Earthquake Strengthening for Vulnerable Homes

$45.00

Over 270 pages and 400 photos and diagrams. If you thought an earthquake retrofit is as simple as nailing plywood onto the inside of your perimeter crawlspace walls, this book will open your eyes.

You can also order from Builders Booksource in Berkeley, or even that giant retailer that is spying on you in your own home at this very instant.

Over 270 pages and 400 photos and diagrams. If you thought an earthquake retrofit is as simple as nailing plywood onto the inside of your perimeter crawlspace walls, this book will open your eyes.

You can also order from Builders Booksource in Berkeley, or even that giant retailer that is spying on you in your own home at this very instant.

This is the FIRST edition of this book, priced so low that nobody can say they cannot afford it. The color photos in this edition are not as crisp as they could be. The follow-up book, “Earthquake Strengthening for Vulnerable Houses and Apartments” will be updated in April or May, 2022, with an additional 50 pages or so of information on strengthening “soft story” weaknesses in wood-framed buildings. WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE, YOU MAY PURCHASE THIS NEW CHAPTER as a separate PDF download.

At last, a comprehensive source of important home strengthening information for everyone involved in earthquake upgrades. Written in non-technical language, it picks up where everything else you have read about earthquake retrofitting leaves off. Enhanced with over 400 full-color images, here is just a hint of what you’ll find inside:

  • How earthquakes damage wood-framed buildings of various ages and styles

  • How to tell if existing hardware under a house will effectively resist earthquakes

  • Whether foundation repairs should be done immediately, can be delayed, or dismissed

  • The latest tested and accepted strengthening methods

  • Recommended framing connectors and concrete anchors

  • Specific tools that are either useful or essential in certain situations

  • Time-saving installation methods

  • Dozens of contractor-tested construction details

  • Why standard pressure-treated lumber does more damage than good

  • How to prioritize retrofitting versus attending to termite and water damage

  • Which strengthening methods to implement on a limited budget

  • What commonly-seen retrofit methods are rarely worth the investment

  • How to distinguish a superior installation from a poor attempt

  • Why having an engineer design a strengthening system may save more money than following “pre-engineered” municipal guidelines