If you have an older home with a basement, crawl space, and multiple stories, it could be vulnerable to damage during seismic activity. The right improvements when doing renovations could help to protect your home from earthquake damage. This can include improvements like soft story retrofitting and foundation repairs to help make your home stronger and ready for the next earthquake. The following information will help you choose the right improvements when doing renovations to protect your home from damage during the next earthquake.

Inspecting The Foundation For Damage And Weak Areas That Need To Be Retrofitted For Earthquakes

Start the improvements to your home by inspecting the foundation for damage that needs to be repaired. This is often the first area of your home that is damaged when there is seismic activity, which is why you may want to do retrofitting improvements when doing repairs to the foundation. In addition, the soft story retrofitting service will also help identify the weak areas and recommend improvements.

Working With The Engineer Of A Soft Story Retrofitting Service To Determine Structural Loads

You will also want to work with an engineer to determine the structural loads and the structural improvements that need to be done throughout your home. Some of these improvements can include soft story retrofitting for lower floors of your home that may not be designed to support structural loads during an earthquake.

Designing The Interior Of Your Home To Be Safer And Stabler During Seismic Activity To Reduce Hazards

There are also a lot of interior design features of your home that can be dangerous during an earthquake. You will want to improve the interior design to make your home safer during an earthquake. Therefore, you want to use finishes, cabinetry, and decorations that are secured and features that prevent objects from falling when there is the seismic activity that can cause damage inside your home.

Windows, Doors, And Exterior Finishes That Are Less Likely To Be Damaged During The Next Earthquake

Lastly, there are the windows, doors, and exterior finishes that you want to make sure are secure during earthquakes. Talk to the retrofitting service about finishes and materials that perform better during earthquakes and are less likely to cause damage to your home. Choosing the right materials for the exterior can reduce damage and hazards during earthquakes.

These are some of the things that you want to know about earthquake-proofing your home when doing major repairs and renovation projects. If you are ready to improve the structural stability of your home when doing renovations, contact a soft story retrofitting service and talk to them about how your home can be updated.