There’s building a house to be earthquake proof, and there’s earthquake-proofing a house that was designed and created back when the big one was far from being a concern. The latter may take a lot of work, but it’s necessary. While there may no impending earthquake so strong that it will have California falling into the sea, there will be ones that will wreak enough havoc to leave people and property as casualties in their wake.
We don’t know when an earthquake will hit, so it’s wise to always be prepared. Besides educating your entire family on what do in the event of an earthquake, it’s also important to earthquake proof your home to avoid damage and injury as much as possible. The following are some of the steps you should take in order to earthquake proof your home.
- Make sure that your roof has tremendous support to prevent it from caving in when the tremors occur.
- Protect your home from falling masonry so reinforce such things as chimneys and roof sheathing.
- Support ceiling fixtures such as chandeliers, ceiling fans, pendant lights, etc. with a bracing wire secured to a screw eye that’s embedded deeply into the ceiling joist.
- Prevent bookcases, cabinets, and entertainment centers from tipping by anchoring their tops to studs with flexible fasteners.
- Keep china, collectibles, and other shelf knick-knacks from flying off by securing them with museum putty and installing a blocking device.
- Use easily removable buckles or safety straps for TVs, computers, sound systems.
- Attach latches on cabinet doors to keep them from opening and spilling out what’s inside.
- Use closed hooks for hanging pictures, mirrors and plants.
- Stick shatter-resistant film on glass windows, doors, and other sizable glass panels.
- Make sure that appliances are hooked to flexible gas or electrical connections.
- Learn where the gas shut-off valve is and how to turn the gas supply off. Have the necessary wrench for doing this handy.
- Transfer all your flammable liquids to the garage or any other outside storage space.
The most important thing, of course, is to keep a solid home, something that can, if not withstand, then move undamaged with the vertical and horizontal forces brought forth by an earthquake. Have yours inspected to make sure that it complies with building regulations in earthquake-prone areas. The idea is for the forces to pass through the frame of your house all the way to its foundation and leave it in one piece.
It’s better to be safe than sorry, so even if you don’t see an earthquake happening any time soon, still do what you can to be ready for one.