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Americans are in love with the west. Each year, despite predictions to the contrary, Americans move from colder parts of the country to the sunshine states of Arizona, Nevada and California. For many of these transplants (particularly to California), the thought of an earthquake tearing into their dream house is a remote one.
People who want to become home inspectors, however, must be far more practical when seeing that older homes have been correctly retrofitted for earthquakes - a real estate inspection will go a long way toward making sure someone's dream house doesn't turn into a nightmare during an earthquake.
When inspecting a house for its "earthquake preparedness," there are generally four retrofit items to look for: stud spacing, steel roof and foundation tie downs and diagonal bracing. We'll take a look at each one to get a better understanding of their functions.
Recent experience in California has shown that when a house sits on a foundation - without being secured to it - the house will simply bounce right of the foundation when the quake hits. Home inspectors should look for steel rods that connect the foundation to the wood sill; the rods should be spaced every two or three feet. One should also look for steel braces on the support beams of the house.
Another important tie down is for the roof. Home inspectors should look for a steel rod that begins at the foundation (at all four corners of the house) and extends up to the top sill of the roof where it is fastened with steel clips.
Earthquakes, in a word, bring stress to a home's structure. Another important way to shore up a home is with diagonal bracing, which helps strengthen vertical studs. And when it comes to wood studs, their spacing is critical. To save money, many studs are sometimes placed several feet apart instead every 16 inches, which creates a stronger wall. A quick way to check the stud spacing is to inspect the garage or other areas where studs may be exposed.
It's important to remember that different states may have different requirements for what a home inspector can, and can't do, related to earthquake readiness, so it's important home inspectors know the rules in their local area.
Those individuals looking into home inspection as a possible career should consider online home inspection schools. Enroll in a distance learning home inspector training program, allows people to keep their current jobs while they study and prepare for a home inspection career. Many states require that one have a home inspection license, so it's important to check out your state's website for licensing information
Allied Schools, www.homeinspectioncourse.com
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