Ways To Improve Your Home In Case Of Earthquake

No matter how much we humans depict ourselves to be tough and powerful, when it comes to the power of nature, we stand no chance. Like for example when a quake hits, we are rendered nothing but as sitting ducks. In spite of being so technologically advanced, we can hardly fight against the power of an earthquake. Every year we get to hear in the news that buildings have been ruined, humans are harmed and places have been uprooted because of earthquakes. The truth is that we cannot combat against such enormous power but the least we can do is at least secure our homes against such devastation.

There are a great number of new technologies that have come up which promises to help secure our houses during a quake. Like for instance earthquake brace bolt is usually meant for protecting our houses against quakes and that is how it gets its name. Today, in this article we are going to learn about the various ways that can help us keep our houses secure during an earthquake. For the people who reside in an earthquake-prone area should definitely give this article a read. You may also check out more of Seismic Safety blogs.



The Various Ways to Improve Your Home during an Earthquake

Different techniques that are mentioned below may really help you get your house earthquake ready. Even if you don't live in an earthquake-prone zone you must follow these techniques because you never know when Mother Nature hits you hard.

1. Repairing and Bolting the Foundation: You should ask yourself the question that whether your house's foundation is strong enough to bear an earthquake or not. If you do not get a clear cut respond then, you already know that it is unsecured. You need to remember that older homes and houses with weaker foundations are the ones that are prone to earthquakes. This is the reason why that you should always build your house on a sturdy foundation. In this case, you might want seismic retrofitting. This particular procedure means repairing a weak foundation of a home. With the help of this process, you can make the foundation of your house safer, stable and proof against damage that may be the result of an earthquake. You should also ask the contractor that whether your house is correctly bolted to its foundation or not. Foundation bolting or earthquake brace bolts are known to attach the wooden frame of your home to the foundation with the help of anchor bolts and metal plates.

2. Bracing The Unreinforced Chimneys And Walls: Most of the old houses have walls and chimneys made of bricks or another masonry. These are obviously not braced securely and one hit can actually make them fall down. These type of structures might fall apart down in the course of an earthquake. Therefore, you must get them braced properly by a capable engineer. If any repair is to be done then the engineer can inform you that. However if it has been really long that you've not got your chimneys and walls examined then, you should do it now. Don't take all these things gently or else you may have to be sorry afterward.

3. Bracing The Cripple Walls: Another important thing to consider is the condition of your walls. After all, the walls of your house tend to be more than half of the weight of your roof and therefore, they really have to be sufficiently strong enough or possibly there can be a big problem. If you have crippled walls then you need to get them braced as well. In this matter, you have to add plywood sheeting to be able to shore the crippled walls of your house. You should also use this type of bracing on the short wood wall that extends from the foundation to underneath the floor of your house. In case if the cripple wall is not strong enough then it can actually cripple the main floor of your house. These types of walls are likely to crumble down when it comes under the force of an earthquake.

4. Check for Damages: Another important thing that most of us tend to ignore is to check for any damages in our home. A simple crack can also lead to the collapse of the entire building in the time an earthquake. This is the reason why you should check for damages in your house and get them repaired as soon as possible. Make sure that you hire an experienced engineer or contractor to do the job. In the end, it's the security of your home that we are referring to here. So you can't afford to take it gently. You should get your entire house inspected by an engineer in order to find out any problems so that you can fix them before, it gets too late. After all, a quake doesn't come knocking at the door but it literally shatters the entire house if proper care is not taken.



Well, this is how you can make your house earthquake ready. It may not be full defense but doing something is actually so much better doing nothing. You may also want to read Services Offered by Seismic Safety.

As a result, from the preceding discussion, it can be determined that an earthquake is a fatal disaster and so, you just cannot take it lightly specially when you are living in an earthquake-prone zone. You never know when it strikes and therefore, it is very crucial to be prepared for it. The most vital thing to do is make your home safe which you can do following the various ways that are cited above. These ways are not meant for only the people that reside in a quake-prone area but also for the ones who do not live in such locations. After all, you never know what happens and therefore, you cannot take this lightly. We are talking about the matter of life and death here.


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