from containment and threaten to damage your house or a broad range of furnishings, household goods, and personal possessions. The timeframe for removal is very short, with substantial harm to standard structural components like drywall, ceiling tiles, insulation, and flooring occurring within minutes to hours. Mold growth traceable to water damage also is a constant worry, taking hold if spores absorb moisture, including the moisture soaked into building materials or hidden spaces. 

What Are the Risks of Trapped and Hidden Water in a Residence?

One of the first things the SERVPRO crew completes when we arrive to help with a water emergency is a safety assessment. Even customers who call for fire damage or mold remediation consultation find we do a water safety assessment immediately.  The water incursions related to many disasters can be a major cause of exposure to risks that could result in substantial injury or even death if not identified and controlled correctly. Excess trapped water can be responsible for:

• Electric shock or electrocution -- wiring threads through the same building cavities in which the water hides 
• Collapse or weakening of structures -- particularly above ceilings and between walls where unseen water collects, the weight and pressure eventually causing materials to break through or crack, crushing contents and potentially injuring anyone beneath or next to a breach
• Deterioration of previously contained hazardous materials such as asbestos heat shields, insulation, or pipe wraps, or lead-painted surfaces
• A build-up of contaminants such as infectious waste or molds if the leaked water was tainted before it percolated into subfloors or wicked into drywall

What Is the Answer to Locating and Eliminating the Trapped Water?

Among the tools in our service vehicles are moisture detectors, moisture meters, and infrared cameras. When we listen to your description of the leak or malfunction, we orient to the general water damaged space and then use the devices to plot out the dimensions of the water-damaged areas. Infrared imaging requires a trained technician’s evaluation of temperature fluctuations to show cache’s of water behind barriers. Moisture detectors use prongs or sensors to sketch the outline of absorbed fluids. Measuring the level of water absorption in various materials verifies the path of the water. It provides data for drying goal setting and implementation after we extract as much water as possible. 

When Professionals Find the Water How Do They Extract It?

Research indicates that thorough water extraction is much more effective than transitioning to drying tactics alone -- 1200 times more effective. Because of the risks to structural integrity and concerns about mold, we take an active approach to removing the water and moisture once detected. Significant barriers make the extraction challenging, but our crews make good use of limited, controlled demolition to access the water and open up wet cavities for successful structural drying. Specific tactics include:

• Prying off baseboards and beadboard paneling to drill or cut holes permitting drainage of water and allow connection of hoses to enhance extraction with suction
• Drilling holes in mortar joints of cinder block, brick, or concrete construction to release water
• Punching weep holes in bulging areas of walls or ceilings to control the release of trapped water
• Sawing flood cuts in drywall between studs several inches above the water collected in wall cavities

The demo techniques used respond well to repair and rebuilding efforts. We can help arrange for that final step.

Water extraction is a core service offered by SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City, halting visible and hidden water damage while preparing surfaces and structures for restoration. Call (773) 337-3993 to schedule an assessment even if the water “disappeared” after a leak, spill, or flood. 

My Ceiling In My Chicago Home Looks Water Damaged – What Do I Need To Do?

6/28/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is committed to restoring your home to its original status.

SERVPRO Can Fix Water Damaged Ceilings in Chicago and Prevent Further Problems

Anytime you have water problems, you need immediate mitigation. Water damage to a ceiling can cause quite a few problems. We repair and restore ceilings in Chicago and leave them “Like it never even happened.”

What are the signs of a damaged ceiling?

We specialize in water removal in Chicago and can help restore your ceiling and any other damaged areas. There are specific things you can look for if you think your ceiling requires repair from water intrusion.

    •    Discoloration
    •    Condensation around ceiling lights
    •    Soft spots from wet material
    •    Drip marks near the top of walls
    •    Bubbling on the surface area
    •    Warping of tiles or surface

Ceiling Repair & Restoration

Finding the source of the water loss is key to taking care of the problem. If the source of the leak is in the home, we fix that first. If the water loss comes from a roof leak, our team can repair or tarp, minor damage. Significant roof repairs will need to be handled right away by a qualified roofer. Contact your insurance company immediately if this is the case. If light fixtures or other electrical devices were exposed to the moisture, turn off the electricity before doing anything else. Next, we move onto repairing your ceiling. This includes:

    •    Moisture testing
    •    Water removal – portable pumps are often used
    •    Drying with air movers and dehumidifiers
    •    Clean and sanitize
    •    Replacing tiles or panels as needed
    •    Repainting if needed

If you have ceiling tiles, it can be cheaper to replace the tiles rather than restore them. Removing water stains from certain types of ceiling material is not always possible.

SERVPRO is committed to restoring your home to its original status. Contact SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993 for quality water removal service that is Faster to Any Size Disaster.

How Can I Fix a Leaking Shower in Chicago?

6/7/2020 (Permalink)

Shower leaks can cause extensive damage behind walls. Make sure to call team SERVPRO to help when you suspect water damage in your bathroom.

