Provider profile
Steamatic of Western Wisconsin
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Eau Claire homeowners dealing with mold after water damage who want a single company to handle drying, remediation, and rebuild under one roof.
Best for
- Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley homeowners who need mold remediation tied to an existing water damage problem.
- Property owners who want one company to handle the full arc from emergency water extraction through mold cleanup and rebuild.
About this company
Steamatic of Western Wisconsin is a full-service restoration franchise in Eau Claire that handles water damage, fire damage, mold remediation, and storm damage alongside cleaning services like carpet, upholstery, and HVAC duct work. They've operated in the Chippewa Valley since 1992, making them one of the longest-running restoration outfits in the area.
What stands out is the breadth of in-house capability. They can take a water-damaged basement from emergency extraction through structural drying, mold remediation, and full rebuild without handing you off to a different company. Their mold page references HEPA filtration equipment for microbial work, and their technicians hold IICRC certifications. They also use moisture meters and thermal imaging during water damage work to verify drying is complete before closing up walls.
Josh and Denni Backstrom bought the franchise in 2007 when it had twelve employees. Josh came from construction — he was already doing Steamatic's rebuild work through Backstrom Construction before purchasing the company. The franchise is part of the Steamatic network (a Johns Lyng Group company), which gives them access to national resources while operating as a locally owned business.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin at 4755 London Rd. They serve Eau Claire and the surrounding Chippewa Valley area. The website references "Western Wisconsin" broadly but does not name specific outlying cities or counties.
Review consensus
Drew is the most frequently named technician across dozens of reviews, praised repeatedly for speed, efficiency, and friendly communication during carpet and general cleaning work. Jake and Jake Perz get strong mentions for carpet cleaning and water damage restoration. Cam earned praise for duct cleaning with a reviewer noting he took photos and videos of what he found. Dustin and his crew (Avery and Mathias) were praised for handling a burst-pipe flood across five rooms. Josh Swope was singled out for careful duct cleaning work. Ashley and Melissa from the Steamatic/TRAC office side were named for guiding a family through a house fire recovery. Kris was specifically praised for calming a stressed homeowner during a basement flood. Multiple reviewers mention 24/7 responsiveness and willingness to work with insurance companies.
4 found across 335 total reviews at 4.8★. One reviewer said four rooms of carpet were cleaned in an hour and still came out dirty — they had to re-clean with their own equipment. Another described quick initial response to a basement leak but then poor follow-through: repeated calls for timeline and pricing updates went unanswered, and the final invoice for partial work was nearly as much as the full quoted job. The owner responded to the latter acknowledging the communication concern and noting that costs reflect work actually completed rather than initial projections. Two other one-star reviews from accounts with nearly identical names (Becca/Rebecca Bazille) had no substantive text, and the owner stated they had no record of either as a customer.
The owner responds to most negative reviews (83% rate) with personalized replies that engage with specifics rather than using a template. In the Bazille case, the owner flagged what appeared to be fake reviews. In the Paulson case, the owner acknowledged the communication shortfall while explaining the billing model. This pattern suggests active reputation management with genuine engagement rather than boilerplate deflection.
Drew (carpet/cleaning technician — praised repeatedly across many reviews for speed, efficiency, and friendliness). Jake / Jake Perz (technician — praised for carpet cleaning and water damage restoration). Cam (duct cleaning technician — praised for thoroughness and showing photos/videos). Dustin (water damage technician — praised for handling burst pipe). Avery (water damage crew — praised alongside Dustin). Mathias (water damage crew — praised alongside Dustin). Joshua Swope (duct cleaning technician — praised for careful, kind work). Conner/Connor (technician — praised alongside Josh for being friendly and thorough). Jesse (technician — praised for going above and beyond). Billy (duct cleaning technician — praised for explaining process). Ashley (office/project coordinator — praised for fire damage recovery guidance). Melissa (office/project coordinator — praised for fire damage recovery guidance). Kris (office staff — praised for calming stressed homeowner during flood). Corey (team member — praised in fire damage context). Derrick (technician — praised for efficiency). Mary Harw... (staff — praised in fire/smoke recovery, name truncated in review). Brett (technician — praised in older testimonial for carpet and HVAC cleaning). Denni (owner — named in owner responses to negative reviews).
At 4.8 stars across 335 reviews, this is a well-regarded operation with a deep bench of named technicians who earn individual praise. The risk area is communication during multi-day restoration projects — ask for a named project manager and agree on an update schedule before work begins. If you need mold remediation after water damage, the ability to keep one company through the entire process is a real advantage.
Keep in mind
- They do remediation only — not mold testing or inspection. You will need a separate company to test before and after remediation work.
- Scheduling and communication have drawn complaints during longer restoration projects. One reviewer described being kept in the dark on timelines and pricing after water damage work began. Ask upfront how often you will receive status updates.
- Their primary identity is water and fire restoration. Mold remediation is one part of a broader service menu, not their sole focus.