![]() This term can be confusing as it implies decay occurring without the presence of moisture. “Dry” refers to the “dry” wood used in construction as opposed to “wet” wood - the wood in living or newly-felled trees. Dry rot is the decay of building timbers used in the construction of wooden structures. Most of the homes in this area are constructed using wood. Even though these homes have brick or stucco or stone exterior walls, the basic structure – the frame – is made of wood. The trim on most houses is also made of wood. Dry rot is caused by a fungus which changes the composition of the wood, making it brittle. Over time, the decay can cause instability and eventually the collapse of the house. Again, the term “dry rot” can be misleading in that the fungus requires an elevated moisture content of 28-30% in order to start growing on the wood. Both continued dryness and continued saturation with water will inhibit dry rot. The first step in handling dry rot is to correct the condition that led to the initial growth of the fungus. Eliminate the cause of dampness in the area and increase ventilation to the site. Letting the affected wood dry out will kill dry rot since it is a fungus and requires water in order to live and grow. Depending on the extent of the damage, you would then want to repair or replace the wood that was weakened by this fungus growth. Signs of Dry Rot Inside: Water spots on walls, ceilings or carpets; discoloration of vinyl floors, carpets or shelf under sink; warping of flooring (usually in kitchen or bathroom); wrinkling, sagging or crumbling of sheetrock on walls or ceilings. Outside: Warping or swelling of siding; bubbling or lifting of paint; ends of fascia boards are soft or crumbling; any wood with areas of softness where a screwdriver can be pushed in easily. If you discover any of the above symptoms of dry rot in your home, Rocha Construction can easily repair the damage and stop the dry rot from spreading. Dry rot repairs done early can save thousands of home repair dollars. Give Gilbert Rocha a call at 310-484-4256 for a free in-home estimate today!
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![]() Are you ready for a kitchen, bathroom or other home remodeling project but you’re unsure where to start? Do you have ideas about how you want your new room to look but don’t know how to create a working design for the contractor? Are you overwhelmed by all the new appliances, fixtures and materials on the market today and don’t know which ones would work best for you? We can help! Roger Klein, a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and a Certified Interior Designer (CID), works closely with Rocha Construction to create an incredible team to help you with your next home improvement project. Roger has over 25 years of experience as a professional interior designer and his work has been featured in Architectural Digest, as well as other publications. ![]() Roger will work closely with you to achieve the best possible layout of the kitchen, bathrooms and other areas of your home with the goal of enhancing the functionality of the space to suit the needs of all the family members. He will go with you to the product showrooms and help you to choose appliances, countertop and flooring materials, lighting, windows, doors, paint, wall paper, etc. He is very knowledgeable about all the latest products and can make positive suggestions that will align with your personal preferences. ![]() Roger will produce computer-generated, three-dimensional drawings to show you exactly how the new layout will look. Once the structure is complete, he can even help you choose furniture, window treatments and accessories. Working together, Spectrum West and Rocha Construction give you the invaluable benefit of a full-service home improvement team. From concept to completion, we are there for you! You can visit Roger's website to see samples of his work. Click on this link - www.spectrumwestdesign.com ![]() Many people feel they can save money on a home-improvement project by overseeing the job themselves, thus saving the cost of a general contractor. In the long run, this decision only ends up costing them MORE. An experienced general contractor has been doing this kind of work for years. He can spot things that are not to code in the current construction of your home and can fix them. He knows not to use sub-standard materials which won’t last long. He will ensure that all the subcontractors are licensed and fully insured. ![]() He will hire only subcontractors that really know what they are doing so there is no waste of materials and/or money. He is experienced at coordinating the subcontractors and pushing their production schedules so that there is no waste of time. When you hire a licensed, competent general contractor with a good track record, you will be saving yourself not only money but a lot of stress as well. Give Rocha Construction a call at 310-484-4256 and ask Gilbert Rocha to give you a free, in-home estimate for your next home improvement project! ![]() Rocha Construction has a “satisfaction guarantee” policy for all the work we do. If you are not completely happy with your home improvement project, please let us know. We will bend over backwards to correct any problem. All you have to do is let us know. Sometimes people are reluctant to communicate that they are not completely satisfied with a job. Maybe the problem is “too small to mention.” Or maybe the problem doesn’t show up right away. You may not be aware of it until weeks or months after the job has been completed. By then you may feel it is “too late” to bring it up. No matter how small or how much time has passed, please give us a call and talk to us about any problems on any job that we have done for you. We will gladly come by and see what can be done to bring your project up to your original expectation. The most valuable asset of any business is its customers - but only if they are satisfied customers. We value you and want you to feel good about the product you received from Rocha Construction. In these hard economic times, we are all trying to get the most out of any money we spend. We want to make sure that you feel we have given you excellent value for what you spent on a job done by our company. We can’t do that unless you tell us exactly what you expect and where we possibly fell short of your expectation. Feel free to call Gilbert Rocha to discuss any problems you have - 310-484-4256. Remember - Your Satisfaction is Our Goal! ![]() Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children. To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, the EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. A lead-safe certified contractor is trained to analyze the surface of house built prior to 1978 and determine if there is lead in the paint used on that house. He is trained in the correct and safe procedures for removing lead-based paint or any other materials that contain lead. He knows how to seal off the area where work will be performed so that dust containing lead will not spread to other parts of the house or get into the air being breathed by people or pets. He is qualified to train his workers in these procedures. Gilbert Rocha attended a lead-safe certification class 3 years ago and Rocha Construction is a lead-safe certified company. If you have any questions or concerns about lead in your home, give Rocha Construction a call at 310-484-4256. Rocha Construction - Lead-Safe Renovation, Repairs and Painting Contractors Must Be Lead-Safe Certified! ![]() A seismic retrofit is the process of strengthening older buildings in order to make them earthquake resistant. The motion of an earthquake is either a horizontal, back and forth motion or a vertical, rise and fall motion. Unless the structure is right on top of the epicenter of the earthquake, these motions are only about an inch or two each way. This motion gets transmitted from the moving ground to any object sitting on that ground. ![]() A house is built on concrete foundations and footings. The mudsill, a wood foundation member (usually a pressure treated 2x4 or 2x6), is resting on the foundation, and other framing members are attached to it. The walls of the house are built upward from the mudsill. In newer homes, the mudsill is bolted to the foundation. In older homes, built before the construction codes became stricter, the mudsill was not bolted to the foundation. It is just sitting on it. In the event of an earthquake, the mudsill can be literally shaken off the concrete foundation and, just like a tower of children’s blocks, the whole structure comes tumbling down. The other problem with older homes is that the main beams lying under the house and which support the floors, are resting on short, wooden beams which are, in turn, resting on concrete supports called “piers”. When these homes were built, it was not required that these beams be bolted to their supports. Earthquake motion can easily shake these beams off their supports and the house collapses inward. ![]() When Rocha Construction does a seismic retrofit, we are bolting the mudsills and the main beams under the house to their supporting members so that earthquake motion will not shake the house off its foundations. If you own an older home, let us give you a free estimate for a seismic retrofit. Call Gilbert Rocha, Rocha Construction, at 310-484-4256. |
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April 2021
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