Foundation Bolts

This letter is a belated response to a question discussed in the Handyman Q&A; “Bolt Mudsills as Quake Precaution” (Jan. 21) on fastening of houses for earthquakes. I feel that I am somewhat of an expert in this field, being part-owner of a company that has been specializing almost exclusively in this area for the past seven years.

Following are what I consider to be key points regarding retrofit fastening of wood-frame structures to their foundations:

--You can never make a house worse by fastening it to its foundation.

--An engineer must be involved to determine what needs to be fastened and strengthened, location of strengthening elements, size of hardware, etc.

--The actual mechanics of installing bolts and other strengthening components is difficult and tedious work that often must be done in areas of very limited access.

--The work can generally be performed almost entirely from underneath the house; some cases may require that part of the work be done from the outside, which then requires refinishing of areas of the exterior.

--The work is extremely cost-effective (compared to potential reduction in damage to the structure). Moreover, many insurance companies and some lenders now require (or strongly urge) fastening of older homes.

DOUGLAS SILVER

Reseda

Silver is a registered structural engineer.