Water Damage Repair Chicago

A commentary by Sam Simons, owner of ServiceMaster Restoration by Simons

Not long ago I responded to a water damage repair job in the Chicagoland area. When I arrived, I met a really great young married couple who had experienced their second sewer backup incident within a couple months. The first time around, they called another disaster restoration company who offered to clean up and repair the water damage for a pretty cheap price.

After the second incident, they decided to call ServiceMaster Restoration by Simons. When I arrived to meet them and assess the damage, their basement was a mess! Contaminated sewer water and raw sewage were everywhere. I felt terrible for them. But, since we’ve done this kind of job so many times before, I knew there was hope for their basement. We got started on the water removal, debris removal, and repairs, then quickly discovered that the repairs that they thought had been done to their home before were not actually done correctly. Let me explain.

This type of situation, where contaminated water and raw sewage are present, produces what’s known as “Category 3 Water”.  Category 3 Water (C3W) is riddled with raw sewage, bacteria, chemicals, and all of the other “stuff” that ends up in a city’s sanitary sewer system. C3W is the gross stuff. What’s more, any materials (carpet, drywall, curtains, etc.) that come in contact with C3W is considered a biohazard and must be removed and replaced. (Most wood, concrete, and metal items can be safely cleaned, dried, and salvaged.)

As we removed the damaged drywall, we found wet, raw sewage left over from the previous flood incident in the vacant spaces between the framing and the drywall. The space wasn’t thoroughly dried out either. I couldn’t believe it! I was glad that we found these things before they turned into permanent structural damage down the road.

Again, I felt really bad for the customers because they were overwhelmed and confused, so they trust the so-called “experts” to guide them through this difficult time. In reality, they were unaware that the repairs that were—or weren’t—done would lead to expensive structural repairs in the future.

So here’s the point: when it comes to sewer backup, raw sewage, and C3W in your basement, a quicker, cheaper fix is never the proper solution. Don’t look for the cheapest price and then expect the work to be thorough and top quality. It doesn’t work that way.

I can’t imagine walking out on customers in their time of need. I personally guarantee that ServiceMaster Restoration by Simons will thoroughly and completely restore your home after a sewer backup, water damage, flood damage or fire damage in the Chicago area. We don’t cut dangerous corners. We do the job right.

In fact, every ServiceMaster Restore® owner, manager, and technician must attend the ServiceMaster Academy of Service; which includes the Advanced Structural Drying course. This cutting edge course focuses on the science of proper structural drying. That’s right—proper drying is literally a science. So, I guess you could consider us scientists (just without the lab coats and beakers.)

Here are a couple of things to consider when you have a flooded basement:

BEFORE THE FLOOD- Check with your insurance company to make sure you have adequate flood insurance coverage. Paying for these repairs out-of-pocket can be devastating to your bank account.

IICRC CERTIFIED- Make sure the company you choose to do the cleanup and repairs is IICRC certified. The IICRC sets the cleaning, restoration, and inspection industries’ standards in over 25 countries around the world. IICRC certification helps you to instantly recognize the cleaning and restoration industry’s most competent and dedicated technicians and businesses.

ACT FAST!-  The longer the water sits in your basement, the more damage will happen to your structure. Call us as soon as you discover the problem. We are on call 24/7/365.

One more thing! ServiceMaster Restoration by Simons really is in this business to help people who have just suffered life changing events like fire damage,  smoke damage, water damage, flood damage, or other disasters in Chicago. This is why we do what we do. We are here to Restore Peace of Mind®. If you’ve had a disaster or have any questions, give us a call.