LKL Restoration

03/07/2022

We were fortunate enough to work with a wonderful couple of who suffered a water loss at their pre-fab home.

They were very kind and thoughtful throughout the process but also very particular about their colors and materials selections. Additionally, we wanted to make sure that their guest bathroom was handicap accessible. It made me sad that they were planning ahead for themselves... when they no longer have the mobility they are enjoying today.

In the hall bath, we ended up sealing the entire bathroom floor and installing a gutter drain so that the entire bathroom floor is waterproof.

In the master bath, we installed a smaller bath tub as they only use it to wash their dog. We were able to provide them with cabinets and shelves for better storage (and decoration).

We will miss this wonderful family and their delicious avocados.

07/31/2020

03/22/2020

Another situation where the tenant fell asleep with a pan on the stove.... unfortunately, she lost all of her belongings. She didn't have renters' insurance and the entire property had to be abated since the ceiling contained asbestos.

The abatement company took EVERYTHING out... except a toilet.

Unfortunately, the property had significant termite and dry rot (long term water damage) damage. The carrier indicated that they do NOT pay for such repairs. So the property owner had to pay out of pocket for a part of the repairs.

However, the property was at risk and this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Additionally, she was able to rent the unit at a higher rate and recoup her costs.

03/22/2020

Sometimes the project is not very glamorous but still rewarding.

A drunk driver was trying to run away from the police and drove right into this detached garage.

This was a fairly easy project in scope... the only exception was that the property owner wanted the garage door to look authentic to the structure... so we built it. No problem!

We were referred by the insurance company because the client had been given a number of inflated estimates.

03/22/2020

This one was a heartbreaker. The tenants fell asleep and left a pan on the stove. They woke to the fire. Interestingly enough Steve was working on the unit next door where a car had driven into the living room and noticed the smoke.

Since we had already been working with the HOA, they chose us to see to the repairs of this unit.

The tenants didn't have renters insurance and lost all of their belongings. The property tested positive for asbestos and lead which deemed everything inside unsafe.

The whole home was taken down to studs by the abatement company and left for us to repair.

The unit owners were out of state and selecting materials and colors proved to be a challenge. The HOA, the property manager, the unit owners, the HOA's insurance, the unit owner's insurance and the city of Agoura Hills were a lot of work.

The HOA and the property manager were grateful for our "babysitting" of the project. The homeowners listed the property and were very happy with the profits.

The new owner contacted us afterwards when he needed help with some flooring questions and proceeded to thank us for his beautiful home.

03/22/2020

Garage after Fire

The poor tenant in this unit... both his classic cars burned down to a crisp. Well, that's because the cars were leaking gas and while working on them, he accidentally knocked over a lamp and....POOF.

Fortunately, the garage is facing a fire department and they were able to prevent the fire from burning the home and attached units.

We were asked to inspect the damages by the insurance carrier since they were tied up on a number of claims and wanted to make sure that the client (in this case, the HOA) was being helped. Fortunately, the homeowner liked us and trusted us with the repairs.

Working out the estimate for repairs and then also the code upgrades (separate estimate since it's covered differently under insurance policies) was not easy. Adding to that the city's requirements, HOA expectations, homeonwers' desires and tenants requirements...

Well, it was a success and the homeowner awarded us the remodel of the kitchen and bathroom inside.

In addition to the garage/roof repairs, we had to replace all the carpeting inside the home and paint all the walls, doors and baseboards. This was due to the smoke smell which lingered even after mitigation firms cleaned the whole home.

03/22/2020

This loss was due to a broken drain pipe in the kitchen. Since asbestos/lead was found, a lot of demo had to be done to the home. We were referred by the mitigation company and it was fortunate that we had worked with the adjuster before.... the client was DIFFICULT.

The whole family had to stay at a hotel during repairs and the insurance company was carrying the bill. However, the homeowner had very unrealistic expectations on the timeline... insurance carriers don't approve estimates (and supplemental estimates) overnight and they also don't overnight a check to the client.

However, we were really happy with the results (as was the lady of the house). We ended up with waterproof laminate (LVP) throughout the house. This means that there are no transitions from one room to another and the floor is continuous... making the house look even bigger.

We were unable to do much with the small square footage of the kitchen. However, we managed to put the lines inside the wall and allow them to actually use the cabinet space in the kitchen.

03/22/2020

This client was absolutely frustrated because she had paid a plumber to re-pipe the house. Since the pipes were in the attic and froze in the winter (it gets cold in Lake Hughes), the whole house was impacted.

She was in the middle of a dispute with the plumber and was fortunate enough that the carrier covered it due to frozen pipes (faulty work by the plumber would not have been covered by her own insurance).

We were able to finish the home on time (so that the tenant could come home before she found another place to live... the owner really likes her tenant).

We replaced all the cabinets and were able to upgrade the countertops from fancy (not) formica to granite. This was primarily done with funds that were were able to move out of the bathroom where the client opted not to tile the walls as she previously had and instead allowed us to drywall.

The pedestal sink was replaced by a large vanity (with granite top) to allow for more storage.

The flooring was upgraded from "regular" laminate to waterproof laminate (LVP)

03/22/2020

The water line inside the wall behind the kitchen sink had burst and caused some severe damage. Since lead/asbestos had been discovered in the walls and flooring, abatement was required. We were referred by the abatement company but it turned out that we had worked with the adjuster on numerous occasions and he was glad to see us on the job.

The clients were AMAZING. This was a really fun project since we were able to open a few very cramped rooms into a very open floor plan.

New cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, smart ceiling fans, recessed lights... we raised the ceiling in the entire area. I just wish I had taken better photos. But the client promised to invite us over to pick some of their pomegranates. I'll be sure to take some better completion photos.

03/22/2020

Another water loss from a burst supply line.

This client was referred to us by the insurance carrier and wanted to hire us over the phone simply because she was so stressed.

We encouraged her to do her due diligence and she reluctantly did so and proceeded to hire us.

The insurance had approved rebuilding the removed cabinets and sanding/staining to match.

The further approved replacing the sheet vinyl flooring and painting the walls.

We sanded and painted the cabinets instead, replaced the faucet, added cabinet pulls.

The client agreed to let us "do our own thing" and loved the new lights, fresh paint color and waterproof laminate (LVP) flooring.

She was grumpy about having strangers in her house and having to go outside to smoke as to not impact our workers. By the end, she hated to say bye to the workers and asked them to come and visit sometime.