Restore or Replace? The Chicago Homeowner’s Guide to Water, Fire & Smoke Damage (2025 Edition)

When disaster hits your home—whether from a burst pipe, kitchen fire, or smoke damage—the first question that follows “Is everyone safe?” is usually “What can we save?” Making smart, fast decisions about what to restore vs. what to replace protects your family’s health, speeds recovery, and controls costs.

This guide gives Chicagoland homeowners a simple, practical framework to decide—by material, type of damage, and risk—plus what insurers expect, how to document a loss, and when to bring in certified pros.

First things first: safety before sorting

• Wait for re-entry clearance from the fire department or utility if applicable.
• Kill power to impacted areas before walking through wet rooms or touching appliances.
• Protect your lungs—soot and mold are respiratory irritants. Use a respirator (N95 or better), gloves, and eye protection.
• Limit HVAC use until ductwork is inspected; soot and mold can spread through the system. ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons can utilize HEPA-filtered air scrubbers until the HVAC is cleaned.

If conditions are unsafe—or you suspect contaminated water (sewer/“Category 3”)—call our certified team 24/7:

• Chicago & Northwest Suburbs: (773) 376-1110 — Residential services overview
• North Shore & Lake County: (847) 316-9145 — Chicago location • Skokie/North Shore • Deerfield/Lake County

The quick decision framework: restore or replace?

Use these five lenses for each material or item:

1. Health Risk & Contamination

• Replace porous items exposed to Category 3 water (sewer/groundwater) or heavy protein soot: standard carpet pad, mattresses, pillows, most paper goods, open food, and affected baby/medical items.
• Restore hard, cleanable surfaces (tile, glass, metal) and some semi-porous materials if exposure was limited and cleaned professionally.

1. Material Porosity

• Low porosity (often restorable): hardwood, tile/stone, solid wood furniture, metals, glass.
• High porosity (often replace): carpet pad, insulation, MDF/particleboard cabinetry that swelled, acoustical ceiling tiles, standard laminate with fiberboard core.

1. Time & Saturation

• Water: < 24–48 hours = far better odds of restoration; > 48 hours = rising mold/odor risk, more replacement.
• Smoke: Lighter dry soot is easier to remediate; protein soot (kitchen) is invisible but extremely odorous and persistent—requires specialized methods.

1. Structural Integrity

• Replace when heat/char compromises strength (framing char depth beyond acceptable plane), or when drywall turns to mush or delaminates.
• Restore when materials pass moisture/soot testing and maintain structural values.

1. Cost & Insurance Logic

• A common benchmark: if restoration ≥ ~70% of replacement, replacement may be favored (subject to insurer, code, lead/asbestos, and matching). We’ll help you evaluate options.

By peril: what usually restores vs. what usually replaces

Water damage (fresh, gray, or sewer)

• Often restore: hardwood floors with quick drying, tile/stone, drywall with limited wetting (perform flood cuts and dry), solid wood furniture (refinish), some electronics if not energized and cleaned by specialists.
• Usually replace: carpet pad, saturated insulation, fiberboard cabinets that swelled, standard laminate flooring, warped MDF trim, contaminated textiles from Category 3 water.

👉 Need water mitigation now? Water Damage Restoration

Fire & heat

• Often restore: lightly smoke-affected walls, ceilings, and finishes; hard contents; structural framing that cleans to acceptable char depth and passes odor tests; some hardwoods and tile.
• Usually replace: charred framing beyond sanding plane or encapsulation standards, melted or heat-damaged wiring/plastics, damaged appliances, burned roofing and underlayment, compromised windows/doors.

👉 Fire cleanup & rebuild help: Fire Damage Restoration

Smoke & soot (including protein fires)

• Often restore: hard surfaces, many textiles via professional deodorization + laundering, soft furniture with removable covers, ducts (case-by-case after inspection).
• Usually replace: items that remain odor-positive after correct multi-step deodorization; foam pillows and low-value porous items saturated with protein residues.

Mold (secondary damage after water)

• Often restore: structurally sound framing with surface mold (clean + treat), tile/stone, some contents after HEPA/cleaning.
• Usually replace: moldy drywall, insulation, carpet pad, and visibly colonized composite woods.

