Malibu, Los Angeles County
Retaining Walls, Footings and Decks in Malibu
Retaining walls, footings and decks in Malibu, specified with corrosion-resistant steel and ember-aware details and reviewed by the City of Malibu.
Retaining walls get the most attention on a Malibu property where the yard changes level, because a wall that holds back soil also controls where water goes. In moist, corrosive air, the steel inside the concrete and the fasteners on any wood cap are what give out first, so the specification starts there. Concrete cover over the rebar is thick, drains behind the wall are sized to stay open, and the City of Malibu reviews the engineering.
Steel, concrete and moist air
Chlorides carried in damp air and wet soil are what corrode reinforcing, so the mix for a wall or footing uses a low water to cement ratio and the bar sits well back from every face. Epoxy-coated or galvanized bar can be specified where the concrete is thin or exposed. Block walls are grouted solid at the reinforced cells. Any wood or metal that sits on the wall, such as a fence post or a deck beam, is set in stainless or heavily galvanized hardware. Inspectors from the city look at the steel before each pour.
Fire rules and the wall cap
Malibu includes land on mapped fire hazard maps, so a deck, fence or addition near a retaining wall may fall under ember-resistance rules. Wood fencing that ties into a wall can carry fire toward the house, and a noncombustible section at the connection breaks that path. Decking near the wall uses rated material with a clear or enclosed underside, and vents on the house take fine metal mesh. Thousand Oaks and Calabasas review this kind of work through their own city building departments, and Topanga goes to Los Angeles County.
Work we take on in Malibu
Each service is planned around the lot, sloped or level.
Building in Malibu?
Send the address and the job, and a builder will arrange a visit to read the lot.