As an Arlington, WA, resident, it’s crucial to be prepared for earthquakes. That’s why retrofitting your home is a great idea. Earthquake retrofitting specialists specialize in strengthening your home or building to make it more resistant to seismic activity. Here are three things you should know about earthquake retrofitting—they could change your life in an emergency.
The Type of Soil Your Home is Built on Makes a Difference
When it comes to earthquake retrofitting, the type of soil your home is built on makes a big difference. If your home is built on soft soil, it will be more likely to experience damage during an earthquake.
That’s because soft soils amplify the shaking that occurs during an earthquake. On the other hand, if your home is built on hard rock, it will be less likely to experience damage because hard rock absorbs the shock of an earthquake better than soft soil.
The Age of Your Home Matters, Too
Another factor contributing to the need for earthquake retrofitting is the age of your home. Older homes are more likely to experience damage during an earthquake because they weren’t built with modern building codes in mind.
Building codes have become more stringent as our understanding of earthquakes and their effects has improved. Therefore, homes built before these newer codes were put into place are more likely at risk for damage during an earthquake.
When Should You Retrofit Your Home?
Ideally, it would help to retrofit your home before an earthquake hits. However, if you haven’t had a chance to do so yet, it’s still better to retrofit than not at all. After an earthquake has already caused damage to your home, it can be much more difficult and expensive to make repairs.
Evergreen Seismic Knows What It Takes
Are you looking for the premier earthquake retrofitting specialist in the Arlington, WA, area? Evergreen Seismic has decades of experience helping homeowners and businesses protect their property from earthquakes. We specialize in bolting, bracing, and anchoring, and we use only the highest quality materials to ensure that your structure—and family— are safe and secure. Contact us today to get started on retrofitting your property!
Evergreen Seismic was amazing to work with. Matt was quick to respond to our initial query, and took the time to walk us through the process and answer questions when he came out to look at the house. His bid was very clear and thorough. He's also a great communicator and made the whole process extremely smooth once we decided to go forward. We really appreciated that nothing felt rushed or unexpected. The crew here doing the work was considerate, patient with any questions we had, and kept us updated every day about what was going on. They did a really great job retrofitting our basement and crawl space and took care of some necessary repairs as well. We were lucky enough to have Evergreen recommended to us, so passing on the recommendation now! We would hire them again with zero reservations.