Water Removal and Drying in Chicagoland
24/7 Water and Flood Damage Restoration in Chicago
Restore Construction provides 24/7 water damage restoration for homes and businesses across Chicago and its suburbs. When a pipe bursts in a cold snap, a water heater gives out, or water comes through the ceiling from the unit above, our crews remove the water, find what has soaked into your walls and floors, and dry your property to limit how far the damage spreads.
- 24/7 Emergency Response
- Water Extraction and Drying
- Hidden Moisture Detection
- Direct Insurance Billing
Restore Construction’s Credentials
Certified Water Damage Restoration Professionals
Our technicians hold IICRC certification in water damage restoration, so we confirm your property is dry with moisture readings instead of guesswork.
IICRC Certified Firm
BBB A+ Rating
RIA Member
Best Fire Damage Restoration in Chicago
IREM Chicago Chapter
Water Damage Restoration
What You Get When Restore Construction Handles Your Water Damage
A plumber can stop the leak, and a wet vac picks up what’s on the floor, but most water damage hides in the drywall, insulation, and subfloor. We find that hidden water and dry it out, then manage the repairs on whatever we can’t save, so less of it comes back later as mold or warped floors.
Our crews have dried out basements flooded in spring storms and a showroom where a burst sprinkler line brought down the ceiling. They explain what they’re doing as they work, so you know which rooms you can still use while we dry the rest.
How It Works
What to Expect From Our Water Damage Restoration
Knowing how a water job unfolds, from your first call to finished rooms, makes it easier to plan your days around the work.
The water stops spreading
We answer 24/7, and our crew typically arrives in about an hour to pump out the standing water, so less of it soaks into your walls, cabinets, and the rooms below.
You know how far it went
We trace the moisture through your walls, ceilings, and floors and show you which areas are wet, so you know how far the water reached before any drywall comes out.
You keep more of your floors and cabinets
We run dehumidifiers in the wet rooms and the rooms around them, and we remove only the materials that won’t dry out, so you end up with fewer things to replace.
Your rooms come back finished
Once everything is dry, we manage the repairs and keep your adjuster updated if you’re filing a claim, so you get your rooms back.
Common Causes
What Are the Most Common Causes of Water Damage?
Chicago’s cold snaps, heavy storms, and aging plumbing all lead to water damage. Where the water came from tells us whether it’s clean or contaminated and how far it traveled, which decides what we can dry and what we have to replace.
Frozen and Burst Pipes
A pipe that freezes in a cold snap can split and release water for hours before anyone notices, soaking the walls and ceilings around it.
Basement Flooding and Sewer Backups
Heavy rain can overload Chicago’s combined sewers and push water back up through basement floor drains, often with little warning.
Overflowing Tubs, Toilets, and Sinks
Water from an upstairs overflow runs through the floor and into the ceiling below, so a small spill can stain and sag drywall a whole floor away.
Appliance and Water Heater Leaks
A failed washer hose, dishwasher line, or water heater can leak slowly under the unit and soak the subfloor long before you see any water.
Roof, Window, and Ice Dam Leaks
Snowmelt behind an ice dam, or rain driven past a worn window, runs down inside the wall and soaks the insulation where you can’t see it.
Broken Fire Sprinkler Lines
A broken sprinkler line releases a lot of water fast, soaking the ceilings and walls on the floors below before anyone can shut it off.
Family Operated Since 1983
Our Story
Patrick L. Santoro started Restore Construction in 1983, and he now runs it with his sons, Patrick M. and Michael. In the more than 40 years since, our family has helped Chicagoland property owners recover from water, fire, and storm damage.
That work has reached more than 10,000 property owners, in single-family homes, two-flats, high-rises, and storefronts, and plenty of flooded basements along the way.
Today Restore Construction is part of American Restoration, which puts more resources behind our crews, while the same family keeps running the company day to day.
Water Damage? Call Restore Construction Now
Call as soon as you find the water, and we’ll send a crew to get it out and start drying your property, day or night.
Services
Other Services After Water Damage
Water damage rarely stops at wet floors. It can soak your belongings, leave drywall and flooring to replace, grow mold if it sits, and start an insurance claim. We handle the drying, your belongings, the mold, and the repairs, and we work directly with your adjuster if you file a claim.
