ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba lists a Skokie, Illinois location offering fire damage restoration, water damage restoration, mold remediation and cleaning services for homes and businesses. Its listing describes a full line of restoration and cleaning services.

Listed since 01/13/2018

Storm damage in Skokie

Skokie began as Niles Center, and its sewers date from the 1920s, when one system was built to carry both sewage and rainwater. After World War II, new development and highways sent rain into those pipes faster than they could take it, and basements began to back up. The village answered in the 1980s with relief sewers, underground storage, ponds and berms, and it plans some streets to hold water briefly during a heavy storm so it stays out of buildings.

That history shapes what a storm does to a house here. A summer downpour can mean wind and hail on the roof and, at the same time, water coming up a floor drain. The two are different losses with different causes, and they are not always covered the same way.

What a storm damage job involves

The first job is to stop further loss: tarp or board up openings, remove standing water and take out anything soaked that cannot dry in place. Reconstruction of roofing, siding or drywall follows once the structure is dry. A homeowner should ask who will handle the insurance paperwork, what gets photographed before anything is removed, and whether the estimate separates emergency work from rebuilding.

Door-to-door offers after a storm are common, so read our guide to tarps, board-up and storm chasers before signing anything, and take photos first using the steps for documenting a loss.