Structural Work in San Pedro
San Pedro bracing from outside the house means opened stucco, so every bolt hole, patch and weep screed is sealed and flashed against water.
Holes drilled through stucco for retrofit hardware become new paths for water unless each one is sealed. When a San Pedro crawlspace is too tight to brace from inside and the work goes on from outside, the wall finish is opened, and every nail, bolt and patch line has to shed rain afterward. We tuck new building paper under the old paper above it, flash the bottom edge and seal penetrations before the stucco is patched.
Weep screed and the base of the wall
At the bottom of a stucco wall, a weep screed lets moisture behind the plaster drain out. If the bracing work replaces the lower band of stucco, a new screed goes in with a gap above the soil or paving so it can work. The paper behind the plaster laps over the screed flange, and the sill under it gets a barrier between wood and concrete. Air near the ocean carries salt that corrodes plain steel, so the screed is vinyl or galvanized and the lath is galvanized.
Gutters, grade and the permit
Gutters feed downspouts tied into solid pipe that ends well clear of the footing, and the soil along the wall is reshaped to fall outward. Sprinkler heads aimed at the stucco are turned or moved. LADBS, which permits work across the City of Los Angeles, reviews the structural plans for San Pedro and inspects the work, including the lath before new stucco goes on. Some parcels lie inside the coastal zone, which we check early, since outside changes there may need extra review.
About our structural work serviceEverything we do in San Pedro
Structural Work in San Pedro: questions
Where cripple walls hold up the floor, yes to both. Anchor bolts keep the sill from shifting on the concrete, and plywood bracing keeps those walls from leaning. Where the floor framing bears straight on the foundation, bolts alone apply. Whichever it is, bracing done from outside adds stucco repair, which belongs in the scope.
A qualifying bolt and brace can use the city's prescriptive plan. A beam, a soft-story frame, bracing that plan does not cover, or a footing repair needs a licensed engineer, and we hire and coordinate one. LADBS reviews the set for San Pedro and sends inspectors at each stage.
Signs of water. Silt lines on the soil, stains on the sill and white crust on the concrete show where it has been getting in. Then we check bolts, cripple walls and posts, and judge how much room there is to work from inside.
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Book an inspection in San Pedro
Describe the house and what it needs. We look at the structure first and send the quote in writing.