West Covina, Los Angeles County
Room Additions and Foundations in West Covina
Room additions in West Covina, starting with a test pit at the existing footing so the engineer can decide how new foundations meet the old ones.
Should a new West Covina family room connect to the existing foundation, or stand on footings of its own? An engineer answers that after seeing what is already under the house. If the present footing is shallow, cracked or bears on loose fill, the addition gets an independent footing and a joint that lets the two parts move slightly without tearing the finishes between them.
Reading the old footing
We dig a test pit beside the house where the addition will meet it and measure the footing width, depth and condition. Exposed steel at the pit, the type of soil, and any sign of moisture all go into notes for the engineer. Inside, a long level laid across the floors tells us whether the house has settled. If the lot slopes toward the planned room, the soils engineer may call for deeper footings or piers on the downhill side before the layout is final.
Joining new to old
When the engineer clears the old footing to take more weight, dowels are drilled and epoxied into it so the new concrete locks on. Where it cannot carry more, the addition stands alone, with framing that meets the house at a flashed seam. Roof and floor lines are matched, and the wall connection is sealed against water. Plans go to the building department serving West Covina, and Covina, Walnut, Glendora and Hacienda Heights additions are drawn by this same method.
Work we take on in West Covina
Each service is planned around the lot, sloped or level.
Building in West Covina?
Send the address and the job, and a builder will arrange a visit to read the lot.