Lakewood was built almost all at once. Between 1950 and 1953, developers put up more than 17,000 homes here in one of the fastest mass-housing projects in American history, at one point completing a house every seven and a half minutes. Seventy-five years later, that history has a very practical consequence: an enormous number of Lakewood homes have the same floor plan, the same materials, the same pipes, and the same failures, all arriving at the same time.
ServiceMaster Restoration by EMT provides 24/7 disaster restoration in Lakewood, CA for water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold remediation, storm damage, contents restoration, specialty cleaning and reconstruction.
Restoration for Lakewood’s Post-War Homes and Businesses
Lakewood sits between Long Beach, Bellflower, Cerritos and Cypress, wrapped around the Long Beach Airport and cut through by the San Gabriel River and Coyote Creek. Its commercial base runs along Del Amo Boulevard, Carson Street, Lakewood Boulevard, South Street and the Lakewood Center mall, one of the first regional malls built in the country.
Almost all of the residential stock is single-story post-war tract housing on slab or raised foundations, built with galvanized supply lines, cast-iron drains and original clay sewer laterals. Many homes have been partially updated. Very few have been fully repiped.
ServiceMaster EMT helps Lakewood property owners recover from:
• Galvanized supply-line corrosion and burst pipes
• Cast-iron drain cracking and clay sewer lateral collapse
• Slab leaks and copper pinhole leaks in partially updated homes
• Water heater and appliance failures
• Roof leaks on aging low-slope and composition roofs
• Fire, smoke, soot and odor damage
• Mold behind original finishes, in bathrooms and in wall cavities
• Sewage backups and Category 3 contaminated water
• Storm and wind damage, including tree and limb impact
• Commercial and multifamily property losses
Why Lakewood Property Owners Choose ServiceMaster EMT
When 17,000 houses were built with the same components in the same three years, the failures are predictable. We know what fails in a 1951 Lakewood home, where it is likely to be, and how much of the house we need to open up to get to it. That knowledge saves material, time and money.
Lakewood property owners call us for:
• 24/7 emergency response
• Deep familiarity with post-war tract construction
• IICRC-certified technicians
• Water extraction, structural drying, fire cleanup, mold remediation and storm response
• Sewage and biohazard cleanup
• Direct insurance billing and claim-ready documentation
• Photos, moisture readings, drying logs and written scopes
• Contents cleaning, pack-out and storage
• Reconstruction and managed repair
• One point of contact from first call to final walkthrough
Water Damage Restoration in Lakewood, CA
A Lakewood water loss usually has one of four causes: a galvanized supply line that finally corroded through, a water heater that failed, a cast-iron or clay drain that cracked, or a slab leak in a home that was repiped partway and never finished.
Our Lakewood water damage services include:
• Emergency water extraction
• Structural drying and dehumidification
• Moisture mapping behind walls, under flooring and above ceilings
• Galvanized supply-line and burst pipe cleanup
• Cast-iron drain and sewer lateral failure response
• Slab leak cleanup, drying and post-repair restoration
• Water heater and appliance leak cleanup
• Crawl space and sub-area drying on raised-foundation homes
• Roof leak and stormwater intrusion response
• Sewage and Category 3 water cleanup
• Contents drying, pack-out and storage
• Repairs and rebuild after mitigation
Sewer Laterals and Sewage Backups in Lakewood
The original clay sewer laterals installed in the early 1950s are now decades past their design life. Root intrusion cracks them. Ground movement offsets the joints. Eventually, they back up, usually into the lowest fixture in the house.
Sewage is not water. It is Category 3 contaminated waste, and it requires:
• Containment of the affected area
• Removal and disposal of contaminated porous materials, including carpet, padding, drywall and insulation
• Extraction and sanitizing of hard surfaces
• Antimicrobial treatment
• HEPA air filtration
• Structural drying after decontamination
• Contents evaluation, cleaning or disposal
• Documentation for your insurance carrier
• Reconstruction of removed materials
Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration in Lakewood
Post-war tract homes are compact, single-story and open, which means smoke moves through the whole house quickly. Attic spaces run continuously over long rooflines. Original 1950s wiring, where it has never been updated, remains a recurring ignition source.
Our fire and smoke services include:
• Emergency board-up and property stabilization
• Fire debris removal
• Soot and smoke residue cleaning
• Deodorization and odor neutralization
• HVAC and ductwork cleaning after smoke exposure
• Contents, electronics, document and textile cleaning
• Drying of firefighting water
• Reconstruction and finish repair
Mold Remediation in Lakewood, CA
Lakewood mold is almost always caused by a slow leak in an old pipe. Galvanized lines weep long before they burst, and the moisture sits inside a wall for months. Bathrooms with original tile and no working exhaust fan are another common source.
