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, tall furniture, stereo speakers 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.