Prepare Your Garage for an Earthquake With Garage Door Repair in Huntington Beach

No matter if this is the first time moving into an earthquake-prone location or you have been living there for years, taking the time to prepare your garage for an earthquake is not only critical for the safety of yourself and your family but also for your pocketbook. Earthquake damage is no joke, and even if you do have homeowners insurance, it’s still likely to be a frustrating and expensive process. Although some will say that they only experience small earthquakes with little to no damage done, the fact is that you never know when the “big one” is going to hit. Most garage door repair Huntington Beach companies recommend preparing ahead of time. Read on to learn further information about the steps you can take to protecting your garage from earthquakes.

Why Garage Door Repair Huntington Beach Companies Recommend Escape Plans First

Although the job of most garage door repair Huntington Beach companies is to help improve the durability of your garage door for potential earthquakes, they also understand the importance of making sure that your family is safe. This is because much of the injuries caused by an earthquake do not happen during the event itself but rather afterward by falling debris and weak structures. Thus, the very first thing you must do is create an escape plan for you and your family to have in the event of an earthquake. This should include knowing where all the escape routes are, where the sturdiest area of the home is, and a meeting place in case of separation. You should also include an emergency backpack with things such as a first-aid kit, water, clothing, and food.

Preparing Your Garage for a Potential Earthquake

Now that your safety plan is in place, you are now ready to concentrate on your garage. There are a number of things that are going to be mentioned below that may or may not apply to your particular situation. However, it was important to include them as no two residential homes, especially older ones, are alike.

Bracing the Sides of Your Garage Door

The reason why there is so much emphasis on protecting the garage during an earthquake is due in part to its large opening. Unlike a square room, it does not have equal protection and thus is much more likely to collapse or be damaged during an earthquake. That is why the first recommendation on this list is to make sure that you brace the sides of your garage door. This is very important if you don’t want to have to call in a Orange County garage door repair company after each and every earthquake. So, how can you go about doing this? The best way to place additional support is to apply steel bracing or plywood panels to the sides of each opening. This gives your garage additional room to move around during an earthquake without extending itself too much. You may attempt to do this yourself, or if you rather have a professional do it, then an Anaheim garage door repair company is only a call away.

Consider Rooms and Storage Areas Above the Garage

One of the most common mistakes made by homeowners looking to protect their garage is forgetting all about rooms or storage areas above it. Because there is so much weight and often different materials involved, an earthquake can quickly either bring the structure above down or damage it severely. In this case, there are two things you can do. The first is to bring in a home inspector to investigate the state of the room above. This will provide you with a glimpse into its durability. If you want to take extra steps to protect it from collapsing or cracking during an earthquake, you may also place an additional support beam down the middle of the garage door opening. Understandably, this can be difficult if your garage opening is on the smaller size, and thus, adding a beam down the middle will make placing your car in it almost impossible. In this case, it is important to go with the first option and get a proper home inspection to determine your risk level of the current structure.

Consult With a Garage Door Repair Huntington Beach Professional

Adding a few braces to your garage opening may seem straightforward, but the fact is that you will still need to take into consideration certain factors, such as your county’s building code. After all, the last thing you want happening is being ordered to remove or replace certain parts of your garage because they are not up to code. This can not only be frustrating but very expensive. Therefore, the best course of action is to have a professional come in and either do the work for you or provide you with advice.