Free visual inspection and a written scope of work before any mitigation begins - photos, moisture readings, and drying logs go in your claim file
The scope we write is the scope we bill. Anything new gets shown to you, in writing, before we touch it.
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AfterDamage Restoration Before & After in Cerritos, CA
Photos don’t lie. In Cerritos, we’ve restored over 12,000 homes since 2011, and every job starts with a documented record and ends with one. Below are representative transformations from recent work across our service area, each showing the actual conditions we encounter in Cerritos homes and what professional-grade restoration looks like when it’s done right.
Recent Transformations
Water Damage Restoration: Slab Leak in Cerritos Ranchos
The Cerritos Ranchos neighborhood sits on expansive clay soil that shifts seasonally, and we see slab leaks here more than anywhere else in our service area. This 1978 ranch had pressurized water escaping beneath the slab for an estimated 72 hours before discovery, wicking up through the vapor barrier and saturating 340 square feet of engineered hardwood. Moisture readings hit 28% in the plywood subfloor, well above the 16% threshold where microbial growth becomes likely. We deployed a six-port Injectidry system with floor mats to create negative pressure across the subfloor cavity, ran two Phoenix 200 MAX dehumidifiers to maintain 40 grains per pound specific humidity, and produced daily psychrometric logs showing vapor pressure differential dropping from 1.2 inches mercury to 0.15. The drying phase completed in 74 hours. We then removed the non-salvageable hardwood, treated the slab with antimicrobial per IICRC S520 guidelines, and installed new floating floor with a proper expansion gap. The photo record, drying log, and written scope went to the adjuster as a single package. Claim paid in full.
Mold Remediation: Attic in South Street Cerritos
South Street area homes from the 1960s and 70s often have bathroom fans that terminate in the attic, not outside. This one had been dumping warm, moist air onto the north-facing sheathing for years. We found Chaetomium and Cladosporium colonization across 1,200 square feet of plywood, with the sheathing moisture content at 19% where 15% is the mold growth threshold. We built a contained work zone with HEPA-filtered negative air machines, removed the contaminated sheathing rather than attempting surface treatment on degraded material, and HEPA-vacuumed the entire attic to capture fragmentized spores. The critical fix was routing new insulated flex duct through the roof to a proper vent cap, not just cleaning what was there. Post-remediation, an independent inspector collected air and surface samples. Clearance passed. The Haven Standard, Clause 1: the written price covered everything, including the duct correction, before any containment went up.
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration: Kitchen Grease Fire near Carmenita Road
Protein fires burn low and slow, and the residue is nearly invisible but aggressively pungent. This Carmenita Road condo had a grease fire that the homeowner extinguished quickly, but the protein soot had already migrated through the HVAC return and coated every surface in the 1,100 square foot unit. We started with a dry sponge cleaning of all vertical surfaces to prevent smearing, then applied alkaline-based cleaners to break down the fatty acid residue. The real work was the HVAC duct cleaning and the thermal fogging with a counteractant formulated specifically for protein smoke. We ran ozone generators for 48 hours in the unoccupied space, then brought in a third-party odor consultant with a nasal ranger field olfactometer to verify elimination. Cabinets, range hood, and ceiling drywall were non-salvageable and replaced. The photo record documented every stage for the insurance file, and the written scope separated restoration from replacement so the adjuster could see exactly where the dollars went.
Sewage Cleanup: Main Line Backup in ABC Unified School District Area
This home near the ABC Unified School District had a main line blockage that sent raw sewage backing up through two toilets and a shower pan while the family was at work. By the time they returned, the Category 3 water had been in contact with porous materials for six hours. We don’t try to save sewage-soaked drywall or baseboard, period. Our crew removed four feet of drywall in both bathrooms and the hallway, extracted the standing water with a truck-mounted system, and applied a broad-spectrum antimicrobial to all remaining structural materials. We then ran two Dri-Eaz Revolution dehumidifiers and air movers to drop the moisture content before rebuild. The rebuild phase included new cement board, tile, fixtures, and paint. Every step was photographed, and the drying log showed specific humidity dropping from 78 grains per pound to 42 before we called the build-back complete. Haven Standard, Clause 1 applied: the written price for mitigation and the written price for reconstruction were two separate documents, both signed before work started.
Storm & Disaster Restoration: Wind-Driven Rain in Cerritos Towne Center Vicinity
A January Santa Ana wind event lifted the flashing on this home near Cerritos Towne Center and drove rain directly into the wall cavity for three hours. The homeowner found the master bedroom ceiling on the floor at 11 PM. We had a crew there within the hour for emergency tarping, then started water extraction and set up drying equipment before sunrise. The ceiling drywall had failed from the weight of saturated R-30 fiberglass insulation, so we removed both, set up a contained drying zone with a Phoenix 200 HT dehumidifier, and ran the drying phase for five days to bring the solid wood ceiling joists back to 12% moisture content. We coordinated with the homeowner’s roofer for permanent flashing repair, then rebuilt with new insulation and 5/8-inch Type X drywall per local code. The photo record showed the roof damage, the interior conditions, the drying progress, and the finished work, all timestamped for the adjuster.
Biohazard & Crime Scene Cleanup: Unattended Death in Residential Cerritos
This is the work no one wants to need and everyone wants done right. A Cerritos family contacted us after an unattended death in a bedroom that went undiscovered for several days in summer heat. We dispatched a two-person team in full PPE, established a biohazard control zone with HEPA negative air, and removed all contaminated porous materials, carpet, pad, and baseboard down to the subfloor. We then treated the subfloor with an enzymatic cleaner followed by hospital-grade disinfectant, and verified elimination of biological material with ATP bioluminescence testing, which measures active organic residue at the molecular level. The room was sealed with an odor-blocking primer before new flooring and paint. We provided the family with a complete documentation package for their records, including the ATP test results and disposal manifests. The Haven Standard applies to every job category, including those that never get discussed at dinner parties.
Want Results Like These?
Every transformation above follows the same process: a live person answers your call at (562) 600-5083, a crew arrives with documented credentials, and you get a written price before anyone starts work, backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. Bring us any competitor’s written estimate for a free second opinion. In Cerritos since 2011.
Written by Alicia Brennan, Owner at DryMark Restoration Cerritos, serving Cerritos since 2011.