Fire Rebuild & Reconstruction in Palms, Starting Under the Floor
Joists notched for drain pipes can hide under a fire-damaged Palms house. How that finding changes the repair, the plans and the itemized quote.
Floor joists cut deep to make room for a drain pipe can hide under a fire-damaged Palms house that stands on a raised wood floor. Nobody sees them until the burned flooring comes up. A notch in the wrong place weakens a joist that may look sound from below. When part of the house survived and the family wants more from that floor, such as a new bath or a bedroom wall, the notched joists decide how the repair is drawn and priced.
Finding the cuts
With the burned flooring lifted, we follow every drain and supply line across the joists and look at how each one passes through. A small bored hole near the middle of a joist's depth is generally acceptable. A deep notch cut into the top or bottom edge near the center of a span is a problem, and so is a joist cut through and left hanging on the pipe. Each one is measured, photographed and marked on a floor sketch, together with any charring the fire left on the same members.
How a finding changes the job
A notched joist can often be sistered with a full-length new member, or reinforced with a steel plate the engineer details. Where several sit side by side, it may make more sense to reframe that part of the floor and reroute the drain through bored holes. If the family plans to add a bathroom or a bedroom wall on that floor, the engineer checks it for the new loads at the same time. The repair goes onto the drawings for LADBS, and the quote lists it on its own, apart from the work the fire caused.
About fire rebuild & reconstructionEverything we do in Palms
Fire Rebuild & Reconstruction in Palms: what families ask
Yes, provided setbacks and height allow it and the floor framing can carry the load. An added bedroom over a crawlspace may need new joists or a beam, which the engineer sizes. We draw the room with its escape window and smoke alarm, then show you how it fits against the rest of the plan before anything goes to LADBS.
Burned materials and debris are hauled off first, and the utilities confirm that gas and power are off. Then we lift the damaged flooring, map any cut or charred framing and have the survey done. The drawing set follows current code as of the application date, with the floor repairs shown, and LADBS reviews it.
We list each piece of the work on its own line, in building order. Joist repairs found under the floor sit apart from damage the fire caused, with photos on file for each, so the adjuster can tell them apart. You can compare it line by line with your insurance claim. The policy terms, and what they pay, are for your insurer to decide.
Fire Rebuild & Reconstruction in other cities
Other projects we take on in Palms
Your Palms project, start to finish
Tell us about the house and the space you need. We reply by phone or email to plan a visit.