There has recently been an ordinance passed by the City of Los Angeles, which requires the retrofit of all wood-frame Soft Story buildings. A soft-story building is a structure consisting of two stories or more, located over ground level with very large openings, for parking, garages, or a storefront. Because there are less walls these structures are “less stiff”, thus called “soft stories”. The building may be subject to structural failure during an earthquake without proper strengthening. Here at Built Strong Foundation we offer Soft Story Retrofitting for your property.
The program does not apply to residential buildings with 3 units or less.
To start the seismic retrofitting project, the first step is to analyze the structure and determine the best way to strengthen the building. Our foundation experts will take into consideration several factors. We will need to ensure the building will meet the structural standards required of retrofitted buildings engineering, as well as lower the impact of its use of the building.
To retro-fit a soft-story building, you can strengthen existing walls, add new ‘shear walls’ or add a steel frame in the soft areas of the building. To strengthen existing walls, finishes like drywall or stucco are replaced with sturdier plywood. Anchoring walls to the foundation is also part of the process. Adding shear walls — walls built for the sole purpose of adding lateral stability — can also be very effective, provided they don’t interfere with the structure’s function. If they do, a steel frame may be the best option, though such frames may be more expensive and dangerous to install (due to the fire hazard and noxious fumes generated from welding them into place) than other techniques.
We Can Solve Any Issue
We can succeed where everyone else failed, our team thinks outside the box and can tackle any project.
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For most companies a free inspection means sending a sales person to your home, we send certified inspectors.
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We focus only on Southern California, which is why we know almost every inspector by name, and every city by their requirements.
You Get The Best In The Industry
House retrofitting is a field that changes and adapts as new technologies & regulations pop up. We are always on the lookout for new methods.
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I had a great experience with Ram. He was so thorough with his inspection, and such an awesome personality. He had me take a look at the foundation, as well as explain exactly what was wrong, so I would have a better understanding of the estimate.
These guys are GREAT! Joe in the office is a dream. Warm, efficient and really works to accommodate your request. RON IS THE MAN.... I've used them as a Selling Agent and I called him back to help me at a different location (2 weeks later) as a Buying Agent..
They really are Foundation Experts. Had a couple companies recommend different things, although Built Strong addressed the concerns with the same recommendations other companies provided but also customized the repair and really took the time and resilience to address my homes unique and difficult problems.
We hired Built Strong Foundation about two months ago for our foundation repair. From the beginning of the process Nissan was really easy to work with. I have only great things to say about him and his workers. They gave us many details as possible with pictures so we understand what is going on each step of the way. Highly recommend them!! Thank you for the great job.
Nissan came out and inspected the foundation of the house along with other estimators from other foundation repair companies. We got total of five estimates and he was not the lowest but I hired Built Strong because the thoroughness he gave in explaining the process. He was very patient with all our questions. The team did an amazing job and finished on time. I already recommend him to some neighbors with similar issues.
Great company for home inspection and foundation repair. The house was old and we needed repair. I did my search online and Built Strong had a lot of positive reviews so I hired them. The service was excellent. Job was done efficiently and in a timely manner. Thank you so much.
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