We Are Here to Help You Avoid Crisis


Earthquakes have done billions of dollars of needless damage to wood-frame houses, leaving families homeless and desperate. Why so much damage? Because most homes built prior to this century lack the strength to resist extreme lateral force. Why needless? Because they could easily have been strengthened for a wee fraction of the restoration cost.  Through this website, we endeavour to familiarize you with structural and non-structural protection methods and let you know how we can help. Feel free to call us for information, too.

 

 

Ensuring Your Home Remains Upright and Habitable

Every instance of catastrophic structural failure to California homes was caused by one of three weaknesses commonly found in the structure supporting the main floor and in garages supporting living space.  All three must be strengthened on sections of every wall line (NSEW) to prevent catastrophic damage when the joists rest on framed walls. Two must be strengthened when joists sit on the foundation. This is one of the most important things for you to know. Bolts do not hold a house up.

 

Find Out What Kind of Upgrades Your Home May Need

Look for similar characteristics and click on the image. Then we can arrange to talk about your own home.

Has a basement
            Crawlspace, joists on foundation
Slab on Grade

Basement is finished

Split Level

Built on a slope

Garage supports living space
Roof tiles are clay or concrete

Mobile home

 

How Reliable Will Your Retrofit Be?

We can only speak for our own retrofits as our founder has specialized training from a structural engineer. That knowledge has been passed on to the rest of the team, which includes a certified home builder, making them the most highly specialized in this field. Our retrofits are designed to withstand enormous force, measured in tons, with the objective of keeping you safely in place after the shaking is over. It is reasonable to expect some damage, but relatively minor. That said, have a look at the height and location of your neighbour’s chimney just to be safe.

Here’s the Perfect Example: Napa Valley 2014

    

In Earthquake Territory, Do You Really Want to Gamble Your Home?

Rather than insurance to one day rebuild your devastated home, seismic retrofits save you the losses, new home search, crippling deductible, and endless wait for settlement. Most importantly, they help protect your family's safety at home during the earthquake. We know this because the structural engineers who surveyed billions of dollars of residential damage in California concluded that all catastrophic failures could have been prevented. Shear Seismic strengthens the weaknesses that caused them.