ADU Construction in Sun Valley, Drained Away From the Footing
Sun Valley ADUs with roof drainage planned alongside the foundation: sized gutters, sealed downspout pipe and grading that keeps footing soil dry.
Soil beside a footing should stay as dry as the soil under it, so on a Sun Valley ADU the roof drainage is planned together with the foundation. We set the gutters along the long edges, then carry each downspout in sealed pipe away from the slab. Ground that stays wet next to concrete loses strength, and if it holds clay it swells and shrinks with every soaking, which is how cracks start.
Gable or shed, and the gutters
A gable roof sends water to two eaves, which halves the flow at each gutter. A single-pitch roof puts all of it on one side, so that gutter and its downspouts are larger. Either roof is tied to the walls with metal straps so a seismic jolt cannot lift it. Valleys and wall junctions get flashing and a self-adhered membrane before the covering goes on. Eave depth also shades the windows from hard sun on an inland lot, which cuts the cooling load inside the unit.
Ground around the unit
Grading around the unit falls away from the walls on every side, and paving gets a slight cross slope so it drains too. Downspout pipes discharge at a dispersion point, a drywell or a curb outlet if the city allows one. Planters stay a short distance from the wall, with drip irrigation that does not soak the footing. Where a lot tilts toward the unit, a swale or a gravel trench drain upslope intercepts runoff before it reaches the back wall. The inspector checks the grade before final.
About our adu construction serviceEverything we do in Sun Valley
ADU Construction in Sun Valley: questions
On a flat lot, continuous reinforced footings around the edge of a concrete slab carry a single-story unit well. On soft soil or a sloped yard, the engineer may call for deeper footings, or for framing a raised floor over a concrete stem wall. Drainage around the base is drawn with the foundation, since both protect the same soil.
We have to see the footing first. A test hole at the slab edge shows depth and steel, and the engineer decides if it can carry a habitable room with shear walls. When it falls short, new footing sections are poured. The old garage roof also gets gutters if it had none, since the converted room needs the same drainage.
Sun Valley ADUs that are single-story and 500 square feet or under fit the package, detached or converted. Bigger or two-story plans are priced after a lot visit. Fees charged by LADBS and the construction itself are separate from the package price.
ADU Construction in other cities
More we build in Sun Valley
Book an inspection in Sun Valley
Describe the house and what it needs. We look at the structure first and send the quote in writing.