Disaster Recovery & Restoration,
Services in Elmhurst, IL

Water, fire and mold restoration services in Elmhurst, IL

ServiceMaster Restoration Services handles water damage, fire and smoke cleanup, mold remediation, biohazard cleanup and cleaning for Elmhurst homes and businesses, around the clock. The most useful local fact: Salt Creek runs through Elmhurst, and a former stone quarry here stores up to 8,300 acre-feet of its floodwater.

How does Salt Creek affect flood risk in Elmhurst?

Salt Creek flows along the city's west side, and much of Elmhurst's flood infrastructure exists because of it. DuPage County Stormwater Management describes three pieces that work together:

• Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility. The old Elmhurst Chicago Stone quarry south of North Avenue on Route 83 holds up to 8,300 acre-feet. When Salt Creek nears flood stage, excess water spills into a diversion channel, drops down a shaft into a 400-foot tunnel under Route 83, and fills the quarry. It is pumped back to the creek once levels recede.
• Elmhurst Levee. Constructed in the early 1990s alongside Eldridge Park Reservoir, it helps protect parts of the city from flooding along Salt Creek.
• Eldridge Park Reservoir. In southwest Elmhurst, it adds nearly 40 million gallons, or 120 acre-feet, of flood storage for the watershed.

The county's flood control facilities page explains each one in detail, and the U.S. Geological Survey publishes live readings from its Salt Creek at Elmhurst stream gauge.

Big storms still overwhelm local drainage

Regional storage lowers creek levels; it can't keep every basement dry. During the April 17–18, 2013 storm, the National Weather Service Chicago office recorded a two-day total of 7.26 inches at its Elmhurst observation site, one of the largest amounts reported in the Chicago area for that event. Rain at that rate can fill sewers faster than they drain, pushing water back up through basement fixtures.

That is why the city's cost-sharing programs include a 50% cost share for overhead sewer systems and a separate 50% cost share for check valves. The check valve program requires disconnecting perimeter drain tile and other clear-water sources from the sanitary line and routing them to a sump pump and pit that discharges to the yard. Each program has a cap, and terms can change, so confirm details with the city.

Old blocks, new houses

Many Elmhurst streets mix pre-war and post-war homes with newer two-story houses. Newer houses are generally built with sump pits and modern drainage, while older neighbors may still rely on their original sewer service lines. Two homes on the same block can respond very differently to the same storm.

What does Elmhurst's housing mix mean for repairs?

Elmhurst has two distinct building eras. ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates show 43.0% of its 17,753 housing units were built before 1960, including 14.7% from 1939 or earlier, while 23.4% went up between 2000 and 2019. The median year built is 1966.

For the older share, federal rules shape how damaged materials come out. EPA's lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies when paid contractors disturb painted surfaces in homes built before 1978, and EPA notes that any renovation in a pre-1978 home with lead paint can easily create dangerous lead dust. EPA also advises leaving suspected asbestos materials, such as old floor tile or pipe wrap, undisturbed until a trained, accredited professional samples them.

Newer homes raise different questions. A finished basement with carpet, drywall and built-ins holds more water-sensitive material, and a sump pump that fails during a storm can flood it quickly. A battery backup and a yearly test of the pump are simple precautions against that scenario.

Finished basements need a different plan

Drywall wicks water upward, and carpet pad holds it like a sponge. Restoration crews measure how far moisture has traveled before deciding what can be dried in place and what has to come out, since EPA's guidance is to dry water-damaged materials within 24–48 hours.

What to do in the first hour when an Elmhurst basement floods

1. Do not walk into deep or moving water. Ready.gov notes that just six inches of moving water can knock you down. Inside the house, stay off the basement stairs if water is near outlets or the electrical panel.
2. Cut power only from a dry spot. If you can reach the breaker panel without standing in water, switch off the basement circuits. If not, wait for help.
3. Check the sump pump. Look for a tripped breaker, a stuck float or a blocked discharge line, but only if you can reach the pit safely.
4. Stop using water upstairs. If the water is coming from floor drains, toilets, showers and laundry add to what backs up.
5. Document before cleanup. Photograph the water depth, the source and every damaged item, and keep receipts for anything you buy.
6. Start the drying clock. Contact your insurer and a restoration company promptly; materials left wet beyond 24–48 hours invite mold.

Reading the waterline

A waterline shows how high water rose and which walls, cabinets and stored items it reached. Photograph it from several angles before anything is moved or wiped down, because it is one of the clearest records of the loss for an insurance claim.

Restoration services available in Elmhurst

Water damage

From sump failures to sewer backups, Elmhurst water damage restoration includes extraction, drying and moisture mapping. Before heavy-rain season, our guide to basement flooding after heavy rain in DuPage walks through why basements flood and what to do first.

Fire and smoke

Fire damage restoration in Elmhurst covers securing the structure, soot and smoke cleanup, and deodorization; the fire damage services overview explains the full process.

Mold, biohazard and cleaning

Dampness left behind after a flood is the usual trigger for mold remediation in Elmhurst. We also provide confidential biohazard and trauma scene cleanup in Elmhurst and cleaning services for Elmhurst homes and businesses.

Our team works with your insurance company and can help you organize photos, inventories and estimates for a claim; read more about insurance claim assistance. We serve all of DuPage and Will County, including neighboring Villa Park, Oak Brook and Oakbrook Terrace.

Water rising in your Elmhurst basement? Call (630) 241-1111 24/7 or send details through our contact form.