Property Restoration History Timeline

An overview of property restoration history is provided in this great discussion with Michelle Blevins (C&R Magazine) and Pete Consigli, The Restoration Watchdog - WATCH the full episode "The History of Restoration" on Restoration Today. 
  • The Early Years 
  • The Professional Years
  • The Future 
Property Restoration History Articles & Videos:

Articles
Videos

Property Restoration 1940s

1946 
  • Ten large rug cleaning companies form the National Institute of Rug Cleaning (NIRC) (MB)
    • NIRC Voice (publication?) 
    • Five institutes: oriental and specialty rugs, carpet and upholstery, fire and smoke, water and mold and mechanical hygiene.

Property Restoration 1950s

Property Restoration 1960s

1960’s 
  • The NIRC became AIDS (the Association of Interior Decor Specialists).
    • Seven operating divisions were established within the organization: rug cleaning, drapery, carpet and upholstery cleaning, fire restoration, installation, cleaning and janitorial, and a home decorating division

Property Restoration 1970s

1971
  • Marty KingKING, MARTIN initiates the National Institute of Fire Restoration (NIFR) to bolster the fire restoration operating division under the AIDS banner. When asked what his goal was when he founded the NIFR, his reply was, “My goal was to see the practice of insurance damage repair become a profession.” He brought a group of 45 damage restoration companies. In 1971, Marty King came to the Association of Interior Décor Specialists with a group of 45 damage restoration companies. This group, which specialized in fire and smoke restoration and reconstruction, was looking for a home to function as a trade group. - https://www.restorationindustry.org/sites/default/files/docs/CR_Certification_History_Art.pdf
1972 
  • Lloyd Weaver’s hometown in Black Hills, South Dakota, is hit with catastrophic flooding. Lloyd created the Porta Dryer, he fashioned it out of a centrifugal furnace blower. The Porta Dryer blew air beneath a carpet for several days until dry, providing homeowners with a basic method of drying carpet without a high price tag. He was the first to use a dehumidifier with an air mover for on-location drying and the first to apply moisture sensors to monitor the carpet-drying process. - https://cdtcompanies.mystrikingly.com/blog/getting-to-know-lloyd-weaver-a-father-of-water-damage-restoration
  • International Institute of Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Inc. (IICUC), which would eventually become the IICRC, founded in by Ed York

Property Restoration 1980s

1980 
  • The Certified Restorer (CR) program begins under the direction of Marty King
  • IICUC becomes a non-profit corporation and rebrands as IICR
1981
  • AIDS was rebranded for obvious reasons to the ASCR, the Association of Specialists in Cleaning Restoration
​1983
  • Claude Blackburn opens Dri Eaz Products 

Property Restoration 1990s

1990’s 
  • The NIFR changed its name to the National Institute of Disaster Restoration (NIDR), eventually folded into the Disaster Restoration Division
1991  1994  1995 
  • A Water Loss Specialist (WLS) division was added to the ASCR brand at the 50th annual convention. At the time, this was known as the Water Loss Institute (WLI).
1996
  • American Bio Recovery Association (ABRA) - Founded in 1996, the Ipswich, Mass.-based association is dedicated to promoting education, ethics and technology in this cleaning niche. Founded by Kent Berg
1997 
  • Under the NIDR brand, ASCR published the NIDR Guidelines for Smoke and Fire Damage Restoration. “What the industry does have is the RIA’s Guidelines for Fire and Smoke Damage Repair (formerly the ASCR Guidelines). Written by the late Martin L. King, an undisputed fire pioneer and then-RIA Technical Advisor, the Guidelines were reviewed by over 300 restorers, adjusters and members of the insurance community.” - https://www.randrmagonline.com/articles/87593-coatings-sealers-in-fire-damagerestoration#:~:text=What%20the%20industry%20does%20have,members%20of%20the%20insurance%20community. 
  • Chuck Dewald, Jr. (II) builds his first water restoration “flood” house in East Tennessee. The mock house, which features a furnished den, kitchen, bathroom, exercise room and bedroom, sits inside a warehouse Mr. Dewald built in 1998 a few steps from his own home here to test his theories about drying. His mission: to get more restorers to follow his science-based drying method -- which he says can cut drying times in half. (https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB109329843051398888)
1999 

Property Restoration 2000s

2003 2006 2007 
  • ASCR changes name to RIA. “Strategically, RIA intends to become more active in preserving and protecting best practices in the restoration industry, resulting in more options and higher standards for consumers.” ​

Property Restoration 2010s

2017
2019
  • Our Greatest Need by RIA president-elect Mark Springer is published and forms the outline for the AGA Blueprint
  • RIA Conference in Phoenix - IICRC and RIA sign the Mutual Benefit Agreement 
  • RIA launches Advocacy and Government Affairs (AGA) committee and names Ed Cross as chair 
  • Restoration Advocacy Report #1
  • At the Property Insurance Repair Conference (PIRC) in Chicago, RIA announced two major milestones in the progress of the AGA effort. The first was the unanimous approval by the RIA Board of Directors of the first position statement in RIA’s 73-year history. The second announcement is the appointment and retention of the RIA Restoration Advocate, Edward Cross.

Property Restoration 2020s

We are working to track down and share the people, innovations, movements, and stories from the evolution of the property restoration industry. The goal of this site is to be a collection of shared memories, photographs, videos, audio segments, documents, relics, and stories. We want to learn from and honor our past and we need your help. Please reach out if you have something to add or a lead on an interesting fact. 

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Restorers Remember Lloyd Weaver

This is a "living document" and being added to as we acquire and confirm new information. It is a labor of love by volunteers, so please be kind if something has been missed or needs correction.

​We are working to track down and piece together elements of the history and rise of the property restoration industry. 
  • If you are the source of any of this information, we have done our best to credit the contributors. If somehow you were excluded or not credited, please accept our apologies and contact the PRH team.
  • If you have contributions of articles, documents, stories, photos, videos, or other relics, please contact the PRH team.