2 February

What Have We Learned From the 1994 Northridge, CA Earthquake

2023-02-02T14:11:25-08:00

It has been nearly three decades since the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the question on the minds of millions of Los Angelinos is:  are we safer today than we were back then?  Are the lives of our loved ones secure?  Are our homes and commercial businesses safe?  The answer to these questions is, unfortunately, more complex than one would hope…* Let’s start with [...]

What Have We Learned From the 1994 Northridge, CA Earthquake2023-02-02T14:11:25-08:00
15 April

IMPORTANT: Weinstein Construction Launches A FREE Soft Story Retrofit Program

2022-04-15T19:46:07-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  IMPORTANT NEWS BULLETIN! Weinstein Construction, the leader in Los Angeles Soft Story Retrofits since 1977, is announcing a new free, no-obligation Soft Story Retrofit program for all eligible owners and managers of apartment buildings and commercial buildings in the Greater Los Angeles area! Each eligible Program participant will also qualify for additional, substantial discounts on various Soft Story Retrofitting project services – [...]

IMPORTANT: Weinstein Construction Launches A FREE Soft Story Retrofit Program2022-04-15T19:46:07-07:00
18 December

California’s Mandatory Balcony Inspection Laws (SB721 AND SB326)

2023-10-10T14:42:18-07:00

For the past few months, we have been hearing more and more from owners of multi-unit residential apartment buildings and condominium home owner associations, asking us for guidance regarding the State of California’s new mandatory Balcony Inspection Laws, and so we thought to put together a short, “plain speak” informational blog post on the subject! Much in the same way that the City of Los [...]

California’s Mandatory Balcony Inspection Laws (SB721 AND SB326)2023-10-10T14:42:18-07:00
8 July

4 Important Reasons Business Owners Need Commercial Retrofitting

2021-09-08T19:23:52-07:00

As a commercial building owner in California there is a ton at stake, the safety of your business, employees and if it is a complex your residents. Background of Commercial Buildings Since the late 1960’s, seismic building codes have been introduced in California and are updated based on construction technology improvements.  Which means that you need to have your building inspected and updated to comply. [...]

4 Important Reasons Business Owners Need Commercial Retrofitting2021-09-08T19:23:52-07:00
27 May

Why Retrofit is Good For You

2021-03-25T20:42:49-07:00

It has been said that “Soft Story” buildings are a severe earthquake hazard. If history tells us anything, it’s that these buildings must be retrofit as soon as possible. If the lateral movement during an earthquake is particularly strong, the fragile foundation in the soft floors could crumble like a house of cards. This will lead the upper stories to collapse onto the lower levels, [...]

Why Retrofit is Good For You2021-03-25T20:42:49-07:00
22 May

Understanding Soft Story Retrofit

2023-11-06T08:10:35-08:00

What do you know about Soft Story retrofit? The best way to understand this concept, you need to understand why it came about. On January 17th, 1994, an earthquake with -6.7 magnitude hit the Reseda region of Los Angeles. In what later came to be known as The Northridge Earthquake, at least 57 people lost their lives and thousands were injured. This catastrophic earthquake brought [...]

Understanding Soft Story Retrofit2023-11-06T08:10:35-08:00
20 May

Soft Story Retrofit: Frequently Asked Questions

2023-11-06T08:10:42-08:00

In this post, you’ll find the top questions we frequently get from our new clients about the Soft Story Retrofit Program. What is a Soft Story building? It’s a structure with a weaker first level. This type of building is useless to carry the weight of the floors above during particularly strong seismic shifts, or as we commonly call them, earthquakes. The first story generally [...]

Soft Story Retrofit: Frequently Asked Questions2023-11-06T08:10:42-08:00
15 May

Soft Story Retrofit: The Complete Guide For Property Owners

2023-11-06T08:10:49-08:00

The steps involved in getting your building retrofitted can be quite overwhelming for many property owners in Los Angeles. Here’s a short guide to help you understand everything you need to know about the Soft Story retrofit. There are some areas in California that are more prone to lateral forces created by an earthquake; specifically, certain kinds of constructions that are more prone to earthquake [...]

Soft Story Retrofit: The Complete Guide For Property Owners2023-11-06T08:10:49-08:00
13 May

Soft Story Retrofit Defined

2023-11-06T08:10:56-08:00

Contrary to what many people believe, a Soft Story retrofit job is more specific than a general seismic risk assessment. The retrofit evaluation addresses a floor of a building that’s considerably weaker than the other floors. What is “Soft Story”? The term refers to one story of a building which is particularly more flexible or fragile in lateral load resistance than the foundation below it [...]

Soft Story Retrofit Defined2023-11-06T08:10:56-08:00
8 May

How to Plan The Soft Story Retrofitting Program For Your Building

2023-11-06T08:11:03-08:00

With the new Soft Story Ordinance, planning has become a crucial element for property owners in the Los Angeles area. If you are a building owner for more than a year or two, the mandatory Soft Story retrofit program is probably not the first regulation you need to abide by. This ordinance makes sure that buildings become more resilient to earthquakes and building residents stay [...]

How to Plan The Soft Story Retrofitting Program For Your Building2023-11-06T08:11:03-08:00
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