Shower Leaks Can Lead to Water Damage Without Professional Restoration. Arrange a SERVPRO Callout Within Four Hours of Notification of Loss to Return your Home to its Original Condition.

Why do showers only leak sometimes?

Overtime fittings and attachments in your shower may have intermittent blockages. These blockages may include caulking of the valves, resulting in water dripping off the shower and running down the walls. If the tiling or shower itself is wearing away, water may get inside baseboards or through cracks in sealant. Once behind a wall, moisture can trickle down into the lower floor and appear as discoloration or cracking on the ceiling below. Intermittent leaking can still cause significant harm to your property, so it is vital to use a professional Chicago restoration company to inspect, assess, and repair the damages.

Can I claim shower leaks on my home insurance?

Insurance policies can differ from resident to resident. However, most home insurance covers the resulting damages of a shower leak but does not cover the shower or plumbing. To prevent water issues from getting out of control, you need to first fix the source of the Chicago water damage, in this case, by inspecting or retiling areas of the shower. Afterward, you may need to enlist the help of a restorer to reverse the damages that were a result of your leaking shower. SERVPRO water restoration technicians are expected at wet room restoration and have experience in drying out ceilings as well as floor cavities.

How can I dry floor cavities beneath my shower room?

Drying mats can help to draw moisture out of seemingly impermeable flooring like tiles. These mats cover a large surface area, and we place them directly onto the floor tiles. Each mat has capillaries for water to absorb into and a centrifugal engine that applies negative air pressure across the mats. While not primarily designed for removing water in Chicago, they are exceptionally effective at drawing water out of a surface where it can evaporate freely. For small quantities of moisture, drying mats are an effective, non-invasive measure that SERVPRO uses.

However, not all shower rooms are suitable for drying mats. In some cases, we may need to access the subfloor by pulling up floorboards or carpet in the adjacent hallway. While not having direct access to the damp spot can make drying a challenge, using an adapted air-mover to circulate into the cavities is most effective. The ceiling below can sometimes benefit from inner cavity heating as well, although it is likely that paintwork must be repainted using a water-resistant primer.

What materials can waterproof my shower room?

• Tiles along with a water-resistant sealing to prevent moisture escaping through cracks
• Greenboard drywall is water-resistant although may become damaged with large amounts of water
• Vapor barriers can help to prevent most of the moisture from reaching green board or underfloor
• Moisture resistant paints are useful on the underside ceiling as well as between wall and shower

Does shower leakage cause secondary issues?

Water intrusion in any amount is a bad thing. If water leaks from your shower, over time, you may notice swelling on the ceiling below. Equally, the frame keeping your floors together may become wet. It is unlikely that damp frames are at risk of collapse from water exposure alone. However, it can make the frame susceptible to dry rot or microbial growth, which, for years, can weaken the floor, produce unpleasant odors and discolor paintwork or eat away at waterproofing measures. SERVPRO technicians may probe the framework in your floors using a moisture meter to understand how much water the frame has absorbed. We may need to place dehumidifiers into the cavity to help draw out and dry the affected area.

What steps do I need to take to dry out floor cavities?

• Gain access to the floor cavity by removing floorboards. If in a tiled room, floorboards in the adjacent hallway
• Use a moisture meter and thermal hygrometer to assess the moisture content and the relative humidity in the affected area.
• Fit air-moving equipment with a flex hose or duct it onto the access point to circulate warm air into the cavity.
• Once appropriately dry, place dehumidification equipment into the cavity to remove residual moisture further.

How long does it take to restore a leaking shower?

Shower leakage usually involves smaller amounts of water than with other plumbing issues. However, these slow leaks can be more challenging to restore. Our average turnaround time is around five days using equipment that may run overnight to dry cavities effectively. During that time, SERVPRO technicians return regularly to assess the impact of the drying method and can adapt designs to suit specific needs daily.

Taking a proactive approach to slow leaks in your home can mitigate expensive damages. Contact SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993 now. 

What is a Common Indicator of Water Damage in Chicago Homes?

5/17/2020 (Permalink)

We know that Chicago homeowners work hard in maintaining their homes, but water damage can ruin many of their efforts.

Peeling Paint Often Indicates Chicago Water Damage

A new coat of paint can make any room feel livelier and fresh again. Preparing the walls in your Chicago home before beginning is a crucial part of any painting project. Finding areas where the paint is flaking away can tell you that underlying problems are likely to exist.

We know that homeowners work hard in maintaining their homes, but Chicago water damage can ruin many of their efforts. SERVPRO's specialists are friendly professionals who understand that the state of your home is a serious concern to you. When the place you rest your head needs help, you want to make sure that it receives the best possible assistance available. This is the reason we work very hard to gain experience in all types of situations that a home might encounter. Our dedication to you is also part of why we earn our many different certificates from the IICRC.

