Chicago – Water Damage Restoration and Mold Remediation 773-885-8528

Sewage Cleanup Concerns in Oak Park IL

Sewage Cleanup and Sewage Removal Concerns

Sewage can happen in your property from different ways. One of these is basement flooding. Inside the nasty water that fills up like a gigantic tub, can be all sorts of contaminants from the outside, including sewage deposits. Another avenue of waste is from damaged plumbing. A leaky pipe or transfer that has not been sealed properly can carry nasty bacteria. And lastly, a natural disaster that has as its medium sewer from wastelands or areas where there is not proper run-off. Just a microcosm of these particles in your property can cause all kinds of issues in the environment, making it an unstable place to be. It is best to remove yourself and whatever items you can possibly salvage away from the disaster zone. Health risks are involved. Below are just a few:

Disease Control

Sewage carries large amounts of organic matter and can sometimes become heated while in a municipal system. This creates a breeding ground for microorganisms that might otherwise pass benignly through the water. Our lungs can pick up these deadly organisms and we find ourselves contracting diseases like hepatitis or leptospirosis. Open wounds or lesions on the skin can act as pathways for entry into our bodies. Precaution is in order.

Insects & Pests
Raw sewage can be a feeding ground for different insects, like mosquitoes. They breed quickly in standing water and can spread diseases like malaria and West Nile virus. Tiny animals, like mice can die in the floating sewage, leaving the body in the liquid where it becomes a dangerous host for diseases that can spread to surviving animals and insects in the basement. It is imperative to get a sewage cleanup company on the job as soon as possible.

Air Testing and Quality
Sewage can and will affect the ventilation in a property causing poor air quality. It can release harmful gases, like methane. The water in the sewage can encourage the growth of mold and mildew that triggers respiratory problems. Other common chemicals like bleach or chlorine depending on the source of the leak can lurk in the water damage. These can damage the lining of the lungs, the eyes and the tissue in the nose.

Bacteria
Bacteria, parasites and other organisms can breed in sewage and are easily transferred to the skin of the hands through imperceptible droplets, even if the liquid is not directly touched. Food and water that is taken in later if not properly handled, can cause other bacterial infections through the skin, mouth, etc. Some symptoms can be severe fever, liver and kidney damage, as well as dehydration caused by vomiting. It is not just a leave it alone and it will fix itself matter. Sewage backup cleanup is absolutely necessary when dealing with raw sewage, sewer deposits, and especially with live feces. Get help immediately from a professional sewage cleanup contractor today!

Professional Mold Removal and Remediation Chicago and Suburbs

Sensitive to Mold and Other Allergens?

DID YOU KNOW that even the healthiest of individuals can still feel negative effects in the presence of some common things around the house?

It’s not something that necessarily has to start growing in the basement of your house after a flood. It’s something that can “just happen” and it’s not good news. But it can be easily fixed.

First of all, what are we talking about?

Old stuff brought in
There are some items that can come into your home that can trigger your allergies or other sensitivities. These can include cardboard boxes, packages and other items sent or brought to you. The worse of these would be old stuff, things that have been around a while, gathering allergens, including black mold.

Old ‘normal’ stuff
We’ve all been to a library and sniffed old books. OK, maybe not all of us, but those that remember books and libraries can relate. These old books and documents can be allergen triggers, so be sure to remember this before checking them out or taking them into your home.

Old decorations
Sure, the holidays are a time when you use ornaments and stuff, and this is just a few times a year… but you have to store them, right? Remember that they can bring in allergens. It might be best to give them at least a wipe-down, if not a complete cleaning, before putting them into the attic.

Old mattresses
Yuck. This is a tough one, and sometimes a sensitive issue. Sure, it’s OK to pass on mattresses from one generation to another (what is family for?), but what are you getting when you inherit an old mattress or other bedding from someone not close to you? And don’t be tempted by that new-looking mattress at your neighbor’s garage sale. You just don’t know what you are getting into. Did you know that every mattress has dust mites?

Old rugs and carpet
Rugs and carpet are very important to you, but be sure to have them inspected by your carpet cleaning pro before bringing them into your home. These are items that can collect all types of allergens and other contaminants that can affect you and your family.

Don’t be afraid to throw old stuff out. Remember, it’s your home and your family’s health. Protect it!

