Urges Homeowners to Utilize Earthquake Retrofitting to Protect Homes from Earthquake Damage
Julian Construction (www.julianconstruction.com) is offering earthquake retrofitting services to homeowners in the greater Los Angeles area. An earthquake retrofit is the process of firmly attaching a house to its concrete foundation using foundation plates and anchor bolts. Because California is "earthquake country," the up-and-down and side-to-side motion of an earthquake can shake an unbolted house off its foundation, making for a very costly repair job.
In Southern California, small earthquakes are common. But we also know that the next “big one” could happen at any time, and probably when we least expect it, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. The last big Southern California quake was the Northridge Earthquake in January, 1994, which measured 6.7 on the Richter scale, and which caused 72 deaths, 9,000 injuries and $20 billion in damage. Whole apartment buildings and parking structures collapsed.
Julian Construction founder Julian De La Torre lists out indicators that an earthquake retrofit is probably necessary for your home: “Homes built before the mid 1980's often lack features that could help to make them earthquake damage resistant. Homes built before World War II may not even be bolted to the foundation at all, or the bolts may be too small and few. A major earthquake could slide such a house right off its foundation. An unreinforced garage with living space above is another possibly dangerous problem. That big garage door opening needs to be reinforced either by a steel frame or by strengthening the walls on either side or it can collapse in an earthquake like a house of cards, along with the living space on top. An unreinforced stone or masonry building definitely needs to be looked at, and is highly susceptible to earthquake damage.”
Julian also listed out some other conditions that could cause problems in an earthquake:
- Two or more stories
- Any support posts, instead of walls
- No foundation, or a block or brick foundation
- An unusual shape
- A location on a steep hill
- Living area over a garage
- A porch that is recessed under a second story
- A neighboring structure touching or almost touching.
Julian Construction offers free home foundation inspections for those who need or want their years of expertise. “Getting your home foundation inspected is the best thing you can do to ensure your home will be as ready as possible for the next earthquake. We also provide 0% financing for those who need to finance their any needed repair or retrofit.” Julian noted.
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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