Beverly Hills Room Additions, Framing Checked First
Beverly Hills home additions that measure the roof framing first and size every beam for the garden opening, by Palmcrest Contractors.
Up in the attic, the rafters and ceiling joists say what a wide glass opening can ask of the roof. Framing sized years ago for a light load may be too small to carry a new beam or a second story, and nobody knows until the boards are measured. In Beverly Hills we climb up there before design begins, so the plan matches the wood that is actually overhead.
What the roof framing decides
Spans, spacing and lumber size tell the engineer how load travels down to the walls. If a beam will replace a wall below, the rafters above may need new bearing points or doubled members. When the roof is to remain as it is, the opening is sized to what it can carry. Sometimes the answer is a steel beam hidden in the ceiling, which lets the opening grow larger without lowering the head height. A steel flitch plate bolted into an existing rafter or a new ridge beam can replace weak framing, and either approach is drawn out and approved before any cutting begins.
From findings to drawings
The measurements go straight into the structural drawings, so the Beverly Hills building department sees a design based on what is really there. The reviewer will look at the beam, its posts and the footing under each one. Energy and glazing calculations come with the set. Because we located the load path at the start, the corrections that come back from plan check should be small ones. A strong roof frame also helps with what comes next, whether that is an added deck above, a solar array or heavier tile.
Room Additions in Beverly Hills: what people ask
Yes, once the roof framing above has been measured. The beam replaces a section of wall, and the rafters overhead must be able to rest on it. Pivot, sliding or folding panels close the gap, with glass sized to meet energy rules.
A back wing keeps everything on one level and uses yard. A new upper level spares the garden but needs strong footings, strong walls and a rebuilt roof. The attic check, plus a look at the foundation, tells us which choice the existing house will support.
Where roof, wall and floor of the old house meet the new ones, the work is least predictable, so it gets a dedicated line in the written quote. The cost depends on the roofline, how much framing must be strengthened and the footing connection.
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