Just make sure that what you bring into your home is safe and sound — and safe for any allergy or asthma issues you or your family may have.  And should things get worse along the way and you detect mold, call a professional mold remediation company immediately.  They will help get rid of mold the right way.

Mold Remediation in Chicago and Suburbs 773-885-8528

Keep Mold at Bay: Take Away its Food

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes how water damage situations (such as from a flood, leaky or broken pipe, sewage backup, etc) can be potentially hazardous… not just initially, but over time as well.

Why? Because of the potential of mold and how it affects human health. Exposure to damp and moldy environments and materials can be especially harmful to those sensitive to irritants common to mold contamination. Some find that even being outside near plant life in the process of decomposition is a problem. Mold and mildew can run rampant under certain conditions, causing allergic reactions.

So when a water damage does happen in your home, don’t take chances. Mold needs moisture. It needs to be fed. It will grow on organic materials that are wet. If you take away its “food” you inhibit the ability of mold to grow.

Important reminders

Remember that mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, anywhere there is a leak. This can be around windows, behind walls where water has intruded, from leaky roofs, and especially from leaky pipes – especially those that are leaking and you didn’t know about it!

Many homeowners are tempted to clean up water that comes into their home, such as when a sump pump might fail or when a toilet might overflow. Good intentions for sure. But if you don’t get it really dry, really fast, there can be problems.

Here’s a scary thought: Some professional water damage experts won’t even do a water removal job if they can’t get to it within 24 hours. They know mold could have started to grow and that means more work than simply extracting water and drying the home could be required.

You don’t want all that headache. When any water intrudes into your home, remember it’s more than water. It’s breeding ground for mold. Do what’s best. Call your water damage pro for water damage and mold remediation Chicago!

Oak Park Mold Removal

How Dangerous is Mold in Your Home?

Everyone wants the safest, healthiest home environment for their families. You would do anything to protect your loved ones from exposure to any substance that could cause them harm.

One of those feared substances is “mold” and with what you have seen in the news in recent years, exposure to harmful or “toxic” mold has affected the health of countless people — folks just like you.

This brings up the all-important question: Just exactly how dangerous is mold in homes?

That’s a tricky question, because there are many types of mold and mold is virtually everywhere. There is probably a little bit in your basement right now. Your shoes when you came home yesterday no doubt brought in a few mold spores. Mold spores can be in breathable space and travel in the air.

When you step outside, you are surrounded by mold. There’s nothing you can do about that. The main concern is usually what’s in the home, not outside, although if you are sensitive to mold you should avoid all damp areas that could promote mold growth, inside and out.

Some people are affected by even the smallest amounts of mold. They may have nasal issues, watery eyes, coughing and other physical reactions. A smaller segment of the population are very sensitive to exposure to mold, having severe reactions that can be life threatening. Others aren’t affected at all, and can be around and/or exposure to all types of molds with no apparent sensitivities.

The CDC has plenty of information for those concerned with mold in homes. One of the issues they raise is keeping moisture out of homes. “Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding,” according to the CDC government website.

The issue is twofold if mold is growing in your home. You must clean it up or have it cleaned up, and you must fix the moisture problem. You can do your research on how to fix the problem, but the best solution is, no doubt, getting expert advice from your professional water damage restoration contractor or mold removal or remediation company. Keep your family safe. Call the experts.

Avoid Water Damage Mistakes in Oak Park IL

Water Damage Repair The Right Way!

Winters always put our stamina to the test with record amounts of snow, ice, and rain.  It can wreak havoc on our homes, causing flooding, leaks, broken pipes, and yes, black mold.  Homeowners can experience some sort of water damage due to these natural causes and in some cases like leaky faucets and overflowing sinks. But when it comes to more extreme forms of damage like broken pipes, flooded basements, backed up toilets, or rain water flooding it is best to call for the services of a professional water damagerestoration contractor in Oak Park IL.

Professional water damagerestoration contractors in Oak Park IL understand the best methods to use when it comes to handling the problem and restoring a property to pre-loss condition. If you are dealing with a somewhat difficult or extreme situation, they use high tech water extraction equipment to clean. Using professional extraction equipment, they can get all the water in the affected area out and then trace the cause back to the main reason why the damage occurred in the first place. Water damage repairs could get costly depending on the severity of the leak, the extent of water damage, and the type of water received. A good, reputable professional water damage restoration contractor can restore your property to a perfectly normal condition without emptying your bank account.

