Water Damage, Mold and Restoration Companies in Lake County, Illinois

What Makes Lake County, Illinois Different

Lake County sits between Chicago’s North Shore and the Wisconsin line, with Lake Michigan on the east and a patchwork of small lakes and wetlands to the west. The Des Plaines River runs north to south through the middle of the county, past Gurnee and Libertyville, and it rises after long spring rains and summer storms. Homes on low ground near the river and its creeks can flood when it leaves its banks.

Winters are long and cold, with snow, ice and deep freezes. Frozen pipes in outside walls and attached garages are a common winter loss, and ice dams form on older homes with little attic insulation. Most homes here have basements, and many newer subdivisions rely on sump pumps and retention ponds. When the power goes out in a summer storm, the sump stops, and the basement fills.

Housing ranges from old homes and estates in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff to postwar homes in Waukegan and North Chicago and newer tracts in Gurnee, Grayslake and Vernon Hills. Older homes may have lead paint and asbestos in pipe wrap, flooring or plaster. Summers are humid, so run a dehumidifier in the basement and aim for humidity under 60 percent to keep mold off framing and stored items.