Openings, decks and shade in Altadena, Los Angeles County
Altadena Living Rooms Opened to the Yard
Palmcrest Contractors opens Altadena back walls to the yard with sealed doors, ember-resistant patios and shade roofs, permitted through Los Angeles County.
The back wall, where the living room meets the yard, is the part of an Altadena house we care about most. In a mountain setting with hard sun, dry wind and the odd heavy storm, that wall has to open wide and still close tight. Parts of Altadena lie within mapped fire hazard zones, so the glass, the frame and the surface just outside are chosen with ember rules in mind from the start.
A wide opening that seals
We frame the new opening with an engineered header sized for the span, then set a sliding or folding door with a sill pan beneath it and flashing lapped over the top. Gaskets and a snug threshold keep wind-blown dust and embers out when the panels close. Tempered dual glazing answers both the fire rules and strong sun, and a low emissivity coating keeps the room from heating up behind it. If the lot slopes, the step down to the yard is planned along with the door, so the sill stays dry through a hard storm.
County review and the outdoor floor
Altadena is unincorporated, which puts plan check and inspections with Los Angeles County. The county reviewer reads the header calculation, the footings for any cover posts and the listed products for ember resistance. Outside the door, a patio of concrete or stone pavers gives embers nothing to catch, and a deck can work too when it is built with approved boards and enclosed underneath. Overhead, a shade roof of noncombustible panels keeps glare off the glass. Gravel or pavers along the wall finish the strip next to the house and keep dry litter away from it.
What we build in Altadena
Every service below is available here, from a wider opening at the back of the house to a full remodel.
Open up your house in Altadena
Tell us which wall, room or yard you have in mind, and we will arrange a measure.