Disaster Recovery & Restoration,
Services in Downers Grove, IL

Restoration services in Downers Grove, IL: water, fire and mold

ServiceMaster Restoration Services provides water damage restoration, fire and smoke cleanup, mold remediation, biohazard cleanup and cleaning for Downers Grove, 24/7. One local fact matters most for water risk: St. Joseph Creek crosses the village with a mapped FEMA floodplain and floodway, and the East Branch DuPage River passes near its western edge.

How St. Joseph Creek and the East Branch shape flood risk

Two streams figure in Downers Grove's flood history. DuPage County Stormwater Management includes the village among the communities along the East Branch DuPage River, and the U.S. Geological Survey operates a stream gauge on the East Branch near Downers Grove that shows river levels in real time.

St. Joseph Creek is the more local story. A 2019 Village of Downers Grove staff report on the Deer Creek stormwater improvements explains that the creek begins in Westmont, collects stormwater from as far away as Darien, and flows east to west through the Deer Creek subdivision. That neighborhood was platted in the 1970s, before village stormwater detention rules and FEMA floodplain maps existed.

During the April 2013 flood, the report says, 20 houses there reported structural damage and streets stayed flooded long enough to block access to the subdivision. Water arrived overland from the creek's main stem and from two overflowing detention basins in a neighboring Westmont subdivision. The village's analysis concluded that a large reduction in flooding would require major regional storage or creek modifications, and DuPage County began a watershed study of the entire creek.

Across the region, that April storm was measured in inches. The National Weather Service Chicago office's two-day rainfall table shows 4.92 inches at a site two miles southeast of Downers Grove, and several nearby DuPage sites topped six inches.

1970s subdivisions and stormwater

Many neighborhoods built before modern detention requirements rely on streets, swales and rear-yard drainage paths to move heavy rain. When those paths are filled, fenced or blocked by landscaping, water looks for the next low point, which is often a window well or a walkout door.

Services for Downers Grove homes and businesses

Water damage restoration

After a burst pipe, a sump failure or creek-related seepage, water damage restoration in Downers Grove covers extraction, drying and moisture verification. For broader background, see our water damage restoration overview and the guide Burst pipe? What to do in the first hour.

Fire and smoke damage

Downers Grove fire damage restoration handles soot, smoke odor and the water left by firefighting.

Mold remediation

Where moisture lingered in a basement or wall cavity, mold remediation in Downers Grove removes growth under containment and addresses the moisture source.

Biohazard cleanup and cleaning

Our technicians provide discreet biohazard and trauma cleanup in Downers Grove, and Downers Grove cleaning services cover deep cleaning and post-restoration work for homes and commercial spaces.

Our team works with your insurance company and can help you document the loss; learn how through insurance claim assistance. Downers Grove sits next to our home base in Lisle, and we also serve Westmont and Woodridge.

Drying a lower level the right way

Air movers push moist air off wet surfaces, and dehumidifiers pull that moisture out of the room. Restorers track progress with daily meter readings rather than guessing, because a carpet can feel dry on top while the pad and the bottom plate of the wall are still wet.

When were Downers Grove's homes built?

The 1970s were Downers Grove's busiest building decade. ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates attribute 23.6% of the village's 21,527 housing units to 1970–1979, more than any other decade, and 64.2% of all units were built before 1980. The median home dates to 1974.

Houses from that era are now around 50 years old, an age when supply lines, shutoff valves and other original plumbing are worth inspecting. They also straddle a federal line: EPA's lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule covers paid work that disturbs paint in homes built before 1978, so the exact year your home was built matters when damaged drywall or trim has to come out.

Frozen pipes in older framing

Chicago-area winters test plumbing. The American Red Cross says to suspect a frozen pipe if only a trickle comes from a faucet, and points to exterior walls and the spot where the water service enters through the foundation as likely trouble areas. It also recommends keeping the heat at 55°F or higher when you travel in cold weather.

Know where your main shutoff is

In many homes the main water valve sits where the service line comes through the basement or crawl space wall, near the meter. Finding it, labeling it and making sure it turns freely takes five minutes and can save hours of cleanup.

What to do in the first hour after a pipe bursts in Downers Grove

1. Shut off the main water valve. Close it fully, then open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain pressure from the lines.
2. Kill power to wet areas only if it's safe. Ready.gov warns against touching electrical equipment when it is wet or when you are standing in water.
3. Don't thaw with a flame. If other pipes are frozen, the Red Cross says to use gentle heat such as a hair dryer or heating pad, never a blowtorch or other open flame.
4. Get belongings off the floor. Move rugs, electronics and papers to a dry room; put foil or blocks under furniture legs on wet carpet.
5. Photograph the break and the damage. Your insurer will want to see the failed pipe and the extent of the water before cleanup begins.
6. Arrange professional drying. EPA advises drying wet materials within 24–48 hours to prevent mold growth.

If a pipe has burst in your Downers Grove home, call (630) 241-1111 any time, day or night, or reach us through the contact page.