Julian Construction Offers 6 Tips to Prevent Earthquake Damage

LOS ANGELES – Since 1975, Southern Californians have experienced 11 strong to severe earthquakes resulting in billions of dollars in damage and numerous fatalities. Seismic scientists now predict that “The Big One”, a magnitude 6.7 or greater quake, could hit the region at any time over the next 30 years. Construction and foundation repair expert Julian De La Torre, founder of Julian Construction (www.julianconstruction.com) in Los Angeles, offers these 6 tips to help homeowners prevent damage during an earthquake:

1. House bolting – houses can shift off of their foundation during a quake. Foundation plates or anchor bolts should be used to increase and strengthen the connection between the wooden frame of a house and its concrete foundation.

2. Brace cripple walls – cripple walls (walls on some houses between the foundation and bottom floor of the house) can collapse during a quake, causing the home’s main floor to fall down on the foundation. Braces can be installed to prevent the walls from moving during an earthquake. Use hold down brackets as needed for additional support.

3. Bolt appliances – to prevent movement during a quake and any gas lines from breaking, bolt appliances to the wall and/or ground.

4. Bolt china cabinets – bolt large furniture like china cabinets and bookcases to wall studs to prevent them from falling over. Also move any heavy objects in cabinets and cases to lower shelves.

5. Bolt cabinets – install bolts or latches on cabinets to prevent items from falling out during a quake

6. Strap heaters – water heaters should always be strapped to wall studs to prevent tipping and gas line breakage. They are also a good source of water following a severe quake and should be secured to prevent holes or leakage.

Julian recommends homeowners contact an experienced retrofitter who can conduct a thorough inspection of the property and provide valuable advice on house bolting and other types of earthquake retrofitting. “A trained professional will know exactly what is needed to properly retrofit a home to prevent damage and physical injury during seismic activity,” says Julian.

Julian De La Torre has been doing earthquake retrofitting since the early 1990s and has personally worked on over 6,600 homes in Southern California. With this unmatched experience in the substructure areas of a home, Julian formed Julian Construction in 2001 with the goal of making safer homes, apartments and commercial properties throughout Southern California. His partner Shawn Kyles has inspected over 15,000 structures, working with both engineering firms and local departments of building and safety, and is an expert in foundation repair and house bolting. 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

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