Sun Valley, Los Angeles County
Seismic retrofit and load path work in Sun Valley
Aspenwell Construction checks roof-to-wall ties and anchor bolts on Sun Valley houses, tracing the full load path for an inland retrofit under LADBS.
Sun Valley lies in the San Fernando Valley, an inland valley setting, and inland houses in general face strong sun, dry gusts and the odd hard storm. For a seismic job that general picture points us to the top of the load path as well as the bottom. Wind and shaking both push sideways on a roof, and the rafters have to stay tied to the walls that carry them down to the foundation.
Ties at the top of the wall
From the attic hatch we check where rafters or trusses sit on the top plate. Older framing may rely on a few toenails at each bearing point, and dry heat in an attic can loosen nails in wood that has shrunk. Where the engineer calls for it, metal ties or clips are added at the plate, and blocking between rafters is nailed to the wall below so the roof works as one panel. The same visit then moves to the crawlspace, where the anchor bolts and cripple walls finish the chain at the concrete.
Review for Sun Valley and its neighbors
LADBS handles the structural sheets for Sun Valley, which lies inside Los Angeles city limits, and sends an inspector to every stage. North Hollywood, Arleta, Valley Village, Lake View Terrace and Pacoima file with the same department. Burbank, also close by, is its own city with a separate building division. Bolts and cripple wall plywood alone may fit the standard retrofit plan. Roof ties called out by an engineer, a beam or a footing repair arrive with calculations in the set. Either way the inspector sees the hardware before it is covered.
What we build in Sun Valley
Structural work comes first on this list, and every service starts with a look at the framing and foundation.
Plan structural work in Sun Valley
Send the form and we will arrange a visit, then put the scope in writing.