Seismic activity in Los Angeles is nothing new, Southern California has been waiting for "The Big One" for years. This is something that the Californians have to contend with, but in 2015, the City of Los Angeles passed Ordinance 183893 and Ordinance 184081 creating minimum requirements for Soft Story buildings that are deemed to be at risk of structural failure during the earthquake. The aim [...]

Buying a home is a major investment. If you've been looking at properties that were constructed before 1930, there's a possibility these buildings may have some kind of foundation issues. Here are four things to look for when searching for older real estate: 1.doors and windows that stick: while this may not sound like a huge issue–let alone a deal breaker–when the doors and windows [...]

Pasadena is about to be a much safer place to live. The City Council recently passed a new Soft Story ordinance renovation law that would mandate the renovation of older, wood-frame residential buildings that were built between the' 20s and' 70s. Although initially given 5 years to complete the refurbishment of the Soft Story, the Pasadena City Council extended the deadline to 7 years in [...]

The climate of your place plays a major role in the kind of base your home will have. California is mainly known for its Mediterranean climate, which means that it has warm, hot summers and cooler and rainier winters. Due to these changing conditions, the foundation of a property can suffer some damage as a result. When it comes to damage to the base or [...]

Seismic retrofitting is the only form of reinforcement to ensure that your home and the loved ones living there are safe during a major earthquake. Seismic retrofitting is a procedure that modifies the foundation of your exis Seismic Retrofitting Your Home: For residential properties, seismic retrofitting modifies your existing home construction, making the house adhere to current building codes and safety measures. This is done [...]

First We should look into what a Slab Foundation is: SLAB FOUNDATIONS There is no doubt that the slab foundations have advantages and disadvantages. Even though they may be damaged, they are very common, particularly in warm climates. Property owners in those parts of the county where they freeze for months on end usually opt for a different kind of foundation. That's because concrete slabs [...]

  As we wrap up in 2019, it's important to start setting some actionable goals for the New Year — and if you own a home in Los Angeles, the earthquake preparation should be at the top of your list. There were some big shakers in Southern California in 2019. We had two earthquakes in the range of 6-7 magnitudes and hundreds in the range [...]

The new year was a shaky start for Angelinos! Los Angeles residents woke up by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake at 2:13 a.m. on Thursday. The epicenter of the quake was centered in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 15 miles from Port Hueneme and 60 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Residents said the quake felt like a quick but powerful jolt –with a shaking sensation from [...]