Demand for home restoration services overwhelms local companies

April 25, 2013 Updated Apr 26, 2013 at 2:43 PM CDT

PEORIA, Ill. -- Clean up efforts are underway all across central Illinois after last week's floods and that is good news for home restoration businesses.

It's a common story in towns across Illinois, a half foot of water rose in this basement last Wednesday during the heavy rains and the sump-pump gave out instantly turning what was once a livable space into a potential health hazard.

"There's going to be a lot more demolition that's going to have to be done with the type of flood waters were having here, most building materials in here will be cut up to two feet off the floor to make sure that all wet materials are not structural materials are removed and we can access all areas to make sure there are no hidden contaminants or mold levels," said Jason Fletcher, President of SERVPRO of Peoria.

That is done using special meters to detect moisture levels in the walls, determining how far up workers need to cut.

While the water rose only about six inches or so in the basement, the actual cutoff line for the wood is about two feet and Fletcher says that is because the water travels up the wall and if not treated correctly, it could cause some major issues down the road.

Fletcher recommends if you are going to tackle the clean up yourself, make sure everything from the walls to the floor are completely dry -- including the drywall.

Luckily for this homeowner the damage was covered under homeowner's insurance, but SERVPRO experts say you should always check with your agent if you believe you have a claim.

The demand has been so high for SERVPRO services that crews from across the county have come to the area to help.

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Demand for home restoration services overwhelms local companies