Trusted Disaster Restoration
When Every Minute Counts

What We Restore

Restoration work falls into five main areas. Each has its own page with more detail, and plenty of jobs involve more than one. A kitchen fire, for example, usually leaves smoke and soot behind along with water from putting it out.

Water damage

Burst and frozen pipes, failed water heaters and dishwashers, sump pump failures, roof leaks and basement flooding after heavy rain. Water work covers extraction, structural drying, cleaning and, when materials can't be saved, rebuilding. Speed matters here: the EPA advises drying water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Start with our water damage page, or go straight to burst and leaking pipes or basement water damage.

Fire and smoke damage

Smoke and soot spread well past the room where a fire started, and the water used to put it out does damage of its own. Fire jobs usually involve securing the building, removing soot, treating odor, drying out firefighting water and then repairs. See fire damage restoration, smoke and soot cleanup and water cleanup after firefighting.

Mold

Mold grows where moisture stays, so removing it without fixing the moisture only buys time. The EPA says that if a moldy area is smaller than about 10 square feet, you can usually handle it yourself. If there has been a lot of water damage, or the growth covers more than 10 square feet, the EPA points to its full remediation guidance instead. Our mold remediation page explains how that work is done.

Biohazard, trauma and hoarding cleanup

Blood, bodily fluids and decomposition carry real infection risk. OSHA lists hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV among the bloodborne pathogens that can cause disease. This is work for trained technicians in protective equipment, not for family members or building staff. See biohazard cleanup, trauma and crime scene cleanup and hoarding cleanup.

Cleaning services

Not every call is an emergency. Residential and commercial cleaning, deep cleaning and post-construction cleanup are covered on our cleaning services page.

What Happens After You Call

No two jobs are the same, but most follow the same order. Industry standards such as the IICRC S500 standard for water damage restoration set out the procedures and precautions for this work. In plain terms, a job usually runs like this:

1. The call. We ask what happened, where the damage is, whether it is still active and whether anyone is at risk.
2. Inspection. A technician finds the source and checks how far water, smoke or mold has spread, including behind walls and under floors where you can't see it.
3. Stopping further damage. Standing water comes out, openings get boarded or tarped, and affected areas are closed off so the problem doesn't spread.
4. Drying and cleaning. Air movers and dehumidifiers dry the structure, and moisture readings show when materials are actually dry. Surfaces are cleaned and, where needed, treated.
5. Repairs. Once the structure is dry and clean, damaged drywall, flooring, cabinets and trim can be replaced. See repairs and reconstruction.
6. Walk-through. You look over the finished work before the job is closed out.

If you want to hear how it went for other people, customers describe their own jobs in their own words on our testimonials page.

Help With Insurance Claims

We work with your insurance company and help with the claim paperwork. What gets paid, though, depends on your policy and your insurer's decision. These general points from the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) are worth knowing before you file:

• Sudden plumbing leaks are usually covered. Triple-I says a standard HO-3 policy covers accidental discharge of water from a plumbing system, such as a burst pipe.
• Seepage and flooding usually are not. Water seeping into a basement from the ground is excluded, and flood damage needs a separate flood policy, such as one through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program.
• Sewer backup needs its own coverage. According to Triple-I, it is not covered by a typical homeowners policy or by flood insurance and has to be bought separately or added as an endorsement.
• Maintenance problems are excluded. Triple-I notes that policies won't cover damage due to lack of maintenance, mold or pest infestation.

When you file, Triple-I suggests you photograph or video the damage, take reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage, avoid throwing out damaged items until the adjuster has seen them, and keep every receipt. The Illinois Department of Insurance adds one more: get your adjuster's agreement before you sign a contract for repairs. If you run into a problem with your insurer, the Department accepts consumer complaints.

More detail is on our insurance claim assistance page and in our guide to homeowners insurance and water damage in Illinois.

Communities We Serve

Our office is at 924 Ogden Ave in Lisle. We serve homes and businesses across DuPage and Will County and nearby communities, including Lisle, Naperville, Downers Grove, Wheaton, Woodridge, Bolingbrook, Hinsdale, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Aurora, Plainfield, Romeoville and Lockport. The full list is on our service area page.

Local weather shapes a lot of this work. Heavy summer thunderstorms can overwhelm sump pumps and soak finished basements. Freeze-thaw winters split pipes, and the leak often shows up only after the thaw. Our guide to basement flooding after heavy rain covers the summer side, and fall maintenance to prevent winter water damage covers the winter side.

When to Call, and What You Can Safely Do First

Call a professional right away if:

• water is still coming in, or has reached outlets, the electrical panel or appliances
• the water came from a toilet, a sewer line or outside flooding
• more than one room is wet, or materials have stayed wet for more than a day
• mold covers more than about 10 square feet
• there has been any fire, even a small one that left smoke residue
• blood, bodily fluids or other biohazards are involved

While you wait, keep safety ahead of cleanup:

• Don't touch electrical equipment if it is wet or you are standing in water. Turn off the power only if it is safe to do so (Ready.gov).
• If a pipe or appliance is the source, shut off the main water valve. Triple-I recommends knowing where it is before you ever need it.
• After a fire, check with the fire department that the home is safe to enter, and don't reconnect utilities yourself (Ready.gov).
• Don't run the heating or air conditioning if you suspect it is contaminated with mold. The EPA warns it can spread mold through the building.
• Take photos and video before anything is moved or thrown out.

A small spill of clean water on a hard, non-porous floor is usually something you can handle. The EPA's water damage table suggests vacuuming or wiping it with water and mild detergent and letting it dry. Keep an eye on the area for a few days for odor, staining or soft drywall.