Frequently Asked Questions

Water damage insurance claims depend primarily on the cause, whether that's a storm, burst pipe or plumbing malfuction, localized flood, or sump pump failure. Some insurance policies require specific riders and premiums, like flood insurance or sump pump failure insurance, to cover certain types of claims. For this reason, it's usually best to contact a restoration contractor, like Cornerstone, as well as your insurance company to make sure that not only is the water extraction and dry out covered, but also any other restoration or rebuild work that should follow. Outlining the full scope of your claim right at the start will help minimize any issues down the road and assure that all of the needed restoration is covered. Otherwise, you may find yourself paying out of pocket.

A Cornerstone water damage restoration professional will help you determine what items can be safely dried, which items may require restoration by a textile/contents technician (there are facilities which specialize in restoring water-damaged furnishings and other contents), and which items cannot be salvaged and require disposal. The source of the water damage and any potential contaminants will also affect these determinations.

In general, if your house catches fire, homeowners insurance policies will cover your home and its contents subject to your personal property coverage limit. You'll need to check your specific insurance policy and limits to determine what coverage you have. At Cornerstone, we can assist you with the claims process and help make sure your entire loss is documented. For example, in addition to fire and smoke damage, you may also have damage caused by the water used to put out the fire and/or your HVAC system may need to be cleaned of soot. These are the types of things that are easy to overlook when making your claim without the assistance of a restoration professional.

If your home experienced significant soot or smoke damage, it's best to have a professional fire restoration company, like Cornerstone, handle the clean up and restoration. We're experts at dealing with soot and other remnants from fires. Even smoke damage is rarely limited to just one area of the house. What's more, fires often leave residue behind in crevices and other hard to reach areas, so merely airing out your house will usually not alleviate the smoke odor. Smoke damage can also pose an ongoing health risk to the elderly, small children, and people with chronic health issues. At Cornerstone, we'll work to make your home safe and free of smoke odors.

There are many factors that affect mold growth. In fact, any time moisture levels are 60% or higher, the conditions are favorable for mold to grow. What's more, the issue often goes on for a long time without detection, since it may be hidden under floor boards or behind walls. When you do see an indication of mold on your floor or wall, it's often just the "tip of the ice berg" and there is far more mold beneath or behind the surface than just what is visible. That's why, do-it-yourself clean-up, such as using bleach, is insufficient and may even exacerbate the problem by spreading microscopic airborne spores to other parts of the house. At Cornerstone, our trained remediation professionals have the training, equipment and materials required to contain and clean-up any mold issue, no matter how severe.

Cornerstone Cleaning and Restoration has been serving the Chicago area since 2009. Whether it's a flood, fire or smoke damage, or mold, our team of professionals will work quickly and efficiently to restore your home or business to its pre-disaster condition and ensure that your property is safe and healthy for you and your family. When it comes to disaster recovery, you can count on Cornerstone to be there for you, 24/7.