ADU Construction in Glendale
Glendale ADUs and garage conversions that begin with a hand-dug test hole, so the footing design matches the soil under the unit. Aspenwell Construction.
The first hole on a Glendale lot is one we dig by hand at a corner of the planned unit, about 18 inches down, so we can see and feel the ground its footings will bear on. Clay that smears like putty, loose fill, or a layer of buried brick and rubble each changes what the engineer asks for. We write down what comes out of that hole before a single line of the unit is drawn.
Reading the soil for the engineer
Stiff clay can hold a lot of weight, yet it swells when it soaks up water and shrinks back as it dries, and that movement works on a slab from below. Loose or uneven fill settles under load. When either shows up, the engineer may call for footings taken down into firmer material, a thicker slab with more steel, or a soils report from a geotechnical firm before anything is final. The City of Glendale reviews the foundation design, and a report, when one is needed, goes in with the drawings.
From the test hole to the trench
Whatever the soil turned out to be shows up on the foundation plan as depth, width and reinforcing for every footing. Once the trench is dug, we measure it against that plan at several points and clean out crumbs of loose dirt so the concrete sits on undisturbed ground. Hold-down rods and anchor bolts are set in their places before the inspector arrives. If water collects in the trench, it is pumped out and the bottom is allowed to firm up before the pour.
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That comes down to the test hole and, when the city asks for one, the soils report. Firm ground usually takes a slab with thickened perimeter footings. Swelling clay or deep fill can push the design toward deeper footings, extra reinforcing or a raised wood floor carried on concrete stem walls.
Only when the old footing reaches deep and wide enough for the braced walls the new room needs. We dig beside the old wall at a corner to look at it. A footing that falls short is extended or replaced in sections, and the old slab can often stay as the floor.
Single-story units up to 500 square feet, detached, attached or converted from a garage. The foundation sheet in a Glendale set holds the footing sizes and anchor layout we drew from what the soil showed us. A larger design is priced after we review the lot.
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Describe the house and what it needs. We look at the structure first and send the quote in writing.