Lake Balboa, Los Angeles County

Foundation bolting and bracing in Lake Balboa

Aspenwell Construction starts a Lake Balboa structural job at the sill plate, where the wood frame rests on concrete, then plans bolting and bracing.

Tell us about the house

We read every request and answer by phone or email with the next step. How we use your details.

To send, add what you are interested in, your first name and a phone number or an email.

For a house in Lake Balboa, the piece we watch hardest is the sill plate, the flat board where the wood frame rests on its concrete. Lake Balboa belongs to the San Fernando Valley, and an inland valley house in general takes strong sun, dry air and an occasional heavy storm. Wood that dries out and gets wet in turn can split around old bolts, so the sill tells us early how firmly the house is held down.

Probing the board that carries the walls

With an awl and a flashlight, we crawl the perimeter beneath a raised floor. Soft wood beside a vent, a gap under the plate, or a bolt with no washer each go on the sketch with its location. Termite tunnels and stains from old leaks show up along this board too. Where a length of sill is too far gone to grip a new anchor, the engineer may call for a replacement piece before any bolting starts. That step needs shoring and extra days, so it is written into the scope as its own line, separate from the anchors and the plywood.

Plan check inside Los Angeles city limits

Inside Los Angeles city limits, Lake Balboa falls to LADBS for plan review and for every inspection visit. That department also covers Reseda, Encino, Van Nuys, Valley Glen, North Hills and Northridge, which keeps the paperwork alike from one address to another. A plain bolting and cripple wall job may follow a prescriptive city plan. A removed wall, a new beam or a footing repair calls for engineered drawings with calculations. Whichever path applies, an inspector looks at the hardware while it is still exposed, before insulation or a finish hides it.

What we build in Lake Balboa

Structural work comes first on this list, and every service starts with a look at the framing and foundation.

Cities close by

Plan structural work in Lake Balboa

Send the form and we will arrange a visit, then put the scope in writing.

Ask for a call backAsk for an inspection