A Nightmare in Glendale Heights
This is the true story of a “disaster” that occurred in the winter of 2008. A furnace that went out and a broken water pipe are the villains. It was estimated that hundreds of gallons of water poured into this house. The damage from the flood and its aftermath are all documented in the following videos, as they occurred.
The homeowners of this nice townhome are out of town, at 11AM on December 25, 2008, they receive a phone call from their neighbor saying that there is water coming from out of the bottom of the garage door and that the alarm has been screeching for hours.
The homeowners immediately call a friend (me) who has a key to their house and ask me to go and check out the situation.
In video 1, I arrive and take note of the extreme amount of ice at the rear of the home. As I make my way towards the front, yet still in the street, you can hear the alarm sounding.
Upon entering the home and seeing the chaotic situation I stopped the video camera. I was standing in an inch of water and watched as a torrent of water sprayed from the kitchen ceiling and flowed from all of the ceiling in both the living and dining rooms.
It took a minute to survey the situation and to determine the source of the water then with a rush of adrenaline, I ran to locate the water shutoff valve. Was it in the garage? No! Was it in the lower level office? No! It was hidden under the staircase behind soaking wet shoes, coats, pillows and fishing rods.
The video is then restarted as I turned off the gas to the furnace and hot water heater. The outside temperature was in the teens and nearly as cold in that house. Drywall is sagging, light fixtures are filled with yellowish water, the dining room table and upholstered chairs are soaked. I made my way up to the second floor to see the damage there. As my boots squish the water, that has turned the ivory colored carpet into a Sham Wow; I am flabbergasted at the solid ice inside the bowls and tanks of both toilets. (Video 2) There is ¾ inches of water on the tile floor. I then pulled the batteries out of 4-5 very annoying alarms that had been working overtime.
The fire department arrived shortly after, along with police and a Glendale Heights building department official. They make their reports. It was then time to call the homeowners to give them the bad news. They had been holding their breath that Christmas day evening and hoping for the best. The pain about learning of the full extent of the damage was exacerbated by the knowledge that, for whatever reason, they had no homeowners insurance.
Within a day, the work of putting the house back together, is started. (Video 3) The water was vacuumed up, carpets torn out, and numerous high powered fans were drying the subfloor and lower portion of the walls.
It took several weeks of working long days but we put the house back together. (Better than before the flood) By acting quickly we were able to prevent any mold growth and salvaged the subfloors and the upper two-thirds of the walls. Virtually every plumbing fixture and supply line required replacement; so did all the ceilings in the basement and first floor. The garage door spring snapped, the garage door opener rusted and shorted out, every bit of insulation in the garage was ruined, water worked its way under the vinyl flooring in the kitchen, utility room and bathrooms destroying them, the furnace needed an overhaul, light fixtures replaced and much more.
This type of work is highly specialized and requires knowledge, speed and efficiency in water mitigation techniques, mold prevention as well as major skills in all aspects of residential building construction and remodeling. Just as important is the trust factor that comes into play. People are thrust into a vulnerable position when a home disaster strikes. Often, all of their worldly possessions are in that home. They require the peace of mind that comes from having the trust and confidence in the contractor whom is looking out for their best interests.
I have been involved, hands-on, in the residential construction business for twenty three years; as both carpenter, remodeler and as a contractor for the past seventeen years. My level of practical expertise in many aspects of construction, solid business skills, high ethics, and successful track record of high customer satisfaction make my company an ideal choice for contracting your flood damaged residence.
Frank Lamphere
630-620-4130
www.DupageDecks.com