Blog

Chicago gets more than its fair share of snow in the winter. Mother nature continually buries the entire area beneath layers of snow and ice. Though winter snowfalls are arguably pretty, they are devastating to indoor surfaces. Most people don’t realize that all of the sand and salt that maintenance crews lay on the roads, sidewalks, and other icy surfaces are tracked into their very homes. It may sound trivial at first, but you should realize that all of the extra salt and debris can thrash t...   Read more ...  

Ice and snow are just a part of winter in our corner of the world, and though they do look pretty, they pose significant risks to our homes. But most homeowners aren’t aware of a winter problem that can destroy your roof while simultaneously giving mold a foothold in your attic or ceiling. This dangerous phenomenon is referred to as ‘ice damming,’ and they are incredibly dangerous. Ice dams may not be in the forefront of our minds, but once they strike, you’re in for a world of hurt. ...   Read more ...  

With the holiday season well behind us, we are moving into the coldest part of the winter season. Though many claimed that we were having an unseasonably warm winter, old man winter has returned with a vengeance. And every time the temperature drops below freezing, you need to keep an eye out for leaks. When water freezes it expands, and this expansion can wreak havoc on our plumbing systems by causing pipes to burst. Even small amounts of damage next to joints and couplings in the plumbing syst...   Read more ...  

There is nothing like a fresh snowfall or gathering around the fireplace during the holidays and marveling at the frost that forms on our windows. But as beautiful as nature is, it is equally destructive. The cold that bites at the exterior of our houses clashes with the warm air in the interior of our homes and furnaces, and this can ultimately cause mold to form on our windows. The largest giveaway or red flag that shows you potentially have a mold problem is called window sweat – which is m...   Read more ...  

When we think about mold, we most typically assume that it will only grow in our basements. And it’s true – many basements provide the perfect conditions to foster a mold outbreak. But one area that a lot of people forget to keep an eye on is their attic. Attic mold is an incredibly serious problem, but it isn’t as easy to see and identify because many people simply don’t spend a lot of time in their attics. But a full blown mold outbreak can be incredibly costly and it has the power to ...   Read more ...