Disaster Recovery & Restoration,
Services in Oakbrook Terrace, IL

Water, fire and mold restoration for Oakbrook Terrace, IL

ServiceMaster Restoration Services provides 24/7 water damage restoration, fire and smoke cleanup, mold remediation, biohazard cleanup and cleaning for Oakbrook Terrace residences, offices and businesses. The local fact that shapes most calls: about three in four occupied homes in this small city are rented, and 44.4% of housing was built in the 1970s.

What kind of housing does Oakbrook Terrace have?

Oakbrook Terrace is compact, with 2,723 residents and 1,526 housing units in ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Most of those homes are in attached or multi-unit buildings: just 26.6% of units are single-family detached houses, and 75.2% of occupied units are rented. The 1970s dominate the building record at 44.4% of units, the median year built is 1977, and about a quarter of units went up in 2000 or later.

A building-heavy housing stock changes the restoration picture. A single failed water heater or sprinkler head can reach several units and a hallway, and the owner, the property manager and each tenant may all have a stake in the cleanup.

Lead rules for rental buildings

Many of those 1970s units predate 1978, the cutoff in EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. EPA states that landlords and property management companies must comply with the rule when work disturbs paint in a pre-1978 rental, and that property managers who perform or offer that work must become lead-safe certified firms. If water-damaged drywall in an older unit has to be removed, those rules apply to the work.

Asbestos checks before demolition

Lead isn't the only consideration in buildings from that decade. EPA's asbestos guidance for homes notes that you generally can't tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it. Suspect flooring, ceiling texture or pipe insulation that water has damaged should be left alone until a trained and accredited professional takes samples, since disturbing it can release fibers.

Low-rise buildings from the 1970s

Garden apartments and condominium buildings from this era often stack kitchens and bathrooms in vertical lines. That makes a leak efficient at traveling: water follows the plumbing chase straight down through the units below until someone finds the source.

Restoration and cleaning services in Oakbrook Terrace

Our services cover both residential and commercial properties, from individual apartments to offices and shared buildings. If water is the problem, the water damage overview is a good place to start.

• Water damage restoration in Oakbrook Terrace for supply-line breaks, sprinkler discharges, roof leaks and storm water, including drying across multiple units.
• Fire and smoke damage restoration in Oakbrook Terrace for soot cleanup, odor treatment and water left by suppression.
• Mold remediation in Oakbrook Terrace using containment and HEPA filtration when moisture has gone unnoticed.
• Biohazard cleanup in Oakbrook Terrace, handled confidentially for residences and workplaces.
• Cleaning services in Oakbrook Terrace for apartments, common areas and offices, including post-restoration cleaning.

Property and facility managers can read about commercial water damage restoration and our guide to business-continuity restoration for DuPage companies. For homeowners and tenants, our team works with your insurance company through insurance claim assistance.

Containing the work in occupied buildings

When neighbors are still living or working next door, restoration has to stay contained. Plastic barriers, negative air pressure and HEPA air scrubbers keep dust and odor inside the work area while drying or cleanup continues.

Where does Oakbrook Terrace's stormwater go?

The city's storm sewers discharge to two streams. In its stormwater permit filing with the Illinois EPA, Oakbrook Terrace lists Salt Creek and the Oak Brook Tributary as receiving waters for an area of about 1.17 square miles, and states that it follows the DuPage County Countywide Stormwater and Floodplain Ordinance. The filing also places the city in York Township, DuPage County.

The city has been upgrading that system. A 2023 resident notice about the Stillwell Road storm sewer project describes replacing roughly 5,000 feet of storm sewer, in pipe sizes from 6 to 30 inches, with about 70 new catch basins and manholes.

Big storms still test drainage everywhere in the area. During the April 17–18, 2013 storm, the National Weather Service Chicago office recorded 6.98 inches over two days at its neighboring Oak Brook observation site. Ground-floor and garden-level units, parking garages and building mechanical rooms are typically the first places that kind of rain shows up.

Garden-level units and mechanical rooms

Partly below-grade spaces collect water from window wells, floor drains and door thresholds. Keeping belongings off the floor, checking that drains are clear and knowing who controls the building's sump or ejector pumps all reduce the damage when heavy rain arrives.

The first hour after fire or water damage in an Oakbrook Terrace apartment

1. Get out first, then call 9-1-1. For fire, Ready.gov advises leaving and calling 9-1-1 or the fire department; if you can't get out, close the door, cover vents and cracks to keep smoke out and signal from a window.
2. Re-enter only when cleared. Ready.gov also says to check with the fire department that the residence is safe to enter and not to reconnect utilities yourself.
3. For water, notify management immediately. The building's maintenance staff or association can shut off a riser or locate a leak in another unit faster than you can.
4. Avoid wet electrical fixtures. Don't touch outlets, lights or appliances that are wet or while standing in water.
5. Record what happened. Photograph damage in your unit and note the time; your landlord, association and insurer may each need the record.
6. Move valuables, then let drying begin. Shift belongings away from the wet area; EPA says wet materials should be dried within 24–48 hours to prevent mold.

Nearby, we also serve Oak Brook, Villa Park and Elmhurst. For damage in Oakbrook Terrace, call (630) 241-1111 any time, or reach us online.