Older home remodeling in Cerritos, Los Angeles County
Structural Work and Remodeling in Cerritos
Structural work on older Cerritos houses: when a sagging beam, cracked footing or missing anchor bolts has to be fixed before any remodel can begin.
An older Cerritos house needs its frame repaired before anything else when it shows signs of movement: doors that stick and then free up, a floor that dips near a wall, or a crack that runs through plaster on a diagonal. Until the cause is found and repaired, new wiring, plumbing and finishes would just ride on the problem. With the frame steady again, the remodel can carry on and save the original sash, casing and eaves.
Finding the cause in a Cerritos frame
We start below the floor, since many frame problems begin at the footing or the sill. A level and a laser show where the floor has dropped and by how much. Probing the sill and the posts tells us whether rot or termites took the wood, and a look at the footing shows whether it cracked or settled. An engineer reviews what we find and sets the repair: new posts and pads, a sister beam, sill replacement, or new anchor bolts and braced cripple walls. That design goes on the plan set for review.
Repairs that leave the original house in place
Most structural repairs can happen from below or from inside one wall at a time. Shoring holds the floor while a sill or post is replaced, and jacks bring a low beam back up in small steps so plaster above it has time to adjust. Where a wall must open, casing and baseboard come off first, numbered on the back and stored. Strong sun and drying wind on an inland lot open gaps around old trim, so exterior joints are caulked and painted as the frame work closes. The building department that serves Cerritos inspects the framing before walls close.
What we can do for a house in Cerritos
Whole-house work leads, and every other service is available for the same house.
Planning work on a house in Cerritos?
Tell us about it. We will walk through the house and send a written scope.