San Dimas Structural Work Where New Concrete Meets Old
San Dimas structural work with dampproofing, footing drains and slab-edge flashing planned where new concrete meets an old wall, before the first form is set.
Wherever new concrete meets an old wall in San Dimas, a joint appears, and water follows joints. Dampproofing on the buried face, a drain at the footing and a flashing strip at the slab edge are laid out before the first form is set. Getting those details right at the start is far easier than chasing a damp wall after the finish goes on.
The joint between old and new
A new footing poured against an old one shares a seam that never fully seals, so the plan treats it as a path for water. The old foundation face is cleaned and coated with a bituminous or membrane dampproofing, extended past the joint so the coating overlaps. A water stop sits in the cold joint where the new slab edge meets the old wall. Above grade, a flashing strip lapped behind the siding or plaster sends water out over the top of the slab. Each layer overlaps the one below it like shingles.
Drain, backfill and grade
At the footing, a perforated pipe sits in clean gravel wrapped in filter fabric and runs to a discharge point or a sump. Backfill goes in lifts and is compacted so it cannot settle into a trough beside the wall. The finished grade falls away from the foundation, and any patio or walkway next to the house is poured to slope away as well. If the lot slopes toward the building, a surface drain or swale intercepts runoff before it reaches the foundation.
Structural Work in San Dimas: what families ask
The engineer checks whether the existing footings, lower walls and roof ties can take the added weight, and whether the soil beside the foundation drains well, since saturated soil weakens a footing's bearing. Reinforcement, when needed, is drawn into the plans the building department reviews.
Expect a beam, end posts and footings under those posts, with shoring in place while the old wall comes out. If the wall sat above a bathroom or kitchen drain, the pipes are rerouted and tested before the ceiling is patched. Flashing and roof drainage are reviewed whenever the beam pocket reaches an exterior wall.
A building inspector from the city comes at the footing, framing and hold-down stages. Anything touching an exterior wall, such as flashing and membrane at a new slab joint, is shown before it disappears. Dated photos go in the file for each stage.
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