Construction Company Issues Public Statement On Foundation Safety

Julian Construction Aiming To Raise Awareness Of Earthquake Readiness And Safety

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, (http://www.julianconstruction.com/), a foundation construction and repair company in Southern California, recently released a statement regarding the retrofitting of homes and its effect on the safety of a home’s foundation in the event of an earthquake. The statement was issued by professional building inspector, Shawn Kyles, who has inspected over 15,000 structures in his career.

Mr. Kyles stated “Retrofitting is the modification of a structure by adding new components to make the building stronger. Statistics show time and again that during seismic activity, houses that have been retrofitted will have less damage than a home that hasn’t been reinforced. This was the case in the Long Beach earthquake of 1933, which resulted in the structural failure of brick buildings without reinforced masonry walls, including many school buildings in the area. Buildings with reinforced concrete had very little, if any, structural issues.”

Kyles recommends several methods of retrofitting a house, and suggests that a homeowner get an inspection from a foundation repair contractor to determine the best process in retrofitting one’s home.

The founder of the company, Julian De La Torre, stated “Retrofitting is very, very important. It is a preventive measure a homeowner can take to help them be prepared for an earthquake. Southern California is very prone to earthquakes. If you can be ready in case of any emergency like that then you can rest assured that your home is safe.”

Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.typepad.com.

Posted via email from Julian Construction's Posterous

Construction Company Issues Public Statement On Foundation Safety

Construction Company Advises On Indicators and Handlings For Household Mold

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction (http://www.julianconstruction.com/), a general construction and foundation repair specialist company located in Los Angeles, recently issued a statement on the importance of mold detection and handling in the home, as written by its principal executive and chief safety inspector, Shawn Kyles.

Kyles began with the ways it can be found in the home, stressing the importance of watching for this as it is a very common problem in homes. He goes on to detail how one gets rid of the initial manifestations of the mold found, as well as the necessity to find its source. Kyles provides some ways and means that a homeowner can search for the infestation solo. He also provides a step-by-step handling for the various mold manifestations that you may find, and the drainage difficulties that often accompany molds.

Finally, if all of the above fails to get rid of the problem he advises one contact a company specializing in mold treatment and which can get rid of the fundamental problem in a home: “Many homes have mold. It is the extent of the mold growth that is often the problem. A company that specializes in mold testing and remediation can answer your questions and will usually conduct a free inspection of your property. They can also give you good advice on how to eliminate any mold problems.”

The full text of the statement can be read here:http://julianconstruction.typepad.com/julian-construction-blog/2011/04/julianconstructioncom-preventing-indoor-mold-problems.html

Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.typepad.com.

Posted via email from Julian Construction's Posterous

Retrofitting a Home for Earthquakes

By Shawn Kyles

An earthquake can cause serious damage to a home, especially if the building has not been retrofitted.  Retrofitting is the modification of a structure by adding new components to make the building stronger.  Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the severity of structural issues in residential neighborhoods varied considerably from house to house depending on the steps each homeowner had taken to fortify their home.

Statistics show time and again that during seismic activity, houses that have been retrofitted will have less damage than a home that hasn’t been reinforced.  This was the case in the Long Beach earthquake of 1933, which resulted in the structural failure of brick buildings without reinforced masonry walls, including many school buildings in the area.  Buildings with reinforced concrete had very little, if any, structural issues.  In the aftermath of the magnitude 6.25 quake, California’s Riley Act was adopted, which required local governments throughout the state to establish building departments and inspect newly constructed homes and businesses.  During the years that followed, new building codes were implemented requiring the bolting of any wooden walls to the structure’s foundation.

House bolting is a method of retrofitting in which a home is securely fastened to the foundation. It reduces the potential for earthquake damage by increasing the home’s resistance to ground motion.  Any house built prior to 1950 that has not been retrofitted, will not be attached to its foundation; it is simply resting on the home’s concrete base.  In an earthquake, structures like these can easily slide off of their foundation and collapse.  Many of the homes that fell off of their foundation or were damaged during the Northridge quake were not bolted to the foundation.

Another way a home’s structural integrity can be improved is by bracing cripple walls.  A cripple wall is the wall between the first floor of a home and the foundation. The walls create the crawl space that is often found underneath a home. Cripple walls are usually only covered by exterior wood siding or stucco, and are considered the weakest part of a building.  Bracing the walls with plywood will increase their strength and help prevent the house from swaying during a quake.

If you are concerned about your home’s ability to withstand an earthquake, contact a foundation repair expert and request an inspection of your property.  An experienced foundation professional will know the best way to retrofit your house, and can look for other foundation issues that may need to be addressed in order to minimize earthquake damage.

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