What are the most common of mistakes made by many property owners?

Not the Guy Down the Street 

                                                                     

Low cost contractors may not provide the best quality of work. The old adage is true, you get what you pay for.  If you have insurance, you can still hire the company that you want, you don’t have to go with the insurance recommendation.  Remember, you are the client.  You can choose whomever you feel most comfortable with and someone local.  If the work performed is not up to industry standard you can have some serious issues to deal with down the line. Get a qualified water damage restoration contractor that will deliver quality service and do the job right the first time; preventing issues in the future.

Don’t Delay To Start the Restoration Process

Don’t be like so many overly cautious property owners and wait too long to get the water damage taken care of.  For instance, soaked, wet, squishy under foot carpet and padding should be addressed as an emergency.  Water is being smothered as it were, under a canopy of padding and carpet.  If the water damage is toxic like sewer or from rivers and streams, call a water damage restoration company immediately. Many restoration companies offer mold remediation and mold cleanup services, although some are better qualified for these tasks than others.

Pick the Right Service

It is important that the company you choose has the correct water extraction equipment to ensure that the water or mold issues are effectively resolved with as little expense and inconvenience to you as possible.  Check for references.  See if they are listed with local chambers or the Better Business Bureau.  Happy cleanup to you!

Water Damage Restoration Services Northbrook IL

What is Water Damage Restoration in Northbrook IL

Water damage repairs in Northbrook IL what exactly is it? As you know, when your home experiences water damage, you've got a big mess, a big job that needs to be given prompt attention. The program of repairing your home to a state of previous normalcy after a flood, overflow, or other water damage event is known as water damage restoration.
There are a few important things that must take place with every water damage restoration program:

1. Loss assessment,
2. Categorizing water based on the water source's contamination levels,
3. Drying and decontaminating the structure and its contents,
4. Monitoring the process, and completion.

First we deal with loss assessment.  What you are dealing with and where to begin. When it comes to water damage, not only must the technicians fully understand the task ahead of them, insurance companies are often involved.  It is important to understand exactly what happened, how it happened and what is damaged accordingly, the damage must be thoroughly inspected and documented and accurate estimates made.

Second, in the assessment, water is categorized based on the contamination levels (Category 1, 2, or 3) of its water source. The categories are as follows:
*Category 1 - Water from clean sources such as sinks, pipes, and toilet bowls (without urine or feces)
*Category 2 - Water with some contaminants such as water from a washing machine, dishwasher, or toilet with urine (but no feces)
*Category 3 - Water that is extremely unsanitary, capable of causing severe illness or death if the water was ingested. Examples of Category 3 water include sewage, water from a toilet bowl containing feces, floodwaters from rivers, and standing water with microbial growth.
Clean water, by the way, can quickly come into contact with unsanitary contaminants and become Category 2 or 3 water.

Third, water damage usually affects not just the immediate area but also the home's contents. Therefore, furniture, drapes, carpets, electronics, books, and other contents affected by the water need to be clean and sanitized, where possible, immediately. May items will be shifted, or thrown out before the water gets to them in an attempt to prevent damage, others will need to be dried, cleaned, and decontaminated, and others still will be damaged to the point where they must be discarded.

Finally, the drying, cleaning, and decontaminating process begins. Specialized restoration equipment such as blowers, scrubbers, subfloor drying equipment, and dehumidifiers are put into property and left for several days with the drying process monitored to ensure that the all equipment is placed appropriately and working as it should.

Keeping track of humidity levels, temperatures, and moisture content of affected areas are recorded, and manipulation of equipment to ensure proper full evaporation and drying. In addition to drying, cleaning, decontaminating, mold inhibitors should be used to prevent mold from growing. Deodorizers may also be required. Even if the water damage was from a Category 1 water source, contaminants in carpets and the underlying carpet pad can quickly lead to a foul odor.

The size and condition of the loss determines if additional repairs may be required. For example, if the drywall and carpet were damaged to the point where they need to be replaced.
Those repairs will take place once the underlying areas are dry. Finally, once the home is dried out and restored to its pre-loss condition, the water damage repairs in Northbrook IL job is complete!  You can go back to a somewhat normal life and move forward with confidence that your restoration project is handled properly!