Our mold remediation services include:
• Mold inspection and moisture-source identification
• Moisture mapping of affected assemblies
• Containment and negative air pressure
• HEPA filtration and air scrubbing
• Removal of contaminated drywall, insulation and finishes
• Antimicrobial treatment
• Contents cleaning where appropriate
• Post-remediation documentation and clearance support
• Repairs after remediation
We fix the moisture condition, not just the growth. Otherwise, it returns in the same wall.
Storm and Wind Damage Response
Lakewood’s streets are lined with mature trees planted when the tracts were built, and Santa Ana winds bring them down onto roofs, cars and power lines. Winter storms find the worn spots on roofs that are, in many cases, on their third or fourth layer.
Our storm services include:
• Emergency roof tarping
• Board-up
• Stormwater and floodwater extraction
• Structural drying
• Wind, tree and limb debris cleanup
• Odor removal
• Temporary site protection
• Reconstruction
Commercial Restoration in Lakewood, CA
We serve:
• Lakewood Center and retail properties
• Retail centers along Del Amo Boulevard, Carson Street and South Street
• Restaurants, cafés and quick-service food locations
• Medical, dental and outpatient offices
• Office buildings and professional suites
• Long Beach Airport corridor businesses
• Warehouse, flex and light industrial properties
• Auto dealerships and service facilities
• Schools, daycare facilities and houses of worship
• Apartment communities, condos and multifamily properties
• HOA-managed associations
• Property management portfolios across southeast Los Angeles County
Residential Restoration in Lakewood, CA
ServiceMaster EMT helps Lakewood homeowners with water damage, galvanized pipe failures, slab leaks, burst pipes, appliance failures, sewer backups, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, odor problems, storm damage, contents damage, attic and garage moisture, hoarding and estate cleanup, and reconstruction after mitigation.
Areas We Serve in Lakewood
Neighborhoods, districts and corridors we serve include:
• Lakewood Park
• Lakewood Village
• Lakewood Mutual
• Mayfair
• Carson Park
• Lakewood Gardens
• Lakewood Center district
• Del Amo Boulevard corridor
• Carson Street corridor
• South Street corridor
• Lakewood Boulevard corridor
• Bellflower Boulevard corridor
• Woodruff Avenue corridor
• Long Beach Airport corridor
• San Gabriel River and Coyote Creek corridors
• Bellflower, Cerritos, Cypress and Long Beach border areas
Primary Lakewood ZIP codes served include 90712, 90713, 90715 and 90716.
Our Lakewood Restoration Process
1. Emergency Response
We dispatch the appropriate crew and begin containment and immediate stabilization.
2. Inspection and Source Review
We inspect visible and hidden damage with a working knowledge of where 1950s tract construction typically fails.
3. Documentation and Scope
We take photos and moisture readings, prepare an affected-material inventory, and create a written scope.
4. Mitigation
We provide extraction, drying, board-up, containment, sewage removal, soot cleaning and odor control.
5. Cleaning and Restoration
We clean affected surfaces, contents and HVAC systems and provide sanitizing and air filtration as needed.
6. Reconstruction
We restore drywall, flooring, paint, cabinetry, trim and other finishes.
7. Final Review
We complete a walkthrough and provide a complete documentation package for your records or insurance claim.
Lakewood, CA Restoration FAQs
Do you provide 24/7 emergency restoration in Lakewood?
Yes, around the clock, including nights, weekends and holidays.
My neighbor’s pipes burst and now mine did too. Is that a coincidence?
No. Lakewood homes were built at the same time with the same materials, so they fail on roughly the same schedule. If houses on your street are having galvanized-line failures, yours is on the same clock.
What are the warning signs before a pipe fails?
Reduced water pressure, discolored or rusty water, water that takes longer to heat, and repeated small leaks. Galvanized lines corrode from the inside for years before they let go.
My sewer backed up into the bathtub. How serious is that?
Serious. Sewage is Category 3 water and carries a real health risk. Porous materials it touched, including carpet, padding, drywall and insulation, generally have to be removed rather than dried, and the area has to be sanitized and documented properly.
Can you dry my house without tearing out the whole wall?
Often, yes. Cavity drying, injection drying and controlled containment can save materials. It depends on the water category, how long it sat, and what the moisture readings actually show.
Do you bill insurance directly?
Yes. We also provide photos, moisture readings, drying logs and written scopes to your adjuster.
Contact ServiceMaster EMT for Lakewood Restoration
When water, fire, mold, sewage or storm damage affects your Lakewood home or business, ServiceMaster Restoration by EMT is ready. Contact our team for 24/7 emergency disaster restoration in Lakewood, CA and throughout southeast Los Angeles County.