JulianConstruction.com: Why is House Bolting So Important?

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, Inc., (http://www.julianconstruction.com), a foundation repair and construction company in Los Angeles, explains why house bolting is so important in Southern California.

House Bolting is the process of attaching a house to its concrete foundation using foundation plates and anchor bolts. The San Andreas Fault Line runs right through Southern California, making it one of the largest earthquake zones in the US. Homeowners need to be aware that the up-and-down and side-to-side motion of an earthquake can shake an unbolted house off its foundation.

Foundation techniques have been greatly improved in recent years, in order to help prevent damage in the event of an earthquake. But many homes, especially those built in the 1960s or earlier have not had the foundation retrofitted and are still at risk for serious damage.

Earthquakes cause three major types of damage:

• Sliding: where the home slides partially or completely off of its foundation.
• Racking: where the cripple walls between the home and foundation partially or fully collapse.
• Overturning: where the home lifts off of the foundation.

House bolting can help prevent all of the above by securing the home to the cripple walls and then to the foundation itself. Some homes have improperly braced cripple walls which will need to be strengthened, as well as secured to the home and foundation.

Before hiring anyone to start work on your foundation, get a foundation inspection to find out what your home needs.

Julian De La Torre, founder and owner of Julian Construction, stated: “You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your home will be safe in the event of an earthquake. You should be able to rest easy, knowing your home is properly secured to a structurally sound foundation. We can inspect your home to find out what steps are needed to get it there. We offer free foundation inspections, and for those with a higher cripple wall, we can review plans or obtain the engineering necessary for your project.”

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, http://www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.com/blog/ or http://quakeproofers.com/blog/.