If you’ve been through a good-sized earthquake, you know the feeling. Everything shakes madly. Things fall off shelves, objects smash and break, chimneys disintegrate, windows shatter. And overall, the noise. The unbelievable, indescribable combination of all the preceding, plus the movement of the very earth itself. Though the whole shebang rarely lasts for more than a few seconds, once experienced, it is never forgotten. But while the actual quake may be over quickly, the damage caused is much longer lasting.

Why is the damage so varied?

Living in California, we’ve seen the puzzling differences: one house is knocked askew, walls crumbling, roof caving in; the one right next-door appears to be virtually untouched. Why the difference? The greatest factor is the construction of the houses themselves. And the most important element of that construction is the foundation.While the way the entire house was built certainly contributes, there is no doubt that the foundation — and the way the house is attached to the foundation — is key. If you do one thing to protect your house against earthquakes, make sure that your foundation is in proper repair.

What’s wrong with my foundation?

For homes built before 1995, there is often a simple explanation: the house is not properly attached, or “bolted,” to the foundation. If this is the case with your house, it is important that you contact a house bolting expert like CXC Contracting to examine and, if necessary, perform the work necessary to bring your house up to code. But there are many other causes of foundation problems: improper waterproofing, cracks and other structural weakening due to settling, poor soil conditions, and shoddy construction overall. In each of these instances, our earthquake retrofitting process will discover and address all issues, rendering your house as secure as possible against the devastation caused by earthquakes.

What can I expect?

The work we do will depend on the problems we find, But once we’ve determined the issues, it falls into 2 categories: Foundation repair and reinforcement.

We’ll fix all cracks and other damage in your foundation, install additional elements like piers and cripple walls, and make sure that your house is properly bolted to the foundation.

Waterproofing

Since water can cause a weakening of the entire house structure, we’ll check and address any problems that are allowing water to intrude into your house. Resolution can include fixing waterproofing materials throughout your roof and house, installing, cleaning or repairing french drains and sump pumps.

Do I really need this?

Don’t wait until an earthquake has devastated your home and loved ones. The time to do earthquake retrofitting is before an earthquake happens. The cost of the destruction that could occur will far outweigh the cost of the repairs — not to mention the peace of mind you and your family will get from knowing your house is safe.