👉 Suspect mold? Mold Remediation

Chicago realities that change the equation

• Combined sewers & backups: Basement water may be contaminated even when it looks clear—err on the side of replacement for porous items.
• Masonry basements & vintage trim: Chicago’s older homes can often save original millwork and hardwood with fast professional drying and careful refinishing.
• Freeze–thaw + pipe bursts: Winter pipe failures flood quickly—prioritize extraction, heat, and dehumidification within hours.
• High-rise considerations: Smoke migration between units and shared HVAC requires meticulous deodorization planning and documentation.

Contents you didn’t think could be saved (but often can)

• Textiles & soft goods: specialty deodorization (hydroxyl/ozone) + controlled laundering.
• Electronics: do not power on; corrosion can be halted with proper disassembly and cleaning.
• Documents & photos: vacuum freeze-dry and careful cleaning; we’ll triage what’s irreplaceable.
• Art & heirlooms: case-by-case with conservator input.

Need specialty help? Specialty Cleaning

Your adjuster-ready documentation checklist

• Photo/video log before major cleanup.
• Itemized inventory (room → item → condition → approximate value).
• Moisture maps & drying logs (we provide these).
• Soot/residue test notes and deodorization methods used.
• Receipts for emergency services, board-up, tarping, ALE (lodging, meals).
• Permits/code upgrades (if applicable) to support ordinance/law coverage.

The first 72 hours: a realistic timeline

Day 0–1

• Safety check, board-up/tarp if fire, extraction of standing water, HVAC off, negative air/filtration, initial deodorization, content triage.

Day 1–3

• Detailed assessment and estimate, targeted demolition (wet drywall cuts, unsalvageable materials out), drying/dehumidification, textile/electronics pack-out, duct evaluation.

After Day 3

• Continued drying and monitoring, contents cleaning/restoration, deodorization completion, rebuild planning and selections.

When to insist on replacement (hard lines)

• Category 3 water exposure for porous materials.
• Structural char beyond accepted plane or compromised load paths.
• Electrical systems with heat damage or submerged panels/wiring per code.
• HVAC liners that remain contamination-positive after cleaning.
• Materials failing odor or moisture clearance post-mitigation.

Why Chicago trusts ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons

We’re a locally owned, award-winning, IICRC-certified firm backed by the nation’s oldest restoration brand.

• 40+ years serving Chicago, the North Shore, Lake County, and nearby suburbs
• IICRC Certified in Water, Fire, and Mold; RIA member
• 2025 Inc. 5000 Honoree, Chicago Star Award, BBB Torch Award, Stevie® Award for Business Excellence
• Transparent estimates, adjuster-ready documentation, and compassionate, skilled teams

Explore services:

• Residential: Water • Fire • Mold • Specialty
• Commercial: Overview • Water • Fire • Mold • Construction

FAQs — Restore vs. Replace in Chicagoland

Q1: How do I know if drywall can be saved after a flood?
If the water was clean and contact was brief, we often cut out the lower section, dry, and refinish. Sewage/Category 3 or sagging/crumbly drywall usually means replace.

Q2: Can smoke-damaged clothing and furniture be deodorized?
Often, yes. Proper pre-cleaning + hydroxyl/ozone + laundering removes most odors. Items that remain odor-positive after the full protocol may be non-salvage.

Q3: Are electronics safe to restore after water?
Sometimes—only if they weren’t powered on and corrosion is addressed quickly by specialists. Don’t plug them in.

Q4: What’s considered a “total loss” by insurers?
It varies, but if restoration approaches replacement cost, or safety/contamination/code issues remain, adjusters may classify items as non-salvage. Our job is to document facts and protect your best outcome.

Q5: How fast should drying start?
Within 24–48 hours to minimize mold and material loss. Faster is always better.

We’re here when you need us

Chicago & Northwest Suburbs: (773) 376-1110 — Chicago
North Shore & Lake County: (847) 316-9145 — Skokie/North Shore • Deerfield

When it feels like everything’s a total loss, we’ll help you see what’s truly restorable—and get your home, and life, back on track.