Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program in California
The moment an earthquake hits, older homes, in particular, have a higher risk encountering more damage. Whenever the ground trembles their foundations wobble, causing the upper half of the property to slip and collapse. To lessen the structural damage caused by earthquakes, it’s a good idea to have the home retrofitted through the Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program.
What’s the Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program?
The Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program, or the EBB, was developed by the California Residential Mitigation Program (“CRMP”) to help homeowners reduce the potential damage caused by earthquakes. The EBB offers homeowners $3,000 to seismically retrofit their properties, strengthening their foundations …show more content…
Participating contractors will use the following equipment and apply certain retrofitting procedures to ensure that the property is earthquake resistant:
Anchor bolts
Anchor bolts and sill plates improve the connection between the concrete foundation and the wood framing of a house. This procedure keeps the property from sliding.
Braces
Braces strengthen cripple walls with plywood to prevent the house from toppling off its foundation. The strengthened cripple walls act like shear members – significantly protecting the house from collapsing during an earthquake.
Strap and Brace the Water Heater
Strapping and bracing the water heater reduces the chances of water and/or fire damage from occurring during and after an earthquake. This step also protects a home’s water supply.
Does My Property Qualify?
Even though the EBB makes for a necessary home improvement, only certain homes qualify for this program. Properties that are in the program’s list of participating ZIP codes and feature the following characteristics may apply for the EBB:
• Have raised foundations
• Built on a low or level slope
• Must be built before 1979 and has a wood-framed
The moment an earthquake hits, older homes, in particular, have a higher risk encountering more damage. Whenever the ground trembles their foundations wobble, causing the upper half of the property to slip and collapse. To lessen the structural damage caused by earthquakes, it’s a good idea to have the home retrofitted through the Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program.
What’s the Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program?
The Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program, or the EBB, was developed by the California Residential Mitigation Program (“CRMP”) to help homeowners reduce the potential damage caused by earthquakes. The EBB offers homeowners $3,000 to seismically retrofit their properties, strengthening their foundations …show more content…
Participating contractors will use the following equipment and apply certain retrofitting procedures to ensure that the property is earthquake resistant:
Anchor bolts
Anchor bolts and sill plates improve the connection between the concrete foundation and the wood framing of a house. This procedure keeps the property from sliding.
Braces
Braces strengthen cripple walls with plywood to prevent the house from toppling off its foundation. The strengthened cripple walls act like shear members – significantly protecting the house from collapsing during an earthquake.
Strap and Brace the Water Heater
Strapping and bracing the water heater reduces the chances of water and/or fire damage from occurring during and after an earthquake. This step also protects a home’s water supply.
Does My Property Qualify?
Even though the EBB makes for a necessary home improvement, only certain homes qualify for this program. Properties that are in the program’s list of participating ZIP codes and feature the following characteristics may apply for the EBB:
• Have raised foundations
• Built on a low or level slope
• Must be built before 1979 and has a wood-framed