Seismic retrofit of a historic city hall in 2003 (Photo – dsiunderground.com).
How would you like to receive up to $3000 grant toward your home earthquake retrofit?
The Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program provides homeowners up to $3,000 to strengthen their foundation and lessen the potential for earthquake damage.
Many homeowners will decide to hire a contractor to do the retrofit work instead of doing it themselves. A typical retrofit may cost between $3,000 and $7,000 depending on the location and size of the house, contractor fees, and the amount of materials and work involved. If the homeowner is an experienced do-it-yourselfer, a retrofit can cost less than $3,000.
EBB is limited to funding residential retrofit expenses in the crawl space that:
- Bolt
Add anchor bolts and sill plates in the crawl space to improve the connection between the wood framing of the house and its concrete foundation to help keep the house from sliding. - Brace
Strengthen the cripple walls in the crawl space with plywood will help keep the house from toppling off of the foundation during an earthquake. Strengthening cripple walls enables them to function as shear members, significantly protecting the house from collapsing. - Strap the Water Heater
Properly strap the water heater to reduce the likelihood of water and fire damage, and to protect the water supply.
Houses that meet Chapter A3 specifications are typically constructed before 1979, built on a level or low slope, constructed with a 4-foot (or less) cripple wall under the first floor, constructed with a cripple wall between 4 feet and 7 feet (requires an engineered solution,) and have a raised foundation.
Registration
Homeowner registration will reopen January 20, 2016. EBB retrofits are currently in progress in these Pasadena zip codes: 91101, 91103, 91104, 91105, 91106, and 91107.
Click here for more information.
*A3 is a statewide building code that sets prescriptive standards for seismic retrofits of existing residential buildings.
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