Earthquake
Retrofitting

Many homes in the Washington and Oregon regions aren’t constructed to accommodate seismic activity. That’s because the Seattle Fault wasn’t identified until 1992. Therefore, people living in this seismically active region who own an older home are at risk. There’s a high chance that your home isn’t built to current seismic codes.

Retrofitting homes involves upgrading existing structures with modern technology and materials. That’s where earthquake retrofitting comes into play. Even a minor seismic event could cause your home to shift off the foundation. It’s vital to take action, so schedule seismic retrofitting services with TerraFirma and safeguard your home in case of an earthquake.

Reasons to
retrofit your home

  • You reside in a high-risk, active seismic zone.
  • You want earthquake retrofitting to improve your home’s strength.
  • You want your home to act as a shelter after an earthquake.
  • You want to potentially reduce earthquake repair costs, insurance premiums, and deductibles.
  • You want to reduce earthquake insurance premiums and deductibles.
  • You want to potentially qualify for earthquake insurance if your home isn’t currently eligible.
tf seismic zone 1 retrofit
tf earthquake common signs retrofit

How do you Protect my home froM earthquake vulnerabilities?

TerraFirma has been protecting homes in Oregon and Washington preparation for seismic events for over 20 years. Here’s what we do:

Assessment & Planning

The retrofitting process begins with a detailed assessment of the building’s current condition. An expert, such as a structural engineer or trained technician, inspects the home to identify weaknesses and recommend appropriate solutions.

This evaluation includes examining the foundation, walls, roof, and overall framework. Then, the engineer develops a comprehensive retrofitting plan based on the findings.

Foundation Bolting

Securing the foundation is the next step in this process. Technicians install anchor bolts to connect the house to its foundation, preventing lateral movement during an earthquake.

This process involves drilling holes into the foundation and inserting steel bolts. The workers then tighten the bolts to secure the structure, enhancing its stability and resistance to seismic forces.

Adding Shear Walls

Shear walls are another critical component of earthquake retrofitting as they distribute seismic forces and prevent the structure from collapsing.

Shear walls typically consist of plywood or other strong materials, and workers install them in strategic locations throughout the home particularly in cripple walls. They provide the walls with additional support and stability, reducing the risk of failure during an earthquake.

Bracing & Reinforcing

Next comes bracing and reinforcing critical areas of the home with steel braces and straps. Workers install these to key structural elements such as the roof, walls, and floors. This step increases the home’s overall stability, so it has a tough framework that can withstand seismic forces.

Securing Applicances

Securing appliances will create a safer living environment for occupants. Anchoring items such as water heaters and refrigerators are essential. Technicians will also install protection for gas meters to limit the risk of gas leaks.

Reparing Foundations

During retrofitting, technicians may notice substantial foundation damage that needs immediate repair. Adding crawl space support posts and foundation piers, and stabilizing the walls are some of the ways TerraFirma can reinforce your foundation.

Schedule your free
Earthquake Evaluation

Schedule your free
Earthquake Evaluation

TERRAFIRMA IN ACTION

Homeowners in the Pacific Northwest know we live in an active seismic zone.
A little preparedness will go a long way to protecting your home and your family in the event of an earthquake.


HOMES RETROFITTED & HOMEOWNERS PROTECTED

Don’t take our word for it – see what our clients have to say.
From Roseburg to Eugene, Portland to Seattle, our earthquake retrofitting work speaks for itself

