ADU Construction in South Pasadena, Roof to Drain
South Pasadena ADU construction with a roof that suits the older main house, parapet or gable, and a clear plan for where every drop of runoff goes.
A flat roof hidden behind a parapet, or a gable with open rafter tails, can tie a backyard unit in South Pasadena to the older house in front of it, and each shape moves water in its own way. Behind a parapet, tapered insulation slopes the membrane toward scuppers and conductor heads, with overflow openings set just above them. Under a gable, the eaves throw water past the walls and gutters collect it.
Parapets, scuppers and overflow
A parapet roof works only if water never sits against the wall. We build in a slope toward each scupper, flash the parapet caps and the inside corners, and add an overflow scupper above the main one so a clogged outlet cannot flood the roof. The downspouts from each conductor head carry water to a splash block, a planting bed or an underground line, and the plans show where it ends up, so it stays on the lot and away from both foundations.
Gables, open eaves and the older house
Gable roofs with exposed rafter tails, where the main house has them, can be repeated on the unit, and the water plan changes with them. Open eaves throw rain clear of the siding, and a half-round gutter, if the original house wears one, carries it to round downspouts. We keep the new roof's runoff away from the old house's footing and avoid tying new gutters into old ones that may be undersized. The main house's original rafter tails and eaves are left alone unless rot turns up.
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ADU Construction in South Pasadena: common questions
Gas needs as much attention as power. A range, water heater and furnace for the unit can exceed what the main house's meter and old piping were sized for, so we calculate the combined demand and request a larger meter from the gas company when the numbers call for it. An all-electric unit moves that load to the panel, which then gets its own load calculation.
An old garage with its original board siding and roof shape is worth converting when the frame is sound, because those parts already match the house. We keep the siding, repair what has split, and replace the vehicle door with a wall, a pair of windows and an entry that follow the main house's style. The slab and footings are checked before any of that is promised.
If the main house has a louvered vent in each gable end, the unit gets one in the same shape. If its windows carry a flat head casing with a small cap, the new ones do too. Beyond those, the unit takes the house's roof covering and wall finish.
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