Chicago's winter temperatures drop below freezing for weeks at a time. Snow accumulates on roofs, then melts during brief warm spells. This melt-freeze cycle creates ice dams at roof edges and forces water under shingles, into soffits, and down wall cavities. The water re-freezes inside the wall assembly, expanding as it turns to ice and cracking the drywall paper face. When it thaws, the paint blisters. Wallpaper lifts at the seams. This cycle repeats all winter, progressively worsening the damage. Coastal climates with mild winters do not see this failure mode. Chicago buildings do.
We work with Chicago building inspectors, insurance adjusters, and general contractors every week. We know the city's building code requirements for vapor barriers, insulation R-values, and mold remediation protocols. We understand the architectural quirks of Chicago's housing stock, from bungalows with raised basements to brick two-flats with shared plumbing chases. When you hire a local water damage specialist, you get someone who has dried out hundreds of Chicago homes and knows how your building is constructed, how it fails, and how to fix it correctly.
