Full Home Remodeling in Mar Vista, Older Houses
Whole-house remodeling for older Mar Vista houses that starts by steering water away from sills and floor framing, then puts the original casings back.
Water at the bottom of the wall does the slowest damage to an older Mar Vista house, wicking into the mudsill wherever soil or planters sit against the siding. A whole-house remodel is the time to pull that soil back, lead every downspout away from the footing and give the crawlspace a dry floor. On a coastal lot, damp air can settle under the house, so vents and a ground cover go into the plan beside the new wiring and pipe.
Keeping the sill plate and floor framing dry
We start outside at grade. Soil and mulch come down below the top of the foundation, and the ground is shaped to fall away from the wall. Each downspout drops into a closed pipe or onto a splash block that carries roof water clear of the footing. Under the floor, a heavy plastic sheet laps up the stem walls, and blocked vents are opened so moist air can leave. Where a joist end or sill shows soft wood, it is replaced before new plumbing hangs from it. Any wood floor kept above stays dry that way, and refinishing waits for the end.
Windows, permits and the casings that return
Windows pulled for reglazing go back over a sloped sill pan, with flashing lapped so water always sheds outward. LADBS reviews the permit for Mar Vista and inspects rough wiring, plumbing and framing while the bays are open. If the lot sits inside the California Coastal Zone, exterior changes may need a separate coastal sign-off first, and we confirm that at the start. Casings, baseboards and picture rail are pried off in numbered sets, kept dry, and nailed back on their own openings. A house in Palms or Venice is handled under the same city process.
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Double-hung wood sashes in sound frames can be reglazed and rehung on new cord. Plaster that still holds its lath is patched around new boxes and kept. Built-in cabinets, panel doors and hardwood hidden under carpet are each looked at on the first walk, and the written scope marks every part to keep, repair or replace, with the reason beside it.
We hand the house over a few rooms at a time. Taped plastic sheeting and a zippered flap seal the room being opened, and a fan blows its air out a window so dust stays put. You keep one bath in service, plus a kitchen or a temporary sink. Supply lines and new circuits go in first, wet rooms come next, and floors and paint close it out.
Our first samples come from plaster, floor tile and its glue, pipe lagging and painted trim, and the lab reports any asbestos or lead in them. Licensed abatement removes positive material before demolition. We also check the electrical service size, pressure test the gas line and run a camera through the sewer lateral, because a broken clay lateral adds a line to the plumbing scope.
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Send the details and we will set up a walk-through and a written scope.