Were you one of the many homes affected by the Memorial Day flood? This crazy
weather has caused water damage to many basements in the Chicagoland suburbs such as
Hickory Hills, Oak Lawn, Chicago Ridge, Palos Hills, Bridgeview, and many more. Here at
STOP Restoration (Stop Bridgeview), we are prepared when disasters strikes! Call
us immediately at (708) 321-1000 for any water damage your basement has attained to avoid
mold growth and odors from arising.
We may be a professional water damage restoration company, but we are no exception to the
weather and where it hits. My name is Kelly Mickley, part of the STOP Restoration Bridgeview
Team, and many people on my block have been victims of the flooding. I was sure that my
home was going to need water damage restoration services as well, but we prevented the
water from entering our home just in time. Let me explain the steps my husband and I took to
avoid a flooded basement.
Once the rain started it wasn’t long before we could see the build up of the water creeping up
our lawn, getting closer and closer to our home. We are on a slight hill which made all the
difference. Our poor neighbors yard was completely submerged in water. There is a retention
pond behind some of our neighbors that was full and gushing out water. This created a literal
stream between our house and our neighbor’s house. The sewers in our street were full and
the water couldn’t go anywhere.
First things first, we made sure that our sump pump was working properly. Without the sump
pump doing its job you are sure to get water in your basement. Sump pump failure is
something that isn’t always covered on insurance policies and isn’t usually realized until you
need the coverage for it due to water damage in your basement. Ask your agent what your
policy says and if you don’t already have it, we suggest adding an endorsement coverage for
sump pump failure and sewer/drainage backups. The extra monthly cost adding that coverage
to your policy will be minimal and far out way the cost of an out of pocket water damage job
due to a failed sump pump. So don’t wait until its too late!
Next, we took a careful look around our house to check the downspouts and look for any
possible areas where water could enter our home. The downspouts were all facing away from
our house so the water was able to flow away from our home. However, on the side of our
house the water was rushing from our neighbor’s backyard, in between both of our houses, to
the front street where the sewer drains are. As I mentioned above, the sewer drains were full
and the water was just building down the block and up the lawns. My husband created a
boarder along the side of our house with a few extra pieces of siding we had handy to prevent
the water from seeping into the rocks and in our basement. If we weren’t able to create that
small barrier between the “river like” flowing water and the side of our house, I have no doubt
that we’d be dealing with water damage of our own.
After much anticipation, we survived the storm! We had a STOP Restoration Bridgeview crew
out in the field to help those in need right away. Remember it is so important to act on calling a
professional to dry out your basement immediately to prevent further damage and to avoid a
job that costs more money in the long run.
We are now a few days past the initial rain fall, but if you are still in need of water damage
restoration services don’t hesitate to give STOP Restoration Bridgeview,
IL a call at (708) 321-1000! We are available 24/7 with a trained crew on call ready to go. Allow
us to be your calm after the storm.