If you find peeling or flaking paint during your preparation efforts, water damage is a possible cause. Even if no drips or stains exist, high humidity can create problems when it condenses on walls and ceilings. Absorbing into the underlying drywall or plaster can break down the seal between that material and the paint. Simply painting over the area is not able to efficiently remove the moisture and future problems become more likely to occur.

We use sensors that detect moisture in both the air and in hard, semi-porous surfaces. Once found, we eliminate that moisture using the most efficient methods. Some of the methods used require straightforward and well-known machines such as dehumidifiers, while others are combinations of heated mats that also serve as large suction cups designed for extracting moist air and send it to a tank where the water remains trapped.

However, sometimes our sensors detect ongoing situations in which water is steadily, although incredibly slowly, entering your property through cracks in basement walls or drips in your plumbing lines. We work with homeowners to eliminate these sources and then help ensure that future damage from water does not happen.

Call us, SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City, when you have concerns regarding water damage inside your home. We answer our phones 24/7, so giving us a call at (773) 337-3993 puts you in contact with our team. SERVPRO makes it “Like it never even happened.”

More about Chicago.

How Does Water Damage in Chicago Affect Carpets?

4/1/2020 (Permalink)

Getting water off your floors and out of your carpets is a long and arduous task.

SERVPRO has the Tools to Extract Water from Chicago Carpets

Getting water off your floors and out of your carpets is a long and arduous task. Armed with just a mop and bucket these types of the job require much spare time and more than a little effort. However, sometimes water can spread faster than you can remove it; especially if the source of water comes from a warped or split pipe. In these instances, it's always useful to have a professional service on hand.

When we refer to water cleanup in Chicago properties, we are not talking about restoration or removal of standing water. Water cleanup involves removing all traces of moisture from a specific area and then dehumidifying the affected area to guard against potential damages like mold and mildew growth.

We start by bringing in SERVPRO IICRC certified technicians to assess the scope of damage caused by water. It may be necessary to temporarily remove carpets to dry both sides and check your subfloor for saturation. When carpets are removed, we can also take the opportunity to treat them with anti-microbial chemicals to ensure a long-lasting clean.

For excess water in residential properties, we usually opt for portable extraction units. These nimble pieces of equipment allow us to dry in between floorboards and into cracks using air, vacuum power, and heating elements. Sometimes, we might place rapid air movers to evaporate moisture and dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the surrounding atmosphere.

As part of our cleanup, SERVPRO can thoroughly deodorize the area using chemical based foggers that neutralize odor particles. We can also employ moisture meters to ascertain saturation levels and ensure the affected area has a similar humidity to other areas of the home. At the end of service, we can conduct a guided tour with you to show you all aspects of work done and any areas you may need to watch.

If a spill goes beyond what you can clean up, contact SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993 for expert service.

Click here for more about Chicago.

Our Experts Use State Of The Art Equipment In Chicago After A Water Loss

3/5/2020 (Permalink)

We offer water damage restoration services 24/7. We act fast to prevent further damage, and bring our expertise and experience into every situation.

Water Removal in Your Chicago Kitchen

A water spill in your kitchen not only impacts your routine, but it also can cause damage to your flooring or kitchen cabinets if you do not take the right precautions quickly and effectively to remove the water before any secondary damage occurs like soaked and destroyed drywall or dangerous mold infestations.

Water removal in your Chicago kitchen should be looked at as an investment into keeping your home in tip-top shape and mitigating additional damage. Sometimes damage occurs in areas of weakness such as cracked tile, loose floorboard, or cracks in the cupboard. This is an opportunity to fix these things as you repair the damage.

One of the critical components to take care of your home after water damage is to make sure the impacted areas are dried to preloss moisture content levels. SERVPRO restoration specialists extract any excess water and then use air moving equipment and dehumidifiers. They use air movers to enhance evaporation by directing the airflow at the surface level. This is because the air right above the wet floors is heavy and saturated with cool moisture, known as a boundary layer. The purpose of the surface level air movers is to direct the warm, dry air from the dehumidifiers over the boundary layer to dissipate the moisture and humidity.

Centrifugal air movers have an impeller, a moving component that has a shaft with blades positioned around it. These high-velocity air movers produce a higher static pressure in air volume compared to axial air movers, which blow larger volumes of air. They deliver lower amounts of pressure at a higher volume. Axial air movers use less amperage than centrifugal air movers and are a good option if there is limited electricity within the home.

Dehumidifying equipment works in conjunction with the air movers to dry impacted surfaces. Dehumidifiers take water vapor from the air. It reduces the humidity ratio in the air, allowing the rate of evaporation to increase until the home and all of the contents are dry. As it pulls moist, humid air, it circulates dry, warm air back out into the room, facilitating drying.

Contact SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993 for 24/7 assistance. We make it, "Like it never even happened."

See more about Chicago.

We Act Fast In Chicago After A Water Loss

2/19/2020 (Permalink)

We used our commercial air movers and dehumidifiers to thoroughly dry the sub-flooring in this home. We arrived right away to prevent further damage.