No clue if the job ws done technically perfect or not. Hopefully, I will never know (no earthquacks). they kept me well informed, were prompt, polite and left no mess.
This company was very professional, clean, and careful doing our earthquake retrofit in our crawlspace. They even worked out a schedule with another company that took down and then replaced the air ducts that were in the way, minimizing the time we were without heat. I suppose the real test will be after an earthquake... but from what we can tell, I would recommend them for your project.
Excellent from start to finish. I am very impressed! The team who did the earthquake proofing were hard working, friendly, and professional. They did a great job of cleaning up after completing the project.
Everyone, from the job estimator and office staff to that guys that repaired my foundation/driveway and installed the earthquake mitigation system, were very professional and courteous. Very happy with the final result!
The crew was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient! They retrofit the house to the foundation. The office crew got the information on the retrofit finished project with pictures in a timely manner. This enable me to keep the insurance company happy too! I would highly recommend terra Firma
I have used TF for several projects, their teams are very good to work with. Jacks were installed on a sinking garage wall, foam leveling of garage and patio slabs, seismic upgrade, and additional footing piers. It was large undertaking. When we redid our driveway, we discovered roof drain issues the required additional foam for the void under the garage. They are very pleasant to work with.
I called TerraFirma to inspect my foundation with idea I may have them retro fit it with bracing for earthquakes. Not an easy inspection either, tight crawl space in 105 year old house. While the company rep could have told me they would be happy to do it, he was very honest and told me that because my foundation was so old and not in the best of shape it probably wouldn't do any good if an earthquake were to happen. As the bracing would more than likely just pull out of the foundation. I was very impressed with the honesty of the company to tell me this rather than just shine me on and take my money for a job that wouldn't really do any good. So I can highly recommend this company for an honest review of your property. Rich Wolles. Eugene Oregon
Terra Firma seismically reinforced my home to resist earthquake forces that could cause its wood frame to slide off its concrete foundation. Within about 5 hours, a Terra Firma crew of three bolted steel plates to the perimeter of my home, connected the perimeter stud walls to the concrete foundation walls. The installation was performed professionally, primarily on the exterior, with only only 6 of the 37 plates installed in an interior space where the of the foundation wall was several feet below grade, making exterior installation difficult, if not impossible. Terra Firma's plumber also installed a vibration activated gas supply shut off valve to my gas meter. I'm very pleased with the work and am hopeful that my home will remain habitable after an earthquake.
I needed to have 20 posts in my crawl space replaced and seismically upgraded. Bridget came out, was extremely helpful and knowledgeable and set up the project. Tony, harley, sebastian, came and did the work. They could not have been more friendly and professional. The work was done quickly and skillfully. Very excited to have this project completed and done so well!
It’s always been a joke in our house: “If you don’t want to be a responsible adult, you’re welcome to live in your mom’s basement.” It was funny because all I had was a dark creepy crawlspace with sharp rocks and whatever the last construction crew left behind. Unlit now. The Terra Firma team did exactly what they promised to do: in a matter of days, they terraformed the entire space under my house into an encapsulated sparkling-clean climate-controlled beauty. With the heat waves coming later this summer, I may be setting up guided tours for curious minds. The tour will include admiring a sump pump and earthquake braces, enjoying the cool clean air, and sliding like penguins on the white encapsulation layer. I haven’t decided on the fees yet, but it will definitely be a no-shoes, white socks-only service and I am NOT kidding about it. Thanks to Terra Firma, “living in yo-momma basement” turned from a threat into a perk.
When we first bought our 1900s fixer upper, we had no idea what lurked behind the walls of the illegal basement apartment. Once we opened up the space we were in for quite the surprise. All the wooden post holding up the main beam of the house were rotted through at the base. You could stick a pencil through the old, soft wood. Working with TerraFirma to fix the issue was an easy choice. Eric came out to assess our problem. He was friendly and professional as he walked me through the process that was needed to fix our foundation. It wasn't going to be cheap. Don't expect this kind of work to be inexpensive (especially on older homes). We needed concrete to be cut, 2ft cubic footers poured, and six shiny new steel posts. (And while they were coming out anyway, we had them do seismic retrofitting too). There's all kinds of math and engineering that goes into determining what's needed to structurally support a home. TerraFirma handles it all. And they are experienced enough to know what it's going to cost. One of the best parts of working with them (besides the friendly employees and professional workers) is that the price they quote you is going to be the price. Full stop. There are no unexpected add ons at the end. I can sleep well at night knowing TerraFirma's work is holding up our home. A few months later when the rains started in earnest and our basement flooded (an issue we guessed had been going on for a while, hidden by those illegal apartment walls and leading to the rotting of the old wood posts) we knew who to call. Eric came out again to look at options for a sump pump system and even worked on adjusting those plans (while he was on winter vacation with his family!!) when we discovered that a third wall was seeping water and we needed a much larger amount of fixing than originally thought. We no longer have to worry during downpours. While our old fixer upper still needs a lot of work and love, we know that we are (literally) starting from a strong, solid foundation thanks to TerraFirma.
TerraFirma installed EverBrace on our hundred year old foundation. It was a cost-effective way to proactively prevent foundation failure while also adding waterproofing and earthquake resilience. TerraFirma was a joy to work with, especially considering the size and complexity of the job. Our sales person and project manager made it feel easy from the very beginning. The installation crew was particularly great, always arriving exactly on time, explaining what they were doing each day, and answering any questions. They went above and beyond to not only complete the project as planned (and right on schedule) but also took care to leave the site in better condition than they found it. It's clear that Rocky and Harley take pride in their work. Earthquakes now don't seem as scary, and we love our new clean and dry basement!

EARTHQUAKE RETROFITTING HOMEOWNER QUESTIONS

How can I assure my home IS ready for an earthquake?

My home is older, will a seismic retrofit really protect older homes?

WILL EARTHQUAKE RETROFITTING REDUCE THE COST OF EARTHQUAKE INSURANCE?