Quake-Proof Your Home Before the Shaking Starts

University of California engineers demonstrated graphically last week how ordinary household objects can become killers in an earthquake.

The engineers simulated the 1994 Northridge earthquake’s impact on a model home, using a 16-by-20-foot “shake table” to reproduce that 6.7 temblor’s massive horizontal motion. While the structure survived intact, heavy furniture and electronics were sent flying. A television shot out of an entertainment center, a stereo speaker tumbled from a shelf onto a child’s bed, a heavy hot water heater crashed to the ground and a file cabinet fell over.

Then there was all the other damage: picture frames that tumbled from walls, glasses and plates that shattered, flowerpots that slid off window boxes and crashed to the ground.

All this happened in a few seconds--far too quickly for anyone to react or get out of the way.

The engineers made the point that the wreckage was unnecessary. For less than $200 and a few hours of work, most Southern California homes can be made much safer in an earthquake. A somewhat larger investment--say, $300 to $3,000--could help save your financial investment in your home.

The issue of containing earthquake losses is more than academic for Californians. Homeowners insurance does not cover damage from earthquakes. Four out of five Californians don’t have earthquake insurance, and most of those who do have 15% deductibles, which means that the homeowner pays for the first $35,000 of damage to a home that is insured for $200,000.

Modern earthquake insurance also typically has low limits on contents coverage, typically replacing only $5,000 of furniture, electronics and other possessions.

Yet many Californians do nothing to protect their lives and their property from earthquake damage. The reasons seem to be a deep-seated sense of denial, said Mark Leonard, spokesman for the California Earthquake Authority, the state-run insurance pool that is conducting consumer research on the issue.

Californians seem to be largely divided into two groups--those who are risk adverse and those who aren’t, Leonard said. Those who aren’t are unlikely to take any steps to protect themselves.

“They don’t believe themselves to be at risk,” said Leonard. “In focus groups, they will actually say things like, ‘I won’t be at home when the earthquake hits’ or ‘We’ve already had our earthquake’ “--as if earthquakes are a predictable or once-in-a-lifetime event.

Some earthquake protection measures cost little or nothing. Moving heavy objects from high shelves to lower ones can minimize damage, for example, as can positioning beds away from windows, to protect occupants from flying glass. Removing glass from bedrooms and not hanging pictures or heavy items over beds is another free safety measure. Finding the locations of shut-off valves for gas, water and electricity takes only a little hunting (or a call to the utility for help).

Other solutions are relatively low cost. Heavy furniture such as bookcases, entertainment centers and free-standing cabinets can be bolted or strapped to wall studs. Hardware stores and home improvement centers sell a variety of L-shaped braces and heavy nylon straps for $15 to $20 each that can be used. The straps include Velcro pads that may eliminate the need to drill holes in the furniture.

By California law, water heaters must be strapped to wall studs at the top and bottom using metal tape.

It’s important that heavy items be secured to studs, not simply to the drywall or other relatively thin wall covering. Hardware stores have inexpensive stud finders that use magnets to detect nails in the underlying studs; since the magnets also detect galvanized pipe and metal conduit, some cross-checking is needed. Such stores also carry more expensive electronic versions that measure wall density.

Electronic equipment should also be secured. Lightweight nylon strap kits that cost $10 to $15 each are available for computers, televisions, stereos and home office equipment.

Cabinet latches used in child-proofing typically cost less than $1 each and can keep dishes, cutlery, pantry supplies and the contents of the medicine cabinet from spilling onto the floor.

Safeguarding hanging pictures can be cheap or expensive. The cheapest solution is to simply remove any glass-covered framed objects from the home. A more practical solution is to make sure the pictures are well-secured to walls. Picture hangers should be attached to studs, or use toggle-style bolts that distribute the weight of the picture on the walls’ surface. Earthquake hangers are special picture hangers that secure the frame’s wire in a small plastic box. Replacing glass with plexiglass is a more expensive solution.

In addition, a pry bar, flashlight, shoes and heavy gloves should be stowed under the beds of anyone able to use them. The pry bar can help open stuck doors or windows; the flashlight will be necessary to navigate in the dark if the electricity goes out; and the shoes and gloves can help avoid injury from broken glass and other hazards.

Seismic gas shut-off valves, which are required in Los Angeles as well as some other California cities, are more expensive. These valves automatically stop the flow of natural gas into a home when triggered by an earthquake. Your plumber can install the valve for about $300.

Bolting a house to its foundation and strengthening the cripple walls underneath the house can be an expensive proposition; contractors typically charge $2,000 to $3,000 to bolt an average-sized house. But structural engineers agree that bolting a home properly is one of the best ways to avoid catastrophic damage. The Assn. of Bay Area Governments at (510) 464-7900 offers do-it-yourselfers an instructional video, “Stand Up to the Quake,” for $10.83 including tax and shipping and handling.

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Make Your Home Quake Safe

Many earthquake retrofits are designed to reduce physical damage to a home and its contents. The following actions could also save a life or avoid serious injury and should be standard procedure in Southland homes, retrofit experts say.

1. Bolt the foundation. The easiest way to avoid catastrophic damage to most homes is to make sure they remain on their foundations in a quake.

2. Safeguard the bedrooms. Remove , bolt or strap down any heavy objects that could topple or fly onto the bed, including bookcases or pictures. Remove all glass; glass in picture frames can be replaced with safer plexiglass.

3. Bolt or strap furniture and electronic equipment elsewhere in the home. Televisions, stereos and computers can become deadly flying objects in a strong earthquake. Bookcases, tall furniture and filing cabinets can topple over.

4. Strap the hot water heater. Heaters should be properly strapped, top and bottom, with solid metal bands connected to studs in the walls.

5. Install an automatic gas shut-off valve. These valves, which cost about $300 to install, are required for Los Angeles homes and are a smart idea for any Southern California residence.