Water Damage In Chicago Involves Knowing About Carpet Construction

Places all across the country including the Chicago metro often report home insurance claims due to liquid H2O infiltrating their living area. Once moisture enters the interior of your house, water damage can quickly plaque your structure. Since liquids are susceptible to gravity, once they come into your building they tend to promptly head to your floors. This means that flooring materials such as your carpeting can become victims of the plumbing failure that occurs.

Once your carpets start to soak up moisture, water damage inside your Chicago residence can quickly become a harsh reality. When your carpeting gets wet, the occurrence can become a catalyst for future problems. Most carpets get constructed with a combination of synthetic and organic fibers put together by a paper that sits underneath it. Since most carpeting is a material composed of natural substances, the backing of your flooring can become a food source for fungi. And, due to the porous properties of carpeting, when your carpet's fibers get wet, the indoor relative humidity inside your building can substantially increase.

Raised humidity levels and mold can create more work for a professional restoration company such as SERVPRO. Therefore, our crews use their knowledge of carpet construction to dry out and restore the building material that constantly comes into contact with you and your family's feet.

That being said, our SERVPRO technicians constantly study the various carpet construction methods so that we can determine the best ways to restore each type of flooring material. The first factor to consider when analyzing your carpet is to determine the quality of the content. The nature of the fibers and the condition of the carpeting all play a role in its restorability.

The quality of each carpet our SERVPRO crew attempts to restore plays a significant factor in whether or not the attempted restoration results can be achieved. How well the carpeting gets maintained makes a difference when trying to clean the damage flooring material. Carpets that receive regular cleaning procedures like vacuuming and spot removal can often prove to be much easier to clean and restore when water damage restoration procedures require carpet cleaning.

Having a plumbing failure that makes your floors wet can prove to be quite a headache for the average homeowner. If you ever need professional assistance after a pipe leak, call SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993 24/7.

See more about Chicago.

Chicago Unit Suffering a Water Loss? Team SERVPRO Has the Solutions!

1/19/2020 (Permalink)

Chicago Water Leaks in a Multi-Unit Building Can Always Use SERVPRO's Expertise and Experience for Mitigation

Restoring Kitchen Water Damage from a Line Rupture in Your Chicago Condo

Water supply lines feed several of the appliances and fixtures installed in your Chicago condo’s kitchen. In the city, the possibility of mice getting into structural cavities and living for short times is likelier than you might think, and materials like plastic plumbing lines can be a source of food or nesting material for a rodent. When a water line breaks or begins to leak, porous materials like cabinetry, drywall, and flooring can all begin to absorb the damage.

Breaks on supply lines still in structural cavities can have disastrous effects on your property and possibly adjoining units, making water removal for your Chicago condo an immediate need. You might not understand how involved this water damage has become without the advanced discovery tools available to our SERVPRO team. Our technicians have non-penetrating surface moisture meters, thermography, and probing detection tools to reveal both the migration of water and the concentration in specific materials.

Because many condos feature hardwood cabinets, it is often most cost-effective to attempt to restore and dry these individual components rather than remove and replace them like cheaper particleboard options. We can work to carefully reach the structural cavities beyond these cabinets with minimally invasive techniques like our positive pressure systems, which shoot dry air into the wall space to evaporate water and moisture. The materials surrounding the breach in the plumbing must get removed enough for our general contractors to access and repair.

Our technicians/contractors have decades of experience in the building trades, including a vast understanding of plumbing repairs to provide a permanent solution to the source of water damages. While our SERVPRO technicians work on drying out exposed materials and cleaning surfaces exposed to migrating water loss, our contractors can remove portions of PEX pipe and replace them with new fittings and connections.

While you might not know when a mouse might come and go from the structural cavities of your building, you can protect your condo after unexpected water losses by trusting our SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City team. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster, and you can reach us 24/7 at (773) 337-3993.

Did Water Damage in Your Chicago Home Leave an Unpleasant Odor?

9/11/2019 (Permalink)

Water damage often leaves an odor after the water is dried. SERVPRO has the know how to remove the odor - permanently from your home!

Methods Used in Conjunction with Water Damage Restoration in Chicago 

Many people notice a difference between how their pet smells while dry and after the four-legged family member gets wet. The reason for the increase in odor coming from a wet animal is primarily because of the way odor-causing molecules hitch a ride on water molecules as they evaporate into the air. The body heat of the pet helps make the process happen faster, and SERVPRO uses heat when drying out a Chicago home, also.

During the restoration of a house in Chicago with water damage, the use of heat helps dry things out in a more even and rapid manner than what we might expect otherwise. Different materials inside a home give off odors when they absorb moisture in liquid form or from the condensation of water vapor. Many odors linger within the average house after we finish with mitigation, so we begin odor control measures soon after we begin the restoration process.

One type of deodorization that many customers expect us to use is ozone. Ozone is useful, but existing dampness in materials often means that we should try another method that does not carry the same risks as ozone brings. However, we want to use something that still provides the strength we get from ozone. Our hydroxyl generating machines accomplish for us.

