Older home remodeling in Sylmar, Los Angeles County
Remodeling Older Houses in Sylmar
Opening up a layout in an older Sylmar house while its trim, doors and windows stay: engineering, ember-aware exterior choices and the LADBS permit.
Can the wall between the kitchen and dining room come out without the house losing what makes it look like itself? That is the question to bring to a first call about an older Sylmar home. Usually the answer turns on what the wall carries. An engineer sizes a beam if it bears load, and the door casing, base and picture rail along it are removed by hand, labeled and set back once the new opening is framed.
A new layout inside an old frame
Before any wall is marked, we look at the attic and crawlspace to see where joists land and which walls take the roof. A bearing wall comes out only after temporary shoring is set and the beam and its posts are in place, with footings poured where the engineer calls for them. Floors where the old wall stood are patched with wood of matching width and species. Knob-and-tube and galvanized pipe inside that wall are retired at the same time, so the opening never has to be cut twice, and outlets in the new space are placed to suit the furniture.
Ember rules and the permit
Parts of Sylmar fall within mapped fire hazard areas, and exterior changes on such a lot may need to satisfy ember-resistance requirements. That can call for mesh at the vents, tempered panes in replaced windows and a cleared strip at the base of the walls. LADBS reviews the plans because Sylmar is in the City of Los Angeles. San Fernando issues permits through its own city government, while Pacoima, Mission Hills, Arleta, Lake View Terrace and Granada Hills are permitted through LADBS, and we confirm the office for each address before drawing.
What we can do for a house in Sylmar
Whole-house work leads, and every other service is available for the same house.
Planning work on a house in Sylmar?
Tell us about it. We will walk through the house and send a written scope.