#1 Natalie & Brian
Natalie and her husband Brian live in a medium-sized two story home in Oakland. They bought the house four years ago and the sellers told them they had just had a seismic retrofit done. They could see evidence of the work when they looked in the crawl space below the first floor.
Natalie called us for a consult because she wanted clarity about what appliances and furniture they needed to secure to the walls.
She was shocked to learn the retrofit was done improperly. Their cripple wall was firmly attached to the mudsill, but not to the floor above. In a serious earthquake, their house would likely just fall off the cripple wall.
#2 Kim & Reese
Kim and Reese just bought a small cottage in Berkeley. They knew the home needed retrofitting, but were hesitant to call a contractor, having heard horror stories from friends about getting ripped off by shoddy, incomplete, and even dangerous work.
“I really recommend the service to people who have just bought a house.” – Christa Dahlstrom
During the consult, I explained the basic concepts of a seismic retrofit and gave them the names of two reputable seismic contractors. They plan to have the work done.
They also had incorrect ideas about what to do during an earthquake, so they were very appreciative to hear the current thinking on this important issue.
#3 Justine
Justine is a single mom with a 4 year old. She called for a consultation primarily because she wanted to purchase an emergency preparedness kit (QuakeKit) and “to make sure that everything else was okay.”
Justine got an added bonus. She owns one unit of a 4-plex and didn’t know which gas meter was hers, since all four meters were located together in an enclosed space. We got her meter number from her last bill and matched it to the appropriate meter. I showed her how to turn off her gas in an emergency, as well as the gas to the entire building, should that be necessary.
#4 Monica
Monica’s main concern was that her appliances and many pieces of furniture were not secured. She thought about just having us come over and do the work through our QuakeSecure service but, after looking over our web site, decided on a QuakeConsult as well. She made it clear she was happy she did so.
Each of these clients got the information they needed to make their home and themselves safer. They now have the peace of mind which comes from receiving information and taking necessary action. The chances are much better now that, in a serious earthquake, their home will survive and they will escape injury.
I invite you to receive my two FREE REPORTS: Rate Yourself on Earthquake Preparedness & What Should I Do? and subscribe to my free twice-monthly “QuakeTips” email alert.
Click here to learn more About Larry Guillot of QuakePrepare.
