Decks & Patios in Sherman Oaks, CA
Planning a deck around trees at an older Sherman Oaks house: roots located first, footings kept clear of them and the ledger flashed against water.
"Can the tree stay?" comes up early in a Sherman Oaks yard, and the answer sits in the roots. Footings dug through a root plate hurt a tree, and a leaning one can drop limbs on a new cover. So we find where the structural roots probably run, hold the footings back from them, and sometimes slide the whole deck over.
Footings around roots
Posts get located before any digging, and each hole is opened by hand first. Roots about as thick as a wrist are left alone, and the post moves to a clear spot while the beam spans a little farther. Where the clear spots run out, a helical pier twists into the ground with almost no excavation. The drip zone under the canopy is kept free of heavy compaction, so materials wait at the opposite edge of the lot and plywood covers the paths we walk.
Shade, leaves and damp
A deck under a canopy stays damp longer, and leaves packed between boards hold water against the wood. Wider board gaps, a board material that does not rot, and a steady slope away from the house all help. Gutters near the tree need a screen or a regular clearing, since an overflow lands right on the ledger. If sap or fruit drops on the surface, a capped composite or a sealed hardwood wipes clean with a hose, and cleaning becomes a short chore.
About our Decks & Patios serviceEverything we do in Sherman Oaks
Decks & Patios in Sherman Oaks: common questions
The work starts at the wall, not the deck. Siding comes off along the ledger line, the sill and rim get tested with an awl, and a membrane goes up the sheathing under a flashing that laps over the top edge of the board. Bolts go through last, so runoff meets metal and drips clear of the framing.
Yes, if the structure beneath the trim still holds. Turned posts and original rails get templated before anything comes apart, so a piece that must be remade matches the profile. Sound parts are repaired and kept in place, and only the sections that have gone soft are cut out and replaced.
LADBS reviews the plans for a raised deck or cover in Sherman Oaks, and the application goes in on your behalf from our office. Height, size and attachment to the house decide the outcome. A low platform at grade can fall under the exemption, which we check when we see the yard.
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