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Victorian home damaged by fire restored to fine detail

The owner of a Victorian home in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood that was severely damaged by fire offered enthusiastic praise and support to Restore Construction Inc., for its Commitment to detail in restoring the property to its original luster. Home was restored to its antique historical quality

Chicago, Il. — On June 6, 2016, Helene woke up to a devastating fire that consumed her 120-year-old, 3,500 square foot home in Ravenswood, damaging nearly all of her furniture and belongings.

Like most homeowners involved in fires, Helene found herself battling with her insurance adjusters and with concerns of her home not returning to its original state.

Helene, the owner of a prominent Chicago antique dealership, Cavalier Antique Lighting, said that her home was built in 1896 for a railroad executive. The Victorian home featured many vintage collectibles and room designs reflecting the majestic era of the late 18th Century.

“Restore Construction came to me with open arms after a tragedy at my home,” said Helene who indicated that she hired Restore Construction not only to repair damage caused by the fire but also to restore the original finish and handcrafted designs throughout the home.

“All furniture and content items were affected by the fire in my five-bedroom house,” Helene said. “I was worried I was going to lose everything. Restore Construction was so professional in handling the removal and saving all my contents that meant so much to me. The attention to detail was amazing.”

Before: Victorian Home in Ravenswood damaged by fire, brought back to its highest quality by Restore Construction (Restore Restoration). Photo courtesy of Restore Construction Inc.

 

After: Victorian Home in Ravenswood damaged by fire, brought back to its highest quality by Restore Construction (Restore Restoration). Photo courtesy of Restore Construction Inc.

Katie Garner, Vice President of Operations for Restore Construction, stated that Restore Construction restores homes, businesses, furniture, and contents damaged by fires, floods, and storms to their near-original state.

Garner explained that the company assisted Helene in preparing a detailed estimate of building damages as well as salvageable and non-salvageable personal property inventories to ensure she received fair and equitable settlements for both.

Helene added, “Restore worked hand-in-hand with the adjuster to properly identify and adjust my fire to get my house back the way it was before the fire.”

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Restore Construction came to me with open arms
after a tragedy at my home,” said Helene who indicated
that she hired Restore Construction not only to
repair damage caused by the fire but also to restore the
original finish and handcrafted designs throughout the home
— homeowner

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“Helene wanted to maintain all of the original woodwork throughout the house, and we were able to do so despite the extensive fire-related damage,” Garner said. “Our highly-trained workers carefully sanded and refinished the home’s stylish woodwork, which had been re-painted many times over the years, to its original condition.”

Restore employed its 30+ years of fire reconstruction knowledge and experience to also ensure the property was upgraded to comply with present-day code requirements.

Garner stated, “We upgraded the existing knob-and-tube and cloth wiring, commonly installed from about 1880 to the 1930s, to meet current City of Chicago code requirements.”

“This project was a challenge because we were dealing with antique designs and woodwork original to an era more than a century old,” Garner said. “Our commitment to Helene was to restore her property as close to the state in which it was before the fire ravaged her property.”

Helene stated, “During the whole process, Restore has always been there for me. I would highly recommend Restore Construction in your time of need.”

For more information on Restore Construction, visit their website at www.RestoreConstruction.com.

After: Victorian Home in Ravenswood damaged by fire, brought back to its highest quality by Restore Construction (Restore Restoration). Photo courtesy of Restore Construction Inc. After: Victorian Home in Ravenswood damaged by fire, brought back to its highest quality by Restore Construction (Restore Restoration). Photo courtesy of Restore Construction Inc. After: Victorian Home in Ravenswood damaged by fire, brought back to its highest quality by Restore Construction (Restore Restoration). Photo courtesy of Restore Construction Inc. After: Victorian Home in Ravenswood damaged by fire, brought back to its highest quality by Restore Construction (Restore Restoration). Photo courtesy of Restore Construction Inc.