Our Services

RESIDENTIAL SEISMIC RETROFITS
As you may already know, living in the Bay Area, there is a large probability of a seismic event. Many people take steps to prepare their family for an earthquake. However, it is also important to prepare your home. Identifying and correcting
certain well known structural deficiencies can help avoid a tremendous amount of damage to existing wood frame homes.
Evidence from past earthquakes and previous engineering studies have confirmed: Almost all serious damage to wood frame houses has been a result of either:
1) Insufficient connections between frame and foundation and/or
2) Insufficient lateral bracing (shear-strength) in the load bearing, supporting walls (cripple walls).
If a house has inadequate frame-to-foundation connections, it can be displaced completely from its foundation in a strong quake. Insufficient lateral bracing typically results in either a partial or complete collapse of the perimeter cripple walls, which form the basement and crawl space areas. Either form of damage can amount to a total loss scenario for the homeowner.
Studies show that retrofitted homes in areas hit hard by earthquakes have performed well, with little or no structural damage. A retrofit adds bracing and reinforcement to strengthen the critical connections between your foundation and your home.
Since many existing homes were constructed prior to the development of these newer code requirements, a retrofit may be necessary to increase structural safety. A home that has been retrofitted is able to resist much greater earthquake forces and has a lower risk of being damaged.
As you may already know, living in the Bay Area, there is a large probability of a seismic event. Many people take steps to prepare their family for an earthquake. However, it is also important to prepare your home. Identifying and correcting
certain well known structural deficiencies can help avoid a tremendous amount of damage to existing wood frame homes.
Evidence from past earthquakes and previous engineering studies have confirmed: Almost all serious damage to wood frame houses has been a result of either:
1) Insufficient connections between frame and foundation and/or
2) Insufficient lateral bracing (shear-strength) in the load bearing, supporting walls (cripple walls).
If a house has inadequate frame-to-foundation connections, it can be displaced completely from its foundation in a strong quake. Insufficient lateral bracing typically results in either a partial or complete collapse of the perimeter cripple walls, which form the basement and crawl space areas. Either form of damage can amount to a total loss scenario for the homeowner.
Studies show that retrofitted homes in areas hit hard by earthquakes have performed well, with little or no structural damage. A retrofit adds bracing and reinforcement to strengthen the critical connections between your foundation and your home.
Since many existing homes were constructed prior to the development of these newer code requirements, a retrofit may be necessary to increase structural safety. A home that has been retrofitted is able to resist much greater earthquake forces and has a lower risk of being damaged.