Category: Uncategorized

How El Niño Rain Will Affect Your Property in 2024

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Raindrops on RosesOver the past several weeks, Southern California has been blessed with a much-needed infusion of rain, offering a respite from the persistent drought conditions that have plagued the region. This rainfall is not only a welcome sight for parched landscapes but also vital for replenishing our water sources and supporting the delicate balance of our ecosystem. However, while the rain brings relief on one hand, it can also bring challenges, particularly for property owners and public areas ill-prepared to handle significant precipitation.

… Continue Reading How El Niño Rain Will Affect Your Property in 2024

Spooky Critter Trouble in Paradise

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Three pumpkin jack-o-lanterns outside on groundSummer is now officially over, fall is eerily here, the kids should be back in school and it’s time to send everyone packing before you go batty!  Homeowners in Southern California are often good-natured summertime vacation or party hosts for our beach loving brother’s family, theme park bound cousins and rock concert nephews or nieces. All of us who are hosts, however, have to draw the line when uninvited wildlife moves into the attic or garage or the yard with plans to stay for the fall and winter, and with no reservations or departure date.

Spooky Black BearWe’re talking here about nuisance bears paddling in our foothill home pools or snacking on trash can left-overs, as well as scary coyotes or cougars eyeing our beloved dogs and cats.  Let’s also not forget those grub-loving badgers, who tear up the green on Hole 7 and then hop the fence to munch on our ornamental grasses. If that’s not enough, there are raccoons or skunks that chew up miles of newly installed drought-required drip irrigation lines as the water seeps out before dawn.… Continue Reading Spooky Critter Trouble in Paradise

Preventing Termite Trouble

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When was the last time that you had a termite inspection done on your Victorian, craftsman, Spanish revival or modern home?  If you’re like many of us, that might have been a day or two before you moved into your newest home—even if it has been decades.  Unfortunately in Southern California, it is generally termite season 365-days a year and none of the various treatments available last forever although some are more effective than others.So you need to watch out for signs of new termite infestations.  At Helfrich Associates, we’re licensed engineers specializing in structural issues and we routinely encounter termite infestations and damage.  We see them or sadly the damage they’ve already caused most often when we are a part of large renovation projects involving classic homes, such as aging Victorians with their intricate decorative trims or craftsmen with their rustic natural style.… Continue Reading Preventing Termite Trouble

Dream Home: Pool Nightmare

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The owners of a beautiful contemporary 7,000-square foot dream home with a forever view in Murrieta near the Temecula wine country of Southern California awoke to a disturbing pool disaster a few years ago. Shortly after construction, their new pool, surrounded by a resort-like patio deck suddenly started to slip tragically down the slope below.

The movement of the patio/pool structure with large, visible cracks left no doubt about the unstable nature of the lot and hillside below. With the region’s often weak, compressible soils, and a proclivity for earthquakes, hillside homes in Southern California are often unstable and subject to more than a little shaking.… Continue Reading Dream Home: Pool Nightmare

Building Permits and Professional Relationships

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Most of the projects that we are involved in require permits from the local Building Departments.  Although many cities have their own building departments, some cities rely on the County to review and process permits.  Other cities contract out the plan review process to specialty engineering and construction consulting firms.  Having a professional engineering submit your plans for approval is often helpful.

No matter who is in charge, having a professional engineering firm present your permit request and when necessary answering questions about your building plans can be extremely helpful.  More often than not, the person who will review and approve your building plan is also a professional engineer.  Based on our experience, we know what questions to expect and how to answer them for first-time right success in securing your building permit.  We won’t let you attempt to build something that we know will be problematic from the start and delay your project.… Continue Reading Building Permits and Professional Relationships

COVID in Retrospect: Positive Changes Come To Construction Industry

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The past year has been a remarkably interesting one for sure. In March 2020, when we were informed of the COVID quarantine, our initial question was, “How is the construction industry supposed to deal with this situation?” We soon found out, to our great relief, that construction was considered an essential service, and that the operation of our business would not be affected. Unless, of course, our clients decided to stop their projects.

… Continue Reading COVID in Retrospect: Positive Changes Come To Construction Industry

2021 Property Maintenance Checklist:

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The Top Ten Annual Must-Do Items

If your home, your wallet and peace-of-mind are important priorities, then the beginning of each year comes with a new opportunity that’s too good to pass up.  You can save yourself all kinds of unpleasant surprises, unexpected bills and headaches by committing to the annual scheduling of the top twelve most important home inspections and maintenance tasks.

… Continue Reading 2021 Property Maintenance Checklist:

Working Under Cover, On the Sly, Going Rogue . .

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Are there problems when you do construction work before you get a permit?  The answer is always, “Yes!”  Sooner or later it will catch up with you.  Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

In December 2017, we were asked to help a property owner get a grading permit from the County of San Bernardino for a partially graded hillside property.  This scenic property had a great mountain view. Because the property was located within an earthquake fault zone, we performed a fault study and determined that the site could not be developed with a residential structure. … Continue Reading Working Under Cover, On the Sly, Going Rogue . .

How Far Would You Go To Feel Secure?

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How far would you go to feel secure in your home? In one of our latest projects, we’re working for a client who is going to build his dream home on a gorgeous view lot. The lot overlooks homes that have settlement problems. In fact, he owns one of the homes that is suffering from settlement.

Knowing the history of the soil around his view lot, he is concerned that he could run into the same settlement problems with this lot. The question now is, how far will he go to feel secure? He wants the foundation for his new home to be strong enough so that it will never settle.

For example, the concrete contractor’s bid is for a 5 inch foundation. The contractor said that in his experience, 5 inch foundations are strong enough to address this situation. The client asked if a 6 inch foundation would be better. The contractor said 5 inches was enough. The client said let’s make it 6 inches to be safe.

If you are in this situation what would you do? Do you have limitless amounts of money? Have you researched your contractors and trust their qualifications?

Feeling secure about your property is paramount. So, do your research and find contractors you trust. They are the experts and will be able to help you find the best solution.