Commercial Construction in Pasadena for Older Buildings
Tempered storefront glass, ember-resistant details, new systems and the original front kept.
Insulated glass units built with a tempered layer are what we set into storefront frames we rebuild in Pasadena. Some Pasadena addresses fall inside mapped fire hazard zones, where exterior ember and heat rules can apply. Ordinary annealed glass can crack and drop out when radiant heat reaches it, opening the room to embers. Tempered glass holds on longer, and the sealed unit also trims the heat gain from hard inland sun.
Ember-resistant details
If the lot falls under fire hazard rules, the exterior changes in small and specific ways. Attic and wall vents get fine metal mesh or an ember-resistant vent product. Open eaves get a noncombustible soffit, and the roof covering carries a Class A rating. Gutters are metal and fitted with guards, and any wood trim close to grade is replaced with a noncombustible piece of the same profile. The City of Pasadena building department confirms which of these apply to the address, and each is priced as its own line.
Behind the street face
A rebuilt storefront only pays off when the building behind it works. The service panel is checked for capacity, drains are filmed with a camera, and the roof framing is checked for its ties to the walls. A new tenant may need more power, added fixtures and an accessible restroom. Those upgrades are planned around the original bulkhead, pilasters and transom, so the front reads as it always has while the inside meets current code for the new use. Original hardware and signs are labeled and stored during the work.
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Power for the new equipment, sound drains, a restroom and doorway built for accessibility, a rated wall between tenants where uses differ and seismic ties make up the checklist. Pasadena reviewers apply the code sections tied to the new use, and lots within a fire hazard area can pick up exterior work as well.
In most cases, when its brick, wood and metal are sound. Cleaning, repointing and refinishing hold the original front in place, and its glazing can move to tempered units where fire rules reach the lot. If a section is past saving, a close replacement is shown for approval before anything is removed.
An architect you hire can carry the drawings, or we find one. We line up the engineers, assemble the set, file it with the City of Pasadena for plan check and respond to corrections. Every inspection is scheduled through us up to final approval.
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Send the details and we will set up a walk-through and a written scope.