We all know that major earthquakes can cause serious damage to buildings, but what about minor ones? Were you aware that even minor tremors can put our properties at risk? The reason for this is because, in locations that do not experience a lot of seismic activity, houses are usually built with less strict earthquake preparedness building codes, so if there are smaller tremors, the home could experience some damage. Let’s look at a few potential weak spots your home may have and ways you can reinforce those areas:
Let’s start with the foundations of the home. Your home needs to be firmly fixed to its foundations. You will also want to check for signs of deterioration in cement foundations such as cracking and crumbling of the cement.
A common and serious problem that can occur after an earthquake is leaking gas. If you have any appliances that run of natural gas, it’s a good idea to fix them securely to a wall or floor. Also, unless the home has an automatic shut off valve, you need to know the location of the home's manual shutoff valve, have it clearly labeled, and be able to access it easily if the need arises to shut it off quickly.
A chimney can become extremely unsafe if it is damaged in an earthquake as it runs the risk of falling into the house itself. With this in mind, make sure you do not set up children’s playrooms near the chimney. You may also want to use angle bracing and sheet metal straps to secure an unreinforced masonry chimney.
Freestanding water heaters could become another potential hazard in a minor earthquake so you may also want to secure this to a wall using metal straps.
These are just a few of the potential weak spots in a house that may be affected during a small earthquake. It is good to have an assessment done on your home to find areas that may need reinforcing and protect it from damage.
Let’s start with the foundations of the home. Your home needs to be firmly fixed to its foundations. You will also want to check for signs of deterioration in cement foundations such as cracking and crumbling of the cement.
A common and serious problem that can occur after an earthquake is leaking gas. If you have any appliances that run of natural gas, it’s a good idea to fix them securely to a wall or floor. Also, unless the home has an automatic shut off valve, you need to know the location of the home's manual shutoff valve, have it clearly labeled, and be able to access it easily if the need arises to shut it off quickly.
A chimney can become extremely unsafe if it is damaged in an earthquake as it runs the risk of falling into the house itself. With this in mind, make sure you do not set up children’s playrooms near the chimney. You may also want to use angle bracing and sheet metal straps to secure an unreinforced masonry chimney.
Freestanding water heaters could become another potential hazard in a minor earthquake so you may also want to secure this to a wall using metal straps.
These are just a few of the potential weak spots in a house that may be affected during a small earthquake. It is good to have an assessment done on your home to find areas that may need reinforcing and protect it from damage.
RSS Feed