Decks & Patios in Altadena
Altadena decks and patios started at the footings: heat-tested old concrete, ember-resistant boards for mapped parcels, flashed ledgers, clear undersides.
Old deck piers left standing after a fire are the first thing we probe on an Altadena lot. Concrete that has seen intense heat can spall, crack or lose strength under a clean-looking surface, so we strike it, look for flaking and let the engineer decide whether a pier can carry new load. Some Altadena parcels are designated for wildfire, so replacement boards need a fire listing too.
Testing what is left in the ground
A hammer rings on sound concrete and thuds on damaged concrete. We check for color change, crumbling edges and exposed rebar, and the engineer may call for a core sample before anything old is reused. Bolts and post bases left in a pier are looked at as well, since heat weakens steel. Where a pier fails, it is removed and new footings are poured at the depth the soil calls for. Where it passes, reusing it can save digging, but only on the engineer's word.
A deck for a mapped parcel
A designated parcel calls for listed boards on the surface. Beneath them the frame stays open so debris can be raked out, or it is closed with noncombustible panels that have screened openings. Rails and posts are chosen to match, and stair treads and fascia boards follow the same listing. Because Altadena is an unincorporated community, plans go to the county for review, and the drawings name the listed products so the reviewer sees exactly what will be installed. Every hanger and fastener is hot-dip galvanized or stainless.
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Decks & Patios in Altadena: questions
Decking inside Altadena's designated areas has to carry a flame and ember listing. Many composite and PVC lines do, as do select hardwoods. We bring samples, confirm the product you pick, and name it on the drawings so the reviewer sees it.
Footings are inspected in the open hole, and any reused pier is checked against the engineer's report. The frame follows, with ledger bolts, flashing, hangers and the clearance or skirting beneath it. The county inspector signs off on those items before the surface boards cover them.
Yes, and the cleared lot is the easiest time for it. Footings can be laid out with the house foundation, the ledger is built into new framing, and the deck is drawn in the same permit set. Fire-listed boards and the area beneath the frame are settled on the plans at the start.
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