ADU Construction in Lakewood
Lakewood ADUs with grouted concrete block walls that will not rot, warp or burn, a Class A roof and tempered glass, drawn and built by Fernhill Builders.
Concrete masonry walls put a Lakewood ADU out of reach of the things that wear a wood frame down: rot, termites, warping in hard inland sun, and flame. Each block cell that carries a steel bar is filled with grout, which ties the wall to the footing and gives it the strength to ride out an earthquake. The block can be left with a split face, given a clear coat, or finished in cement plaster to match the main house.
Building in block
A block wall starts at the footing, where vertical bars are set in the concrete at the spacing the engineer calls for. Courses go up in running bond, with horizontal steel in bond beams partway up and at the top, where the roof framing bolts to a wood ledger. Openings get lintel blocks with their own steel over each window and door. Insulation goes on the inside, as rigid foam behind furring or as foam filled into the empty cells, since masonry by itself passes heat through readily. Electrical boxes and plumbing are planned before the walls rise, so nothing has to be cut in later.
City review and the rest of the shell
The building department serving Lakewood reviews the set, and masonry draws close attention on the structural sheets: bar sizes, grout, and the inspections needed before cells are filled. Its plan checker also measures the space between the unit and each property line, since a wall built near a line may need a rating and fewer openings, which block provides readily. Above the walls, a Class A roof, closed eaves, mesh vents and tempered glass finish the shell. Unless the Lakewood parcel appears on a fire hazard map, those added parts are options priced one by one.
ADU Construction in Lakewood: common questions
Before design the Lakewood address is checked on the fire hazard severity maps, and only a parcel inside a mapped zone falls under the wildfire chapter. Outside one, an ordinary exterior meets code. Block walls, a closed eave and tempered glass still make sense as choices, since each one stands up to sun and dry wind too.
On a Lakewood set the structural sheets carry the most detail for a block unit, showing bar sizes and grout, while the site plan fixes the setbacks. A qualifying unit of one story is what the plans package is written around. Fees from the reviewing department and the construction itself are quoted apart.
Often, if the parcel takes both buildings and the department accepts the sequence. A block unit and a new house can share one footing crew and one masonry inspection calendar. Before settling a spot for the unit, we confirm how the rebuild is being permitted.
More work we do in Lakewood
Plan your project in Lakewood
Tell us about the house and the adu construction work. We reply about a walk-through and a written scope.