Bel Air Room Additions with Balconies That Shed Water
Bel Air second-story additions with balconies built to shed water: sloped floors, flashed wall joints, scuppers and ember-ready details. Palmcrest.
A balcony off an upstairs room is a roof for whatever sits beneath it. In a Bel Air addition the floor of that balcony gets as much water planning as the roof above the bedrooms. It tilts away from the wall, a membrane covers the deck, and every joint at the house is flashed. Parts of the area are mapped for fire hazard, so the materials may need to resist embers as well.
The floor of the balcony
The framing is pitched slightly outward, and a waterproof membrane runs up the wall behind the finish. At the door, a sloped threshold and a pan keep rain from tracking inside. Water leaves through a scupper or a drain tied to a downpipe, never a gap in the boards. Edges are capped with metal so the framing stays dry, and the guard posts are flashed where they pass through the floor. An engineer sizes the beams that carry the projecting load, and the drawings show where the posts of the guard are fixed to them.
What lies underneath
A patio or room under the balcony stays dry only when the membrane and drainage work, so we detail them before choosing the finish. Soffits below are boxed in noncombustible board where fire rules apply, with vents rated for embers. What the parcel needs is settled with the City of Los Angeles building department. Planters and furniture feet are kept off drain outlets so leaves cannot block the water, and the guard posts get a final check for sealant at their base.
Room Additions in Bel Air: what people ask
Yes. A wide opening leads onto the balcony and the panels slide or fold. Glass is tempered, and frames and screens suit ember rules on a mapped parcel. A shade structure above the balcony cools the room.
Going up gives a balcony and a view and keeps the garden, with a foundation review and stair space as the price. Going out stays on one level and needs depth. Roof lines and lot size shape the answer.
A single entry in the written quote covers the seam of old and new: roofs meeting, a doorway through the wall, exterior blending, footing link. Where a balcony also ties to the house, flashing at that joint is counted too.
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