Everything to Know About Cripple Wall Retrofits

Posted April 22, 2020, under Blog

There are many different types of seismic retrofits and additions. One of the most common forms of seismic reinforcements are cripple wall retrofits.

Many older homes, located throughout Los Angeles and Southern California, have a cripple wall. The cripple wall is located below the floor of the home, in the crawl space of the property.

Cripple walls are defined by wooden planks that are spread throughout the foundation and are responsible for bearing the entire weight of the house.

In older homes, cripple walls can become weak or were installed incorrectly, which makes the property more susceptible to foundation failure … especially in the face of a large earthquake.

If one of the planks in a cripple wall becomes weak, this can cause the whole structure to collapse when subjected to the back-and-forth and side-to-side shaking of a large quake.

Luckily, cripple wall retrofits are an efficient and cost-effective way to reinforce your home’s foundation and to protect your property from foundation failure.

When a cripple wall is retrofitted, plywood is added to the crawl space and connected to the floor with bolts. The plywood is strategically placed throughout the crawl space to offer extra support and reinforcement to areas of the cripple wall that have become weakened or damaged.

When the plywood has been added to the space, bolts and foundation anchors are used to install the shear wall to the foundation. In the midst of an earthquake, the foundation bolts protect the cripple wall by counteracting the force of the quake.

When it comes to protecting your home from earthquake damage, cripple wall retrofits are a far more cost-effective solution for repair, rather than a total foundation replacement or dealing with the destruction from an earthquake.

At Julian Construction, we’ll help you find the best solution for your foundation needs and foundation problems.

No matter what your foundation situation is, we’ll conduct a (free) inclusive home inspection, followed by a detailed consultation, and at the end of our discussion we’ll provide you with a quote for repair.

Julian De La Torre is an expert in Los Angeles foundation inspection, foundation contractors, earthquake retrofitting, foundation repair and foundation replacement. Julian’s company, Julian Construction, has inspected over 30,000 structures, working with engineering firms and local departments of building & safety. The company has done more foundation repair and earthquake retrofitting in Los Angeles than any other company in the area over the last five years.

 

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