Is your home at risk?
Many homes in the greater Seattle area are at risk of significant damage in an earthquake. If your home is older, has a raised foundation, or is built on a hillside, consultation with a seismic specialist is especially important. We offer a free home inspection to help you determine if your home would benefit from a seismic retrofit. Let us make your home a Stronghome.
Homes built in an earthquake-prone area are at risk.
The Seattle area is the second most earthquake prone area in the country. Seattle sits directly over a major fault line in part of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Recent studies have show that the Seattle area is at a significant risk of experiencing a major earthquake (magnitude 8.0-9.0) by 2060.
Another study by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute showed that if Seattle had a 6.7 magitude earthquake, more than 130,000 single family homes would suffer moderate or severe damage. Their recommendation is to retrofit.
Homes built on a hill are at risk.
Houses built on a hillside typically have raised foundations and crawl spaces that are built on a series of posts and beams. These posts can fail in an earthquake if they are not stabilized to protect against the horizontal movement of an earthquake. These failures tend to be more severe than a home built on level ground because the posts and cripple walls supporting the home are built at different heights due to the uneven terrain. Therefore, if your home is compromised due to the horizontal motion of the earthquake, gravity can pull part of your home down the hill.
Homes built before 1985 are at risk.
Houses built before 1985 are at significant risk of damage and displacement in an earthquake because no seismic precautions were required by code until 1985. During an earthquake the strength of a house is put to the test. Ground forces add horizontal motion to the foundation and walls of your home, which was designed to account only for the vertical forces of gravity. This dual force can tear your house apart. Modern building codes require every house and building to meet higher structural safety standards, but older homes need to be retrofitted to be secure and safe in an earthquake.
Homes with living space above a garage are at risk.
Garages are vulnerable areas of a house due to the large garage door opening which is less supported than a traditional wall. The narrow walls on either side of the garage door must be designed to resist earthquake forces, and many are not. This becomes extremely important if there is a living space above the garage because these rooms add weight that the garage must support. Current building codes require that the narrow walls surrounding the garage door be specially designed to resist earthquake forces. Older homes were not designed to address this issue and are more vulnerable to damage during an earthquake.
Homes built on a raised foundation are at risk.
If your home is not built on a concrete slab, it's likely built on a raised foundation. This means your house is supported by a system of posts, beams and cripple walls to support the weight of the house. These homes typically have a basement or crawl space underneath them. Homes with a raised foundation are susceptible to damage because the supporting structures under the house are not often anchored to resist horizontal seismic forces. A retrofit secures the house to the foundation structures underneath to brace the entire home and keep your home and family safe in an earthquake.
Stronghome offers free home inspections.
If you want to learn more about your home's structural safety, we can set up a free home inspection to take a look at your home's foundation and determine if your home and family are secure, or if you would benefit from a seismic retrofit.