How will your home fare in a major earthquake?
The following features are correlated with the incidence of structural damage observed in recent quakes. While not a substitute for a professional appraisal. We've assigned rough values to these features so you can assess your home's Earthquake Safety Quotient.
| AGE OF HOME | POINTS |
| 1980 to present | 20 |
| Mid 1950 to 1979 | 10 |
| Earlier than 1950 | 0 |
| FOUNDATION CONNECTIONS | |
| Anchor bolts and holdowns | 20 |
| Anchor bolts only | 10 |
| No anchor bolts | 0 |
| SIDING TYPE | |
| Plywood siding or sheathing nailed to code | 20 |
| Stucco or wood with sheathing underlayment | 10 |
| Stucco, shingles or horizontal boards without sheathing underlayment | 0 |
| NUMBER OF STORIES | |
| Single story | 20 |
| Two story | 10 |
| Split level | 5 |
| Three story | 0 |
| BUILDING LAYOUT | |
| Roughly square house without large openings | 20 |
| Long rectangular house with no large openings | 10 |
| Complex house shape or numerous large wall openings | 0 |
| Total Points | |
How does your home stand?
85 to 100 POINTS Your home has a number of quake-resistant structural features and should fare better than most in a major quake. Some cost effective improvements may still be possible; you may wish to arrange for a professional evaluation.
50 to 84 POINTS Your home has at least a few serious structural weaknesses which should be addressed. A larger quake with a nearby epicenter is likely to cause major damage. A professional evaluation and seismic strengthening are strongly recommended.
0 to 49 POINTS Your home has numerous structural shortcomings from a safety point of view. Even a moderate quake is likely to cause severe damage. A professional evaluation and seismic strengthening should be mandatory.
NOTE: If you have had some retrofitting done, full point values for these items may or may not apply depending on the expertise and thoroughness of the contractor.
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