Hawthorne Decks & Patios, Roof Water Routed First
Hawthorne decks and patios that send roof water away: downspouts piped under the deck, soil regraded from the foundation and a weep screed left clear.
On a Hawthorne deck plan, the first water we trace is the roof's. A downspout that now empties where the deck will stand would keep dumping onto the soil under it, out of sight, and soak the ground against the foundation and the new footings. So the downspout is tied into solid pipe that runs beneath the frame to an outlet, and the soil under the deck is regraded to fall away from the house, whatever the yard does beyond it.
Under the frame
The ground under a deck gets the same care as a patio. It is shaped to fall away from the foundation, covered with a fabric that blocks weeds, and topped with gravel so splashing rain does not throw mud onto the framing. Where the space beneath will hold storage, a membrane system fitted between the joists collects what drips through the boards and empties it at the edge. Post bases keep the wood off the concrete and out of any puddle, and the gravel stops short of the siding so the house wall can dry.
The wall, the ledger and the stucco
Where the deck meets a stucco wall, the ledger needs flashing that ties into the weather barrier behind the stucco, which means cutting a clean band and patching it over new metal. The weep screed at the base of the wall must stay clear of the deck and of any paving, so water trapped in the wall can drain out. Any paving beside the deck is pitched off the wall toward a slot drain at its outer edge. If the lot slopes toward the house, a swale on the uphill side turns runoff aside before it reaches the footings. Hawthorne's building division handles plan review and inspections for the deck.
About our decks & patios workEverything we build in Hawthorne
Decks & Patios in Hawthorne: questions
Its bottom reaches firm soil at the depth the engineer gives from a test hole and the post load, and on a slope the low-side footings go further to keep enough ground in front of them. Its top rises a little above the finished grade, so the post base on a Hawthorne deck sits out of standing water.
A Hawthorne parcel search on the fire hazard maps comes first. If nothing shows, the general code governs the decking, and the space under it can be open, screened or used for storage. If the parcel were mapped, stored items under the frame would be limited and any enclosure would need noncombustible panels with ember-resistant vents.
Height and footprint set the price of the platform. The water work around it answers to neither. Rerouting a downspout and regrading are priced as single items, while a drainage membrane under the joists is priced by area, since it covers the whole underside. Each sits on its own line so the cost of keeping water off the house is visible.
Decks & Patios in other cities
More work in Hawthorne
Planning work in Hawthorne?
Tell us about the lot and the job. A builder replies by phone or email to set up a visit.