Structural Work in Santa Clarita, Kept Dry From the Roof Down
New beams, footings and second-story framing for Santa Clarita houses, with flashing and drainage planned so water stays off the new structure.
The seam where a new second story meets the roof beneath it is where water is most likely to find the framing of a Santa Clarita addition, so flashing, roof edge and downspout route are drawn up at the same time as the beams and footings. A hard storm tests that seam quickly, and once the walls are closed it is difficult to reach.
Flashing where old roof meets new wall
As the new wall rises from the old roof, step flashing is woven into the roofing course by course, with a kickout at the bottom so water leaves the wall surface and drops into the gutter. Housewrap laps over the flashing from above, and the new siding or stucco stops short of the roof surface, leaving a gap that keeps wicking away. These details are drawn on the framing sheets so the roofer, framer and plasterer all work from the same picture.
Water at the base, embers at the edge
At the other end of the house, downspouts are piped away from the new footings, and the soil beside the foundation is graded so water runs off the lot. A lot in Santa Clarita can fall inside a mapped fire hazard zone, which may bring ember-resistance rules to the same edges where water is managed: vents, eaves and gutters. Metal gutter guards and vents covered in fine mesh are choices to settle during design, when the roof edge is being reworked anyway.
Structural Work in Santa Clarita: what families ask
Three things settle it: the footings, the framing of the walls below and the way those walls are tied to the roof. The engineer checks each against the added weight. Where something falls short, the drawings can add footing width, bracing or heavier connectors, and the permit is issued before the upper floor is framed.
Some walls only divide rooms, so the first step is proving this one carries load. After that, a beam sized by calculation and posts to carry it down replace the wall, each landing on a footing or a framed floor. Props keep the ceiling in place during the swap, and the opening is made good after an inspector looks at the finished support.
Inspectors from the city arrive at the stages the permit lists and look at steel, footings and connections before they are covered. On a lot inside a mapped fire hazard zone they may also check ember-resistant vents. Walls stay open until the sign-off is in hand.
Structural Work in other cities
Other projects we take on in Santa Clarita
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