Looking to do a Granny Flat Conversion?

  If you are choosing between converting your garage to a Granny Flat versus adding a room addition, the first thing to determine is to call me or the city to see if the city requires that you have a garage. Most cities require that you have a garage that handles enough cars based on your home’s square footage. If you have a two car garage, and it is required that you have a garage or covered parking, you might have to add a covered parking space or a garage.
   The next thing to determine is if you can add as much square footage as you want because some cities have a limit on how much square footage you can have. There is a setback requirement (how far your addition must be from the property line) and there may be a limit if your addition is adding a second story.
   Converting a room could be cheaper because you already have a slab and walls, but the cost would go up if you need to add a garage.
   You have to ensure the garage is up to where it is suppose to be, meaning you sometimes have to take a few steps back in order to go forward. To bring it up to current code, you may need to strengthen the foundation, pour a thicker slab or modify the tie ins (where walls join to the slab). Strengthening the foundation is also important when adding a second story or converting an attic to a living space with a bath.
   It is probably easier to go with an addition than a remodel, though not necessarily less expensive, because the only unknown can be handled by having the soil tested for how compact the dirt is. There are many unknowns for a conversion. How thick is the concrete slab? Is the framing up to code so it will sustain earthquakes, etc. or do you need to add support framing? Will the city decide that your garage slab is only one inch thick with no foundation around the edges and will they require you tear it down and rebuild it whether you do the conversion or not? Like opening a can of worms.
   In a room addition, you can put all the electric and plumbing right where you want it. Whereas with a room conversion, you have to break into the slab and run plumbing. If your garage has drywall walls, you’d have to break into them to run electrical, and you may need to increase your electrical service by adding a subpanel.
   Once you are past the foundation, framing, electrical and plumbing stage, the finish is very much the same for either an addition or a room conversion.
   All in all, it is pretty much a wash as far as the cost between the two. Whichever you decide to do, call us. We can refer an architect or do a bid on your plans. We look forward to doing the job. Give me a call at (818) 548-8760 for a free consolation and estimate.

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Replacing a Deck That is a Roof

     Sometimes you have a roof that you can access easily and you either want to go out onto it, put lawn chairs on it, set up a ping pong table or anything you may think of as something to do on a deck.

      The finish on the deck can be wood, concrete, rubber pads, ceramic til, or whatever you want.

     The first thing you must ensure is that the support and sub-floor are adequate to utilize the roof as a deck.

     The next thing to do is to put down a proper deck coating that will last. A proper deck coating means that there is a process of waterproofing that must happen. This process is 5 to 7 steps of waterproof layers and coatings. To compare this, a normal roofing would be 2 or 3 steps or layers.

     Before starting this process, you need to ensure that all of the support structure is complete, such as any support you may want if you are going to have a hot tub on the deck.

     During the process of putting down the layers, it is important to seal anything that sticks up out of the roof. If you are going to need handrails, then posts for them must be in before starting the process.

     Now the waterproofing process can be done.

     If you are going to do a tile deck, the process has to be taken to a point where the deck coating is ready to lay tile onto it. If you are going to do a wooden deck, any support lumber that is needed under the wooden deck must be installed along with the process so that it is sealed in and will not leak.

     Get the idea, whatever “finish” you want on the deck, that “finish” is not the waterproofing. (The waterproofing is the deck coating process.)

     When setting up the deck or laying out the access to the deck, keep in mind that any door onto the deck must be a minimum of 2 foot 8 inches wide. Any stairs onto or off of the deck must be must be a minimum of 36 inches wide.

Good Decking,

Randy

BBQing This Summer? Some Handy Tips and More . . .

It's Summer and Barbecuing is a typical past time in the Los Angeles area. Make sure you keep safety precautions in, especially with young children around. Let them help, but don’t leave them unattended around the grill. Wishing You Success and a Great Meal! Randy