Structural Work in Van Nuys
Van Nuys visits begin with a load trace from roof to soil, so every beam, footing and opening is priced from what the framing actually shows.
We trace the weight of the roof downward on a Van Nuys visit, wall by wall and floor by floor, until it reaches soil. Wherever that path breaks, such as a post bearing on nothing or a header too light for its span, the engineer needs to know before a plan is drawn. The trace also shows which walls can be opened and which have to stay or be replaced by a beam.
What the trace turns up
Possible finds include posts sitting on a slab with no footing under them, headers sized for an opening that was later widened, and joists notched for a drain line. Each find changes what is safe to cut. We mark the path on a sketch, photograph the framing from the attic and the crawlspace, and pass the notes to the engineer. The results settle where a new beam can land, how many posts it needs, and whether the footing below is deep enough to take the added weight.
Footing and slab edge
The walls of a garage that will become living space need a footing, so the slab edge gets examined next. A drilled hole shows slab thickness and whether a vapor barrier lies beneath. A scrape along the edge shows whether the concrete thickens into a footing. If it does not, the engineer designs a footing, and we price it as part of the conversion. A sound slab with a footing can stay as the base for a new floor build-up and keeps the scope small.
Structural Work in Van Nuys: common questions
Not always. The concrete needs enough depth, a thickened edge beneath any new outside wall and a way to stop moisture rising into the room. We check each of these on the visit. Good concrete stays put beneath a membrane and a new floor build-up, while a weak slab is repaired along its edges or replaced before the layout is fixed.
When a job changes how weight reaches the ground, such as removing a bearing wall, building on a new foundation or adding a floor, the plan needs an engineer's stamp for LADBS. Moving a partition that carries no load can sometimes go without that step. We find out which kind of wall it is during the load trace.
Maybe. LADBS decides based on the design, and a new foundation or added second floor makes a soils report more likely. A repair to a footing already in place might not call for a report. Once the engineer lists what the sheets need, any footing change that follows from a report is priced and shown before work begins.
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