Openings, decks and shade in Arleta, Los Angeles County
Arleta Windows Opened Into Patio Doors
Palmcrest Contractors turns a small Arleta window into a glass patio door under an engineered header, flashed at the sill and permitted through LADBS.
A small window above the sofa that shows only a slice of the yard is reason enough, in an Arleta house, to start with windows and doors. Cutting that wall down to the floor and setting a glass door under an engineered header lets the room reach outside without new floor area. The patio, the cover and the lighting outside are then laid out to meet the new opening.
Opening the wall safely
Lowering a sill to the floor or widening an opening puts new demands on the framing above it. We cut a small inspection hole in the drywall over the window to read the ceiling joist direction and find any posts or plumbing in the cavity. If the wall bears weight, an engineer specifies the header and its posts, and a short wall of temporary studs braces the ceiling during demolition. A slider, a folding set or a pair of hinged French doors can each fill the space, and each needs a different amount of floor in front of it.
Keeping the new sill dry, and LADBS
Water at a door sill is a flashing problem. A preformed or site built pan with a back dam goes under the threshold and tilts toward the outside, the jamb laps are taped from the bottom up so each layer sheds over the one below, and a metal head flashing tucks behind the stucco or siding above. On an inland valley lot, the new glass gets a low emissivity coat and a cover outside to cut the afternoon heat on the room. Arleta belongs to the City of Los Angeles, and LADBS reviews the header and inspects the framing before any patching starts.
What we build in Arleta
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 Arleta
Tell us which wall, room or yard you have in mind, and we will arrange a measure.