Some customers might worry that the time needed to achieve results similar to those obtained when we use ozone machinery increases significantly. However, we can run our hydroxyl generating machinery at times that ozone machines cannot, such as when people are in the treated area. If the area remains vacant and people intend to occupy the space in a day or two, and heavy odors persist, ozone might work better than hydroxyl.

One method that many overlook as a way to help control unwanted odors in a house is the larger box fan. We can use this to disperse odor-causing molecules and direct the remaining ones out of the house. Many of these molecules are attached to water molecules in the air. Removing them from the home before they can become deposited on a surface elsewhere in the house helps in the further elimination of odors.

Because water damage can create such a large number of sources that cause odors, we often use multiple approaches, with some overlap occurring occasionally. Our goal is to satisfy the customer with the finished result. While our Odor Control Technician (OCT) brings extensive knowledge and experience to each job we do, it is the customer's nose that determines when odors no longer exist.

SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City handles more than water damage-related odors in Gage Park, and Archer Heights, as well as around Brighton Park and Scottsdale. Call us at (773) 337-3993 to find out how we can help you restore your home where stains, deterioration, and microbial infestations also pose problems.

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SERVPRO Completes Water Removal After a Sump Pump Failure

8/6/2019 (Permalink)

If your Chicago home experiences water damage, contact SERVPRO to restore your home whether you are near or far.

Water Removal Chicago – Sump Pump Failure

Some homes have a sump pump in their basement because the water table is very high relative to their basement floor. Occasionally water seeps into the basement. The sump pump is supposed to remove any excess water in the basin to prevent water from entering the basement. One client failed to test his pump regularly, and of course, it stopped working while he was away on vacation. A neighbor checking on the house for his friend discovered a foot of water in the basement and promptly called the owner.

The owner called our SERVPRO office about water removal in his Chicago area home, and we quickly responded. The basement was partially finished, which meant that furnishings on the floor were wet. Many items were stored in the basement storage area were also wet. Items stored on shelves were unaffected.

The first step was to remove the excess water after first making sure that it was safe to enter the basement. We used powerful truck-mounted pumps to remove the water and then began the recovery and drying of the basement.  Large fans and dehumidifiers were brought in to help dry the basement. The neighbor assisted in purchasing a new sump pump and arranging for it to be installed.

With the water removed and dehumidification underway, attention turned to the walls, the flooring and the contents of the basement. Hard surface items were hand washed and dried. Fabrics were wiped down, and air dryers used to dry the fabrics further. The contents of boxes on the floor were unpacked, dried, and repacked in new boxes. The drywall was damaged up to about two feet from the floor and needed to be removed. We removed excess moisture, and new insulation and drywall were installed.

The homeowner had been in touch with SERVPRO the entire time. He was kept fully informed about the damage and the steps being taken to remove the water. Although he arrived home to a mess, recovery, and restoration was well underway thanks to SERVPRO and the support of his neighbor next door.

Call SERVPRO of Marquette Park/West Lawn/Ford City at (773) 337-3993 for 24/7 service. We serve Gage Park, Brighton Park, and surrounding areas. We aim to restore your home, "Like it never even happened." We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

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SERVPRO Suggests to Chicago Homeowners to Call Us for Inspection and Cleanup after a Water Loss

5/27/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Doesn't Clown Around When It Comes to Water Damage Mitigation for Chicago Properties

When Can Seemingly Minor Water Damage in Chicago Be Much More Severe?

Not every incident of water damage in your home may require the help of a professional damage mitigation and restoration company like SERVPRO. Sometimes, you might be able to skip a phone call to us entirely and handle the incident with a mop and some cleaning products. However, it can be dangerous to ignore the warning signs of an incident that requires professional assistance. Seeing any of these scenarios unfold in your home should mean a direct call to us for emergency assistance.

Deeply Soaked Flooring Materials
A small spill or puddle in your home might not be cause for concern, but when the water comes in large enough volumes to cause water damage to your Chicago home's carpeting or wooden floorboards, you should call in professionals to mitigate and restore the damage. When water soaks into your floor, it can start to break down and warp the materials, potentially creating uneven surfaces and ruining finishes. Even if you dry the area out, deeper pockets of moisture may remain and contribute to mold growth in your home. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster to help prevent mold growth from happening and to avoid replacing the flooring materials in your home.

Unclean Water
Water from an unclean source, such as a drainage ditch or a septic tank, should never be allowed to enter your home. Unclean water sources can create dangerous situations that could cause health effects if you are not careful. Always call SERVPRO when dirty water reaches your home, even if the damage seems relatively minor.

Leaks or Damages in Unseen Areas
What might seem like a small leak behind your wall could be hiding a much larger problem or even substantial fungal growth in your home. Our inspectors use advanced moisture detection tools such as infrared scanning devices to identify pockets of moisture and find out the true extent of damages in unseen parts of your home.

SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City provides 24/7 protection against water and flood damage for homes in the area. Call us at the first sign of trouble at (773) 337-3993.

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Need Water Extraction from Your Chicago Property? Don't Wait--Call SERVPRO for Immediate Help

5/6/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Does Not Clown Around--From Office Staff to Production Crews We Restore Water Damaged Structures in Chicago

What Helps SERVPRO Provide Some of the Fastest Water Removal in Chicago

Water removal projects can be difficult, time-intensive, and costly without the help of professionals. Some severe situations can prove to be almost impossible for individuals and households to clean up on their own. SERVPRO provides the expertise and equipment necessary to get water out of your home within days or even hours of a disaster. The work that goes into our high-speed water removal services can be complex at times, but a few key factors help us to continually refine our processes and bring you some of the best services in the industry.

Industrial Equipment Standards
SERVPRO franchises across the country maintain the upper hand against flooding and water damage thanks to our use of high-power industrial equipment held to a national standard. Our water removal projects in ordinary Chicago homes use the same types of equipment that we would use for a large warehouse or factory space with similar issues. Through the use of strategically-placed air movers, multiple types of dehumidifiers, and highly efficient and specialized odor removal solutions, we can accomplish the same amount of work in less time than ever before.

Rigorous Training
The backbone of any SERVPRO franchise is our extensive staffing of highly-trained damage mitigation and restoration specialists. All of our technicians go through weeks of full-time training to learn the methodology and science behind our restoration techniques. This is our Employee Certification Training Program (ECTP.) As our crew members progress in their careers, they can earn additional opportunities to become specialists in one or more types of damage through further education and testing. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) supplies many our techs with endorsed water damage restoration certificates(WRT.) Most teams we send out include at least one veteran technician with years of experience handling many different types of accidents.

24/7 Readiness
We stay ready around the clock to respond to local incidents as soon as they appear. By arriving faster to the damaged property, we can immediately implement preventative measures that reduce the consequences and expenses associated with the incident. SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City--We're Faster To Any Size Disaster. Call us at (773) 337-3993 for questions or our 24/7 services.

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Call Us Right Away If Your Ford City Rental Property Experiences A Water Damage Disaster

3/27/2019 (Permalink)

Our water damage experts are ready to help you 24/7 and make the situation “Like it never even happened.”

How SERVPRO Helps After Water Damage In Your Ford City Rental Property

Getting a call from your tenants that there is water damage in your rental property is an unpleasant situation. The key to mitigating damage to your house and helping your tenants is to get the water removed, and contents cleaned as quickly as possible. The longer water stands, the more contaminated it becomes and the more damage it does. After 48 hours, if the water is still in the home, it becomes a black water-level incident, and the number of possessions and home contents that can be saved through restorative efforts goes down due to contaminants and secondary damage.

When SERVPRO arrives to remediate water damage at your Ford City property, technicians split into teams to determine the scope of the water infiltration into flooring and soaked into drywall. While one team works on extracting water, another inspects the structure. Saturated drywall often cannot be restored, and our technicians use moisture probes to determine how far up into drywall moisture has seeped. If removal is necessary, we cut out drywall at least six inches to a foot from where moisture was last detected so complete drying happens within wall cavities.

After the standing water is removed, technicians set up air movers at angles to move moist air out of the area. Dehumidifiers lower the overall moisture and encourage faster and thorough drying. Then surfaces and non-porous items are wiped down by hand with professional-grade antifungal and antibacterial cleaners.

Our goal is to work quickly and disrupt your tenants' lives as little as possible during the remediation process. Drying water-saturated contents will often substantially reduce the noticeable odor in the home. If any lingering odors remain, we have equipment and methods to neutralize residual smells dependent on the level of treatment needed.

When you receive a call from a renter telling you there is water damage, SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993. Our water damage experts are ready to help you 24/7 and make the situation “Like it never even happened.”

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Do Not Panic When Your Hot Water Heater Causes A Flood In Your Chicago Home Call Our Experts

1/15/2019 (Permalink)

You can depend on the experts at SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City day or night for a quick response to your water disaster.

Handling A Hot Water Heater Tank Flood In Your Chicago Home

Hot water heater tank failures are one of the top five causes of water damage inside homes. This type of situation needs the experience to clean up the mess you can see and prevent secondary damage from occurring in areas the water has spread that you cannot see.

The sizes of conventional tank-type hot water heaters in homes range from 30 gallons to 56-gallons on average. Cleaning up the water damage in your Chicago home from an interior flood needs to begin as soon as possible after the incident. Your SERVPRO technician will inspect the scope and scale of the water and devise a custom clean-up plan to get rid of the water and prevent additional damage from mold or warping wood or compromised drywall from occurring.

