Structural Work in Mar Vista
Mar Vista retrofits that begin with a reinforced ground cover to keep crawlspace damp off new galvanized anchors, straps and treated sills.
Reinforced polyethylene spread across bare soil is the first material we specify for a retrofit under a Mar Vista floor. Damp ground keeps a crawlspace humid, and close to the coast that moisture can carry salt onto new plates and bolts. Covering the dirt, lapping the seams and running the sheet up the stem wall slows that corrosion, so the galvanized hardware above keeps its coating longer.
Ground cover done right
A thin sheet tears the first time a plumber drags across it, so we use a reinforced grade that stands up to knees and tools. Seams overlap and are taped, the edges are fastened to the foundation wall, and the sheet is cut neatly around piers so posts never stand in a puddle formed on top of it. Vents stay open to move air through the space. Before the cover goes down, debris and old wood scraps are cleared away, since they feed termites and hold damp.
Hardware and the permit
Above the cover, new anchors, plate washers and straps are hot-dip galvanized, and their nails carry the same coating so the metals match. New wood touching concrete is pressure treated. Mar Vista permits come from LADBS, which also inspects the retrofit as it goes. We also check the address against the coastal zone map, since a lot inside it can need a separate approval. If a beam or footing repair joins the scope, a structural engineer draws that part and we coordinate it.
About our structural work serviceEverything we do in Mar Vista
Structural Work in Mar Vista: questions
Each covers a different weak point. Bolts through the sill resist sliding, and plywood-sheathed cripple walls stop the floor racking over. Missing either leaves the load path broken. During the visit we record what exists, and the written scope adds just the piece or pieces the house does not have.
Standard LADBS retrofit details can carry ordinary bolting and bracing. Beams, moment frames and footing repairs go to a structural engineer, whose stamped drawings we coordinate with our scope. Whichever route applies, LADBS reviews the Mar Vista plans and issues the permit before work starts.
The condition of the metal and the soil under it. We check existing straps and bolt heads for flaking rust, see whether the ground is damp or bare, and then probe the sill around each anchor. The cripple walls, girder posts and vents are checked next, and the findings are written up with the scope.
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Book an inspection in Mar Vista
Describe the house and what it needs. We look at the structure first and send the quote in writing.