Sylmar, Los Angeles County
Home additions and foundations in Sylmar
A Sylmar home addition from Aspenwell Construction begins with the footing that joins old concrete to new, then framing and ember-resistant skins.
A home addition becomes foundation work first in Sylmar whenever the new room has to share a wall line with the old house. The new footing must be tied to the existing one with steel dowels set in epoxy, and that only works if the old concrete is sound enough to hold them. So before any framing is drawn, we find out what the existing foundation is made of and how deep it goes.
Joining new concrete to old
We dig a test hole beside the existing footing where the addition meets it. That shows its depth, its width and whether it carries reinforcing steel. Concrete that is cracked or crumbling at the face may need to be replaced along that stretch before the new footing can lean on it. Holes for dowels are drilled, cleaned and filled with adhesive per the product report, and the bars lap into the new trench. The inspector checks the trench and the steel before the pour. From there the floor of the addition is framed to land level with the existing rooms.
Ember rules and the permit path
Portions of Sylmar are inside mapped fire hazard zones, so a new room there may need ember-resistant materials on the outside. That can mean a Class A roof, fine mesh at the attic and foundation vents, noncombustible siding near the ground and boxed eaves. We confirm what applies to the lot when the drawings start. Sylmar is a City of Los Angeles neighborhood, so LADBS handles plan check and inspections. San Fernando is a separate city with its own office, while Pacoima, Mission Hills, Arleta, Lake View Terrace and Granada Hills go through LADBS.
What we build in Sylmar
Structural work comes first on this list, and every service starts with a look at the framing and foundation.
Plan structural work in Sylmar
Send the form and we will arrange a visit, then put the scope in writing.