New Construction in Playa Vista: Decks and Stairs
Capped composite decking for the balconies and stairs of a new Playa Vista house and its unit: what it resists near the ocean and how it is framed.
Capped composite boards are what we specify for the balconies and the outside stair of a new Playa Vista house. A plastic shell over the core resists moisture, fading and the salt that damp air can carry near the ocean, and the boards do not rot or splinter underfoot. That matters most where an ADU above the garage is reached by its own exterior stair, climbed every day by whoever lives there.
Framing under the boards
Each composite board carries a listing that caps the joist spacing, and stair treads often need tighter support than flat decking. Close to the ocean the hidden clips and screws should be stainless steel, because coated fasteners can rust and streak the surface. A balcony above a bedroom also needs a waterproof membrane under the boards, sloped to a drain and flashed into the wall, since gaps between boards let water through. These details go on the structural and architectural sheets, so they are settled before plan check.
The stair to an upstairs unit
An ADU above a detached garage needs its own entry, and an outdoor stair is the usual answer when the garage leaves no room for one inside. Its rise, run, width and handrails follow the residential code, and the landing at the top needs room for the door to swing. Set beside the other three types, an attached unit can share an interior stair, a garage conversion stays at grade, and a JADU uses an outside door on the main floor. Only the upper unit puts a composite stair into daily use.
New Construction in Playa Vista: common questions
A unit over the garage is the case for deciding early, assuming zoning allows one. It changes the garage framing, the stair location and the utility runs, and all of those cost less to draw now. Building it later can mean reinforcing a finished garage and reopening the permit. LADBS confirms what the parcel permits before design gets far.
Soil borings and a survey set the base, then design covers the house, the unit and exterior details such as decks and stairs. LADBS checks the full set. Once the permit issues, the lot is graded to the soils engineer's recommendations and the foundation forms are set.
Playa Vista lots follow the same statewide codes as any new house, residential, energy and green, which bring a solar array, fire sprinklers and water-saving fixtures. City zoning sets height and yards. Whether the parcel lies in the state's Coastal Zone is checked early, because a coastal permit would have to precede the building permit.
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