Excel Fire And Water Damage Restoration Services started 10 years ago offering damage restoration services near me in Crystal Lake, McHenry, and surrounding communities. Since we started offering restoration services, we have moved into water damage restoration, mold remediation, and fire damage restoration.
Restoration Services Near Me
We specialize in all damage restoration fields of:
One of the services that we don’t offer is storm damage repair work for roofing or siding but we do offer water mitigation/water cleanup services during storms and floods. A majority of the work we do as a restoration company is basements and crawl spaces that end up taking on water. In the wintertime, we end up working on many frozen and burst pipes. On occasion, we may work on a roof leak.
The number one call that we’ll get from somebody that may have cleaned up their own water damage is, “I had a flood in my basement. I dried it out, but now it’s starting to smell funny. There’s a really unpleasant odor”. That’s the number one thing that we tend to see.
The other thing that we’ll end up seeing is a week later you’ll start to have a little mold developed in the corners or by the baseboard and it will start to grow. Next thing you know, you’ve got moldy drywall that needs to be dealt with and removed. A sign of mold expansion could be cracks on seams of mold where it has been caulked.
- Do you charge someone to come out and give an estimate?: At Excel, we do not charge for giving you an estimate. We’ll come out to give you a free consultation and tell you where the water is and what the best, most effective way to dry it will be.
- Are there any sump pump tips that you would want to give people?
- Keep an eye on your sump pump every five to eight years. It’s a good idea to replace that unit because it is a wear item and eventually it will fail.
- Have a backup system on your sump pump like a battery backup system. In the event that you have a power outage, you’re still going to be able to pump that water out.
- The other thing that is a big help is a water sensor and you can order those off Amazon. It’s just a little device placed next to the sump pump so that if your pump ever fails, as soon as that water hits it sets off an alarm. Before you have a flooded basement, you’re able to get down there and fix the problem before it turns into a real mess.
Why Should People Call A Restoration Services Company Rather Than Doing It Themselves?
A lot of homeowners try to do it themselves and the biggest problem with drying it is that they’re using equipment that’s rented out from Home Depot or other rental places. Typically that equipment is not as effective as the commercial-grade items. This can lead to:
- Longer dry time
- Mold growth
- Odors
This rental equipment can be unsuccessful in drying and may cause a handful of issues besides the ones listed above. It’s definitely the wisest choice to bring in a restoration company as soon as you see the water, that way it can be dealt with in the correct manner.
DIY water removal can cause more problems and lead to mold growth. Water tends to wick up into the drywall and you may look at the drywall and think it looks dry, but in reality that drywall is harboring 30, 40, or even 50% moisture content. Next thing you know, mold has fully grown on the inside of the drywall.
What’s Your Water Damage Restoration Process as a Restoration Contractor?
Like any good restoration contractor, Excel has a process that we use to help effectively restore your home or business back to normal. We have a 4-step process that we use for water damage restoration.
- Step 1: You call us, for example, if your basement is flooding. We ask a series of questions to get a little info and then we’ll set you up with time and come out and take a look.
- Step 2: From there we determine if you have coverage or if you’re going to self-pay.
- Step 3: Next we’ll do a series of moisture readings on the property, determine what is the classification of water, and if it needs to be dried in place. We will also look at the type of loss and where to remove drywall and flooring to dry and sanitize the structure.
- Step 4: Equipment will run for typically three to four days until the structure is dry. From that point, you can move on with your reconstruction. This water damage restoration process typically takes about 40 minutes from coming in to removing the wet items and then drying down the structure. And yes, we are available 24/7!
- What water classifications do you use in your water damage restoration process?: There are three categories for classifications of water that we use at Excel Fire And Water Damage Restoration Services. The classifications of water are just the amount of your home that’s affected by that water and they’re separate classifications for that. These categories are:
- Category one: the pure clean water that you can drink.
- Category two: the water that is slightly contaminated. This water could make you sick if you did drink it.
- Category three: grossly contaminated water and will make you sick. An example of this category would be the overflow of water from a clogged toilet. Category three water would be water from a sewage drain that backed up into your basement.
Water damage restoration is a very complicated process and as a water damage restoration contractor, we’ve gone through a lot of schooling to be able to be educated and know the proper ways to dry structures. We’re able to dry out the things that can become problems and make sure that you as a homeowner don’t ever have to deal with any of the implications from a home that has sustained water damage or if it wasn’t dried out properly.
- What type of tools does your restoration company use to dry out spaces?: We use LGR grade dehumidifiers, which just means low grain refrigerant. Our low grain refrigerants will take the water level and the air substantially below what one of the Home Depot dehumidifiers will. This type of dehumidifier is used by almost every restoration company because it aids in a faster drying process and ensures that we’re able to dry the structure before you end up not having any other secondary damages or complications arise. Then the other tools that we use are large volume CFM fans. They are able to create a vortex in the drying area and that helps raise the vapor pressure and relieve the bound vapor from your structure and dry it. Thinking you can just Shop-Vac it up and put a box fan on it will not work. There’s not enough volume of air coming out of that box fan to dry anything effectively.
Contact Excel Fire and Water Damage Restoration Services Now
If someone has standing water in the basement, we’ll come in with a submersible pump or an orange pump to help pump the water out. Then from there, we will bring in commercial-grade dehumidifiers and large axial fans that will assist in the drying process and speed things up. Looking for damage restoration company to help you restore your home or business after water damage, a mold problem, or fire damage? Contact Excel Fire And Water Damage Restoration Services at call at (224) 212-1217.
