Why Most Los Angeles Homes Need Foundation Repair

Posted August 13, 2018, under Blog

If you live in Los Angeles, you’re probably well-aware that you are living in earthquake territory. As a result, retrofitting your home or getting your foundation repaired to ensure your home can sustain an earthquake is not only a good idea, it’s a necessity.

As a homeowner, your home is arguably one of your biggest investments – as such, it’s important to protect your investments wisely. On average, retrofitting a home costs between 1%-3% of the home’s value – which is a small price to pay when it comes to keeping your home safe during and after a large quake. Just think about what it would cost if your home slid off it’s foundation? You’d be losing your home and all of your valuables inside – not to mention, risking death or injury of all who live there.

Structural engineering has come a long way in the last 40 years, which is why if your home was built prior to the mid-1970s, your home foundation has most likely been installed incorrectly and does not have the safeguards to protect its structure from the side-to-side and back-and-forth shaking of a sizeable earthquake.

What is earthquake retrofitting: 

To retrofit your home, a foundation repair company – like Julian Construction – will first schedule an inspection to look at your home’s foundation and its general structure. When earthquake retrofitting is needed, that typically means your house needs to be anchored to its foundation.

To do this, a foundation repair specialist will attach the house to its concrete using foundation plates and anchor bolts.

Homes that suffered the most damage after the 1994 earthquake were those that did not have modern structural protections like bolts and framing anchors to secure the property to its foundation.

Foundation bolting, also known as house bolting, is an easy, quick and inexpensive method to provide greater protection against the forces of an earthquake.

Even if your house has these features, they can wear out over time, leaving your foundation exposed to earthquake damage. Foundation deterioration can also cause a prior retrofit to no longer be effective.

Now more than ever it’s important to be proactive about earthquake preparation and safety. Julian De La Torre is an expert in Los Angeles foundation inspection, 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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