November 2007
Earthquakes
The most cost-effective time to protect against earthquakes is during home construction. Measures include securing the frame to the foundation with steel anchor bolts or plates and reinforcing the roof trusses. But you can also reinforce an existing home. Loans and grants are available for low- and fixed-income homeowners through some local governments. Among the possible retrofits: • Bracket, bolt, or strap appliances, hot-water heaters, bookcases, and picture frames to the wall to secure them during a quake. • Brace and secure chandeliers, ceiling fans, and other suspended fixtures to joists. • Equip gas lines with automatic shut-off valves to reduce the chance of explosion and fire. • Replace rigid gas and water connectors with flexible connectors that can move with a quake (if allowed by local building codes). • Apply safety film (minimum 4 milliliters thick), which is available in rolls, over windows and glass doors to keep glass from flying out of the frame. Contact the International Window Film Association at www.iwfa.com for the nearest distributor. • Replace a brick or masonry chimney with one that's metal- or wood-stud framed with a metal flue. |