The first phase of the cleanup addresses any standing water. Your SERVPRO technician can choose from different methods to remove the water with powerful industrial or truck mounted pumps or wet and dry vacuums depending on the amount of water that needs to be removed. Utilizing tools such as infrared cameras, hygrometers and moisture detectors the technicians can determine the amount of moisture remaining in the home. Air movers can be deployed to dissipate the residual moisture and speed the drying time. Mildew can grow quickly in a damp environment appearing as a filmy, white coating on water-exposed wood. Your SERVPRO technician will stop the growth of this fungus and clean surfaces with anti-fungal cleaners if necessary.

Another huge concern after the water is removed, is any remaining odor. We address that on a case by case basis with the application of a HEPA air scrubber which works by removing particles in the air that cause allergens and odors. For large areas that require deodorization, we employ the use of thermal foggers which saturate foul odors and neutralize them.

The final concern after a water damage incident is mold. Making the environment inhospitable for mold growth is key. Our technicians will determine areas most prone to mold growth and ensure they are dry and treat them with antifungal cleaners if necessary. Once our team has completed their remediation, your home will be returned to its preloss condition like the hot water heater incident never happened.

You can depend on the experts at SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City day or night for a quick response to your water disaster. Resolving your problem starts with calling (773) 337-3993 for a consultation with our skilled technicians.

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How to Detect and Prevent Airborne Water Damage in Chicago

9/26/2018 (Permalink)

Airborne water can cause damage to your home and health. SERVPRO can test for and eliminate excessive humidity in your home.

Remove Water Damage From the Air in Chicago

Water damage can occur anywhere without warning. Plumbing issues, storms, leaky roofs, and broken appliances can quickly release a tremendous amount of water in your house resulting in costly damages. When water stays in your home for a long time, it can destroy both the foundation and structural integrity of your house. It can also damage your belongings, carpets, floors, walls, and appliances. The damage often leaves a strong unpleasant odor that can linger around your home for an extended time.

Water damage in the Chicago area can happen in several ways. Storms and broken pipes can cause immediate water damage, but water is also absorbed through the moisture from the air. Airborne water can be difficult to detect and extract. Unlike standard surfaces where you can wipe, clean, and remove moisture, high levels of ambient humidity are very hard to identify and notice. You would need some advanced tools and equipment to detect water vapor content.

Restoration technicians from SERVPRO have all the tools and equipment necessary to evaluate air conditions in your house. With these tools, they can locate the area that is affected by the water and find out the extent of the damage. They can utilize moisture devices such as moisture sensors, moisture meters, and thermohygrometers.

The moisture sensors can detect moisture in carpets, baseboards, and walls. The moisture meters can identify moisture content in a variety of materials. The thermohygrometers can measure both temperatures and humidity. With a psychrometric chart, the SERVPRO technicians can calculate the dew point, humidity, and vapor pressure. With all the information that the equipment can provide, the techs can determine if the environment is favorable for drying. Plus, it can help them manipulate temperature and humidity levels to create the proper drying condition.

If you are ready to remove water content from the air, then give SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City a call at (773) 337-3993 for a consultation with our reliable technicians.

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Chicago’s Water Damage Experts Explain Rapid Structural Drying

7/31/2018 (Permalink)

When a water leak takes place inside your Chicago apartment, excessive moisture can negatively affect your contents and building materials.

Water Damage Experts Explain Rapid Structural Drying

When a water leak takes place inside your Chicago apartment, excessive moisture can negatively affect your contents and building materials. The longer things stay wet, the more likely they will get ruined and need to be replaced. Over time water saturates materials and causes them to lose their structural integrity and fall apart. The organic materials inside your home carry a risk of mold contamination if they stay wet for more than 48 hours.

If moisture stays inside contents and materials, the severity of the problems increase. When mitigating water damage in Chicago, our SERVPRO technicians’ primary goal is to prevent secondary issues. When water directly affects an object the problems that occur are considered primary. Secondary damage results when water vapor penetrates items and negatively affects them. Therefore, prompt mitigation can greatly reduce the amount of water vapor present in the air, reducing the chance of suffering secondary issues.

The first step to moisture removal is to vacuum up as much water as possible using specialized, industrial extraction equipment. Once the extractors get to the point where they are no longer pulling up water, the rapid drying phase begins. The goal of drying is to speed up the natural evaporation process and return moisture levels to normal as quickly as possible.

Since things in nature always seek equilibrium, we know that water from wet materials will evaporate into dry air sitting next to it. This is why we set up air movers to push air across surfaces so that the air next to wet materials stays dry allowing it to collect moisture. However, once all of the air in the room gets saturated, the moisture must be removed from the air. To lower a building’s relative humidity, we set up dehumidifiers that pull vapor out of the air and dispense it in liquid form.

To accomplish speedy drying, our SERVPRO crew uses principles of psychrometry. Psychrometry is the study of the humidity, air, and temperature, and their effect on various materials. Since air can hold more water at higher temperatures, humidity, airflow, and temperature all play major roles in determining how fast materials dry. High relative humidity numbers can slow down drying because the air must have less moisture than the affected materials for water to evaporate. Higher temperatures lower a room’s relative humidity thus speeding up drying.

