Everyone knows that earthquakes can be one of the most horrible things around. When it comes to buildings, earthquakes don’t take it easy on them either. Even a building that doesn’t have any structural issues can be damaged from earthquakes. If you live in an area such as Los Angeles, you know that it is prone to earthquakes. That is why your house shouldn’t be taking any chances. Your foundation must be the best it can be. You want your home to be ready to handle the seismic activity and for that reason, you need seismic retrofitting done. When you are doing this, your building will withstand the shaking that an earthquake has to offer. It will resist damage.

Keep in mind that if an earthquake has previously damaged the foundation of the building, you will need to get a foundation repair as well. Many firms can do this. The same firms are going to be able to lift concrete and level sidewalks as well.

Objectives of a Seismic Retrofit

Public Safety

The goal is to help protect the lives of humans. We want to ensure that the structure isn’t going to collapse on those who live in the building or people who may be passing by. We also want to make sure that the people in the building can get out safely. If the building is under a severe seismic condition, the structure may need to be demolished.

Structure Survivability

The goal is that the structure remains standing so that people inside can exit safely. While it may require repair, it will still be safe to exit. Plus, the building may need repairs but it can still be repaired. It doesn’t have to be replaced. This is what is generally applied to bridges.

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Structure Functionality

This is a high level of retrofit. This is going to ensure that the repairs are only going to be cosmetic. This would mean cracks in the plaster and drywall. This is the minimum acceptable level for certain buildings such as hospitals.

Structure Unaffected

This is going to be done on buildings of importance such as cultural buildings.

Investing in Stability

When you are looking to make your home stable, you will have a better chance of withstanding tremors and earthquakes. When you are looking for a seismic retrofit, it requires an eye for detail. That is why you should hire someone from Retrofit1 to help you with all your seismic retrofit needs. They have an eye for detail and are going to help you get what you need and nothing you don’t.

Modern Buildings Too!

The building you live in may be almost new. It will have high-grade materials that are going to meet the requirements. This means you shouldn’t have to worry, right? Wrong. Earthquakes are not going to stop at your house. They do not operate on prejudice. Even your strong home can take a beating when there is an earthquake. Even if the structure is sound, it can fall from the foundation. Your basement walls could give in and your roof can tilt. These problems can be averted with the proper placement of your framing connectors. This might help you protect your home even better from damage.

It is Mandatory

There are a lot of homes that were built before the 1970s. This means that they are not held to the foundation properly and can easily fall off during an earthquake. This is going to pose serious risks for people who are occupying the building. There are new policies that are going to make it hard to hide this fact. There will now be signs on buildings that are going to be unsafe. You will now have to disclose this information to people who may want to move into the building. This may be a good time to do a seismic retrofit if you have an older building or home. Older homes are going to have to show evidence of a seismic retrofit for earthquake insurance to be purchased.

Insurance companies are not going to allow you to purchase insurance unless they see the paperwork that shows that the home has been retrofitted. Even if you do a retrofit, the deductible is going to be high. It will range from two to twenty percent of the replacement cost of the home. This means that if you have a home worth 500,000 and you have a ten percent deductible, you will be responsible for roughly 50,000 worth of damage. That is why you better take your precautions ahead of time so you can save money. You want to prevent damage.

A seismic retrofit consists of bringing your home up to code. This means it will comply with all modern building codes. It will usually require the anchoring of a sill plate to your foundation. This will keep your home from sliding off the foundation during an earthquake. The most home damage from the Northridge earthquake was from the lack of anchorage. Retrofitting will also increase your chances of saving your home. That is why it should be added to the top of your to-do list.

There isn’t a price that you can put on your home to be able to live in it after an earthquake. If your home isn’t able to be lived in, you could be on the streets in a tent. Most people don’t think about this until it happens to them.

Don’t wait until something happens, retrofit now! Most of us are going to believe that we don’t need this or an earthquake won’t happen anytime soon. However, that is false. There is a lot of evidence that supports that we may be facing an earthquake sooner rather than later.

In Need of Inspection?

Retrofit1 is going to be your Los Angeles contractor. We offer free site evaluations so that you don’t have to break the bank. We will have a professional from Retrofit1 walk through your home and property. We will examine everything that needs to be brought up to code so that you don’t have to sweat about it. After your evaluation, you will get a proposal. Here at Retrofit1, we look forward to meeting with you.