Full Home Remodeling in Burbank
Burbank whole-house remodels planned by finding which walls hold up the roof, then moving, shifting or keeping them with beams sized by an engineer.
How can you tell whether the wall dividing the kitchen from the dining area is holding up the roof? In a Burbank house the answer hides in the attic and the crawlspace, because a wall's surface says very little. Rafter direction, ceiling joists and the posts under the floor show where weight travels. We read those clues before the first sketch, then say plainly whether the wall can go, shift or stay.
Clues above the ceiling
Up in the attic we check which way the ceiling joists run and where they overlap above the wall in question. Joists spliced over a wall are being held up by it. We also look at the roof framing for braces and struts that land on a wall that looks harmless from below. Any of these marks the wall as part of the load path, and the finding goes into the notes the designer receives with the first layout drawings.
Clues under the floor
A girder or a line of piers beneath the wall is another sign it carries more than itself. Once the clues are gathered, the engineer sizes a beam for any bearing wall that has to go, plus the posts and footings under it. Plans for that work go to the Burbank building department. If the beam needs a new footing, the floor is opened for it under the same permit, so the opening in the wall and the support below it are inspected together.
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Anything holding only drywall and wiring comes out once the utilities are rerouted. A wall under rafter supports or a joist splice comes out only with a beam and posts planned to replace it. Attic and crawlspace clues sort the two groups, and the plans label each wall.
Doing both together keeps the work orderly. Bolting and bracing wrap up the moment the crawlspace is clear, ahead of cabinets, tile or plaster. Bracing a house after the finishes are in means cutting some of them out again. A single permit can carry the retrofit and the layout.
Every structural layer gets a look, from footing to ridge, using a probe for soft wood, a tape across cracks and a count of anchor bolts. Notes and photos go to the designer. The write-up names what is sound, what needs repair and what a retrofit would add, so the quote separates structure from finishes.
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Describe the house and what it needs. We look at the structure first and send the quote in writing.