QuakePrepare

QuakeTip: The Toilet Problem & a Solution

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We Need a Toilet!
 
After a big quake, you won’t be able to flush your toilet, since the water is off and there are who-knows how many breaks in the main sewer lines. Pouring water in the toilet to flush it will have to stop if it backs up.
There are outside solutions, of course – like digging a “camp” latrine.  But here’s a possible way to keep using your bathroom:
Go to Home Depot or any big hardware store and buy a box of what they call “construction bags.”   They are sort of like a regular leaf bag on steroids:  they are very thick.
After the quake, turn off the water at the wall stop, flush the toilet with the water that is left in the tank, lift the toilet seat, take one of the bags and wrap it around the toilet opening.  Put the seat back down and you have your “portable” toilet.
Minimize difficulties by having the men (especially) go outside to urinate.

Be safe.

Larry Guillot   QuakePrepare.com
707-965-3299
email: larry@quakeprepare.com

Earthquake Advance Warning

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A Breakthrough in EQ Preparedness !

Most natural disasters can be prepared for:

  1. Hurricanes – meteorologists usually predict landfall point a day or two ahead
  2. Tornados – if it’s daylight, you see them coming
  3. Volcanoes – the experts usually know they’re about to erupt
  4. Flooding – not so easy, but heavy rainfall is pretty indicative

And now for the earthquake advance warning:

          “There’s going to be a major earthquake. Do something about it.”

We have past the 2,100 mark of automatic gas shut-off valves installed in the SF bay area. These valves are basic, cheap insurance against fire, one of the major destroyers associated with big earthquakes. You probably have one – encourage your neighbors, friends, family, and colleagues to do the same!

Our standard valve price varies from $245 – $295, depending upon location (East Bay area is $245). QuakePrepare.com/quakevalves

Be safe.

Larry Guillot QuakePrepare.com
707-965-3299
email: larry@quakeprepare.com

Can Chimneys Be Braced?

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Bracing Your Chimney is Probably Money Wasted

Retrofitting masonry chimneys with bracing or strapping is not an effective safety measure because many braced or strapped masonry chimneys typically will still fall when exposed to violent shaking.

In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, approximately 60,000 masonry chimneys were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Quite a few of these were braced.

Don’t use the area outside next to your chimney as a play area for your children and don’t use the area inside next to your chimney as a sleeping area! The one fatality in the 1992 Landers earthquake was a child sleeping next to a fireplace and the one near fatality in the 2000 Napa earthquake was a child that was having a birthday party sleep-over next to the fireplace.

You can put sheets of plywood above the ceiling framing to reduce the chance of bricks falling through a sheetrock ceiling. If you are more concerned, you can consider replacing your masonry chimney with a modern stud-framed one around a metal flue, not simply bracing or strapping it. Generally, the cost of replacing an existing brick chimney with a lightweight one is comparable to the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged chimney after an earthquake.

Photos of chimneys damaged by earthquakes:  http://tinyurl.com/n48ro24

NO ONE BEATS OUR PRICE for automatic gas shut-off valves:  $245 – $325 for standard installations, depending upon location ($245 in East Bay).  If you have one, what about your neighbors?  https://quakeprepare.com/quakevalves/

Be safe.

Larry Guillot
www.QuakePrepare.com
707-965-3299

Bad News About Your Retrofit?

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Bad News About Your Retrofit

Do you feel safer because your house has had a retrofit?  Unfortunately, you may have a false sense of security:  a highly respected east bay retrofit contractor says that fully 30% of his business is repairing retrofits that were incomplete or incorrectly done.
As an independent expert on retrofits, I have to say that my experience is the same. When I evaluate a house’s seismic attachment to its foundation during my in-home consultation, I find that those which have had a previous retrofit are most often incomplete, and quite often incorrectly done.
As far as I can tell (except for structural engineers), I am the only licensed, independent retrofit expert in northern California – I don’t do retrofits.  I’m a consultant and I don’t want any conflict of interest.
If I’ve checked your retrofit, great – pass this on to a friend, neighbor, colleague, or family member.  If you haven’t had me over yet, give me a call or email.
See my web site for a summary of the consultation:  QuakePrepare.com
BONUS QuakeTip:  I recently reported that Walmart’s on line price for a 55 gallon water barrel seems to be the best.  They have raised their price to $96.27, but that’s still the best I’ve seen for what you get.  For details, go to my website QuakePrepare.com and click on “Blog.”

Be safe.
Larry GuillotQuakePrepare.com
707-965-3299email:
larry@quakeprepare.com

2 Things PG&E is Hiding

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PG&E is disingenuous about:
1. Their manual shut-off valve at the meter.  They tell us:  “if you smell gas after a quake, go out and turn the gas off at the meter.”
Problem:  at the end of my in-home consults, I check this valve with the special tool or a regular crescent wrench.  Over 70% of the time, I can’t budge the valve.  Without a special plumber’s pipe wrench, most homeowners would be out of luck.  PG&E knows this is a problem, but does nothing about it, unless you call.
Advice:  check your manual valve. Call PG&E if it’s too difficult or impossible for you to make it slightly move, and tell them they need to come out and replace or repair the valve.  It’s their responsibility.  Get your neighbors, family, and friends to do the same. In the image above, the yellow arrow is pointing to the manual shut-off valve.
2. Fire hazard if you’re not home when a major quake hits.  They just blithely presume we’ll be home to turn our gas off if there’s a gas leak after a quake. What if we’re not home?

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 Problem:  PG&E doesn’t recommend installing automatic gas shut-off valves to solve the problem of not being at home.  Their official position on installing these valves?  “Neutral.”  No position.   Really?  Even after their horrible track record of promoting safety?
Advice:   Make sure you and your neighbors have automatic gas shut-off valves installed.
Our prices for automatic gas shut-off valves:  $245 – $285, depending upon location.
Larry Guillot
707-965-3299
email:  larry@quakeprepare.com
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