Structures dry out best when they have constant airflow, high temperatures, and low relative humidity percentages. This is why we use air movers to create circulation, dehumidifiers to keep humidity low, and heaters to raise the temperature. If you need help drying out moisture before more problems arise, call SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City at (773) 337-3993 any day of the week.

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Irrigation Systems Can Make Water Removal From Your Chicago Home Necessary

7/19/2018 (Permalink)

Water removal can be tricky to achieve and a puzzle to connect to a source, but SERVPRO has the training and experience to restore your home.

Water Removal

Everyone is busy, and one of the tasks that can take up much time this summer in your Chicago home is watering your urban landscape. A common strategy is to have an inground-sprinkler system installed. Often on a timer, these configurations take care of your yard and gardens with little to no effort on your part. Unfortunately, sometimes the water finds its way into your basement. If so our full-service disaster restoration company can lend a hand.

Chicago summers are hot and steamy, so water removal would seem to be far down the list of crises -- certainly after AC repair. Water is a force of nature that takes every opportunity to move from wet to dry, however, and the combination of damaged or poorly set-up automatic sprinklers and improperly graded ground around your foundation can spell severe seepage or even a flood. You need out expertise with this crisis.

One morning you walk down to the basement to grab something out of the freezer for dinner and find several inches of water. No plumbing leaks, washer overflows, or broken water heater explains the moisture, but the clicking of the sprinklers outside give you the clue needed. Override the sprinkler system and invite SERVPRO to make an emergency visit.

Sprinkler systems are a set and forget proposition, so the water likely has been seeping into your cinder block foundation for some time. When SERVPRO arrives, our crew chief examines the standing water closely but also takes a special interest in the walls of your basement, seeking signs of microbial growth or deterioration due to days or even weeks of slow water incursion.

The water removal plan includes employing pumps and extractors to clear the standing water. SERVPRO crew members take baseline moisture readings and use infrared scanners to find pockets of water frequently found in the open cells of cinder block construction. If your basement is finished, we check behind wallboard and paneling and evaluate whether any carpeting can be dried in place or needs removal. Weighted and heated wands can restore and dry out the carpet in the hands of our expert technicians who go slowly and in overlapping patterns to ensure the carpet does not tear, stretch, or delaminate.

We discuss additional strategies if needed for mold remediation, but at a minimum use EPA-registered antimicrobials to sanitize after the air movers and dehumidifiers we always carry on our trucks dry out the area. SERVPRO also strongly advises you work with the company that installed your sprinkler system to troubleshoot so that the water does not intrude again. Consider regarding around your home, sloping down and away from the foundation. The sprinkling patterns, water force, and possibility of underground leaks in sprinkler supply lines must all be considered and remedied if there are problems or the water will return.

Water removal can be tricky to achieve and a puzzle to connect to a source, but the team at SERVPRO of Marquette Park / West Lawn / Ford City has the training and experience to assess and recover. Call (773) 337-3993 for a fast response and the best outcome.

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Drying Out a Flooded Crawl Space in Your Chicago Home

3/10/2017 (Permalink)

No matter the severity of your water damage situation, our SERVPRO team will be there with a lending hand.

Drying out and Restoring a Flooded Crawl Space Is What We Do at SERVPRO

When you have water damage to your home, it can go down to your crawl space as well. A water damaged crawl space is many times difficult to access. The access door is generally a small and challenging for equipment from a remediation company such as SERVPRO to get through. Even when the door of your crawl space is big enough for equipment, the crawl space could lack enough room inside of it for a dehumidifier to stand upright under the floor system. Working could be difficult as well. Removal of insulation might be necessary, the floor could be mud or dirt, and you might need to have the foundation of the house, or the HVAC system inspected.

With all of the complications, you definitely do not want to handle cleaning up water damage in your Chicago crawl space by yourself. One thing our technicians will need to be careful of is electrical hazards being present, so we need to ensure that the electrical circuits running under the home have been deactivated. We’ll also need to check to see if the structure has been affected and could collapse. Ground setting could affect the footings and foundation walls. The water in crawl spaces is generally black or gray because of dirt flooring, so proper equipment has to be worn.

Our SERVPRO technicians will remove any standing water from the crawl space, and if a plastic vapor barrier isn’t present, pumping or extracting water could be from a muddy surface of the crawl space. We’ll find the lowest point in the area and use the right submersible pump to get a majority of the standing water out. Once most of it is removed, the next step is to figure out the best way to dry the structural components of the floor.

When our equipment won’t fit, an option we have is to use flex hose as a duct to move air from dehumidifiers to the crawl space. A piece of light gauge sheet metal can be cut to fit the dehumidifier outlet to vent dry air into areas which are small.

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Crawl spaces can be tricky to dry out, but the technicians at SERVPRO of Marquette Park/West Lawn/Ford City are trained to handle these situations. Therefore, don’t hesitate to contact us at (773) 337-3993 if your crawl space becomes flooded for any reason.