Limits on construction noise in L.A. (Background Report)

CONSTRUCTION-RELATED NOISE is forbidden by law within the City of Los Angeles (i.e., at Mishkon) before 7:00am or after 9:00pm. That is, any such noise that is loud enough to disturb nearby residents. It includes the delivery of construction materials. (LAMC 41.40a)

Such noise is likewise forbidden within 500 feet of residential buildings on Sundays, as well as on Saturdays or holidays before 8:00am or after 6:00pm. (LAMC 41.40c)

Mishkon does have neighbors who reside nearby: next door, across the street, and down the street within 500 feet.

For details (and the penalty for violation), see the municipal code:

https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/lamc/0-0-0-128777#JD_41.40.

Repair of concrete retaining wall in stairwell, below school building (Activity Report)

WHILE A CONCRETE-REPAIR CRAFTSMAN was doing repair work elsewhere on the premises in mid-September, he redid this old patch, as well. 

November 2023 
(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

For a description of the problem, see HERE.

Below the jump, this post documents what was done, as well as how one resulting concern was handled.…

Degradation of plaster wall at our southwest edge

TWO WEEKS AGO, I hosted the representatives of two waterproofing companies. It prompted me to take a more careful look at the plaster-covered concrete wall at the southwest corner of our property. Its degradation is now obvious, as the result of water damage. It took a big hit this past winter.

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Below the jump, this post discusses the condition of what I am calling the “southwest edge” of our sanctuary property.…

Scope of work for concrete repair (Summer 2024)

BELOW THE JUMP, this post describes certain concrete-repair and waterproofing work that is needed due to water damage. 

Anti-corrosion primer applied during a repair to south wall in 2023.
(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

The following description is intended for the contractors whom I am asking to bid on the job.…

Repairing the concrete retaining wall of the stairwell below the school building (rev. 5-16-24)

TO THE WEST of the school building is a below-grade, concrete retaining wall, which forms one side of the emergency-exit stairwell that leads from the Social Hall up to our “Ruben Alley” and then to the public alley. There is a large (6-foot-wide) cement patch on this wall—evincing a previous problem in that spot. That patch has some rough edges that I find troubling, for the concrete there is actively degrading. And the longer that we wait to repair it, the more costly it will be.

November 2023
(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

I mention this now because we are contemplating concrete repair work elsewhere on the premises. Handling all of it at the same time would be prudent. So below the jump, this post discusses the stairwell situation. It closes with a suggested remedy.…

What is supporting the floor under the exit corridor? Maybe not much.

DURING THE ANNUAL termite inspection on August 30, 2022, our inspector came across a crawl space below the southeast exit corridor (connecting the sanctuary with the play yard) and above the ceiling of the mechanical rooms in the corner of the Social Hall. He spied a badly damaged floor joist, as shown in the photo below — and described at the end of a post I made at the time.

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

We promptly treated it so as to arrest its deterioration. However, we were unable to see or reach its easternmost end (as would be needed in order to replace the joist), due to the presence of a large metal duct that was blocking access.

Yesterday, Ruben and I figured out another way to get to that previously inaccessible corner of our building. Below the jump, this post describes what we did, and what we found.…

Tie-rod connection detail (as exposed in south wall, August 2023)

HERE IS A SERIES of interior photos of the area above the termite-damaged post, at the tie-rod connection that was exposed in August 2023. Studying these images helped Benny and me (in consultation with the contractor) figure out how best to effect a repair of the post.

Exterior view of the tie-rod connection, 
above the post
(As usual, click/tap on an image in order to enlarge it.)

A crucial step was to establish the structural integrity of this tie-rod connection — that is, the meeting point of the rod that crosses the ceiling and the top chord (arch) of the truss that holds up the roof. We were counting on that meeting point to be stable (undamaged by termites), so that the contractor could temporarily support the roof by propping up the tie rod, just long enough to swap out the post for a new one. 

Fortunately, as shown by the photos below the jump, the termites did not get into the tie-rod connection itself.

Accompanying our vendors, even on routine maintenance

WHENEVER I COULD, I have accompanied a service technician or inspector when they are on the premises. Yes, I could leave it to Ruben, and he will generally report afterward about learning something or other, but I have found that when I am present, not only do I learn more about our facilities and what matters, but also the technician/inspector will do a better job than they would do alone. 

Below the jump, I expand a bit on this idea.…

A fixed crack in the ceiling, from long-ago water intrusion

SOME YEARS AGO, rainwater apparently made its way through a cracked seam in the roof. It left a noticeable T-shaped crack in the sanctuary ceiling, above the westernmost window on the south side. 

Good news to report! CertaPro has now repaired that crack, as part of their prep for the repainting effort that is scheduled to begin in earnest next Monday. Below the jump are two photos that document the repair.

Repairing a termite-infested load-bearing wooden post

ON JUNE 12, we learned that the wooden post inside our most weather-exposed pilaster is thoroughly infested with termites, resulting in significant damage. This is the same post that we have already treated twice in its bottom 2 feet for termites, both from the inside and the outside. But now we know that they have been active almost all the way to the top, at least on the outside. 

Jim Farasatpour, an experienced structural engineer, has examined the outside, and he believes that this post can be repaired for about $5000. (There is a small chance that it might need to be replaced, but we won’t know for sure until we actually set about to make the repair.) We believe that this repair effort can be made concurrently with the waterproofing project. It is essential, due to the post’s structural importance.

As a safety issue, our synagogue leadership considers this repair effort to be a high priority. 

Below the jump, this post outlines what that repair effort will involve.… 

Repairing water damage in the foundation wall

WHILE REMOVING LOOSE STUCCO from the foundation wall (a/k/a stem wall), the waterproofing crew exposed at least 4 new instances of spalling concrete along the wall. This was not unexpected.

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

This post describes the situation and the planned repair procedure, based on recent experience.

How to fund the purchase of new High Holy Day maḥzorim

IN THE PROCESS of research what is the highest and best use for kosher Torah scrolls that Mishkon is not immediately using (a subject for another day), I came across a way to finance the replacement of our synagogue’s outdated maḥzorim with the Conservative movement’s newer (2010) edition — namely Maḥzor Lev Shalem, edited by Rabbi Ed Feld. 

In order for this Torah scroll to be usable again,
this passage had to be patched in 4 places.
(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Given that acquiring such prayer books has been high on our synagogue’s wish list for some years now, let me share what I just learned. It involves certain of the Torah scrolls in our possession, and ironically it relies upon their status as imperfect and otherwise unusable.…

South wall: Opinion of a stucco repair contractor

TODAY I MET outside the south wall with Brian James, who works for a stucco repair contractor. He has 17 years of experience in dealing with aging and decrepit stucco surfaces in the L.A. area. While awaiting his bid for restoration, I will write up what I learned from our conversation.…

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Repairing the monument marquee sign (when its title sign falls out)

LAST FRIDAY MORNING, I arrived at Mishkon (to meet the termite-treatment crew) and noticed a problem with our monument marquee sign. 

(No, I’m not talking about the missing lettering on the glass-covered board inside — which says ELCO TO IS ON instead of WELCOME TO MISHKON. That’s not the B&G Committee’s responsibility, is it?)

This post identifies the repair problem and describes how I managed to fix it myself.