Archives for December 7, 2010

Stay Safe: Home Retrofitting Resources

Safety Girl Shannon tells us what’s shakin’ when it comes to getting our homes ready for earthquakes.

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Earthquakes are the biggest natural hazard we live with in the Northwest, and if you’re a homeowner you have the additional worry of being responsible for the safety of your home as well.

Do you have an older home?

Many older homes are built on top of the foundation, but not actually attached to it. In a strong earthquake, these homes can be shaken right off their foundation, creating enormous cleanup and repair costs for the owners. If you own a home built before 1980, this definitely means you! You can minimize this risk by retrofitting your home to meet newer building standards.

The City of Seattle offers free home retrofitting classes for homeowners.

The next earthquake home retrofit classes are:

Saturday, 1/22, 11am – 1pm at the Greenwood Library

and

Saturday, 2/12, 11am – 1pm at the Greenwood Library

The class is free, but you need to RSVP by calling (206) 233-5076.

Is your home ready for an earthquake? Attend this class and learn how to retrofit your home using Home Retrofit guidelines. This class is especially important for people who own homes built before 1980. This class is free. To register call 206-233-5076. For more information about the Home Retrofit program in the City of Seattle, see the Home Retrofit section of this website or call 206-233-5076.

You can also find more information about the city retrofit permitting process here.