Our specialty
Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration
Our crews haul out what burned and clean the soot from what’s left, and we manage the rebuild, so you can move back in or reopen your doors.
Emergency Board-Up and Securing
We board up the windows and doors a storm or break-in damaged and cover the roof openings, so less rain reaches the rooms we’re drying.
Board-Up and Securing →Contents Cleaning and Storage
Our contents team moves your belongings out of the wet rooms and cleans them, so more of your furniture and clothing survive the water.
Contents Cleaning →Reconstruction and Repairs
We manage replacing the drywall, flooring, and cabinets we removed once it’s all dry, so the repaired rooms match the rest of your property.
Reconstruction →Insurance Claim Management
Our estimators document the water damage inside your walls and beneath your floors, so your adjuster sees the hidden damage from the start.
Insurance Claims →Storm Damage Restoration
We dry the ceilings an ice dam or wind-driven rain soaked and handle the roof repairs, so the same spot is less likely to leak again.
Storm Damage Restoration →Biohazard and Trauma Cleanup
We handle biohazard and trauma cleanup from start to finish, so the drying and repairs can go ahead once the space is clean.
Biohazard Cleanup →Mold Removal and Remediation
We remove the mold that grew while the water sat and dry the materials around it, so there’s less moisture to feed new growth.
Mold Remediation →Reviews
Restore Construction Reviews From Chicago Property Owners
Service Area
Chicagoland Water Damage Restoration From Our Melrose Park Office
Our crews dry out homes and businesses 24/7 across the city and suburbs, as far as Schaumburg, Naperville, and Joliet.
Restore Construction
2035 N 15th Ave, Melrose Park, IL 60160 · Open 24/7
Communities we serve most
- Chicago
- Melrose Park
- Oak Park
- Elmhurst
- Maywood
- Cicero
- Park Ridge
- Schaumburg
- Naperville
- Oak Lawn
- Orland Park
- Joliet
Water Damage FAQs
Chicago Water Damage Restoration FAQs
What should I do right after a pipe bursts?
Shut off the main water valve, then call a plumber for the pipe and us for the water. If you rent, call your landlord too. Stay out of standing water near outlets or cords, take photos before you move anything, and keep the damaged items until your adjuster sees them.
What can you save after a sewer backup floods my basement?
Usually the hard surfaces, but not the soft materials the water soaked. Sewer water is contaminated, so the drywall, carpet, padding, and insulation it reached generally need to go. We remove those materials, clean the concrete and other hard surfaces, and dry the basement before any repairs begin.
Why do you run dehumidifiers in rooms that didn’t get wet?
To protect them. Water raises the humidity in the whole building, and that moist air can swell wood floors, warp cabinets and doors, and rust metal well away from the wet area. We keep the dehumidifiers running with the goal of bringing the humidity back to normal, so less of the damage spreads into the rooms that stayed dry.
How long does it take to dry out my property?
It depends on how much got wet, what materials the water soaked, and how long they stayed wet. We check the moisture levels as the drying goes and keep the equipment running, with the goal of your walls and floors reading the same as the dry parts of your property.
Why do you have to cut open my walls?
Because water trapped inside a wall can’t dry through the drywall. When the insulation or the space behind it is soaked, we cut the drywall a little above the water line and pull out the wet insulation, so air can reach the framing. Walls that only got damp on the surface usually dry in place.
Can you dry both units when water comes through from the unit above?
Usually, yes. Water from an upstairs leak travels through the floor, ceiling, and walls between units, so we trace where it went and dry each unit and common area it reached, as long as we can get into each one.
What should I do if my ceiling is sagging from water?
Stay out from under it, and switch off the power to any lights or fans in that ceiling, because a soaked ceiling can come down unexpectedly. We drain the trapped water safely, dry the space above it, and then decide whether the drywall can dry in place or needs replacing.
Not An Emergency?
Tell Us About Your Disaster
Tell us where the water came from and which rooms it reached, and a project coordinator will call to talk through the drying and repairs.
Water damage right now?
Call us before the water soaks any deeper. The longer it sits in your floors and walls, the more of them we have to replace.
We answer 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Tell us about your situation.
We will call you back the same day during business hours.