Topanga is small community lying within the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Topanga Canyon. A large part of the area is comprised of the Topanga State Park.  The area seems to draw in the artists, writers and musicians, along with some hippies, and has a mellow, laid back vibe. Most of the homes within the valley belong to well-to-do folks who are attracted to a slower lifestyle than Los Angeles has to offer.

But the Santa Monica Mountains are just as prone to earthquakes as any area of Southern California. The Northridge Earthquake of 1994, rocked the Los Angeles area and left behind millions of dollars in damage. Now it is up to Topanga soft-story retrofit contractors to make all of Southern California safer for its residents. To do this, all soft-story buildings need to be outfitted with a seismic upgrade.

Is your building a soft-story?

A soft-story building is any building that is three, or more, stories high, and is built above ground. On the first floor of these structures there are usually doors and windows and some type of commercial, or open space. When they are built they include a sheer wall to stabilize the structure. But, apartment and office building built before 1994, may not have a sheer wall that reaches high enough.

Another thing to consider, is the open spaces, like parking garages, which the structure might include. During a major quake, if these are not built according to the current policies, they will not be safe during a major earthquake. The floors can easily collapse on themselves, trapping people inside. A Soft Story Retrofit Contractor in Topanga will be needed to make sure your building can withstand the ground rolling and shaking if a quake should occur

Completing the process

You will need to hire a contractor who knows the area, the building codes, and has a history of soft-story retrofits. Once the initial assessment is done, they will create a work plan and help you choose the best options to get the job completed according to your building’s needs. As an owner, you will get to make the important decisions, but remember that your building needs to follow the updated city codes.

Once a plan for the retrofitting has been decided on, the work will begin. Soft-story retrofit contractors in Topanga, like RetroFitting 360, will work tirelessly to minimize construction annoyances. Noise will be kept to a minimum and work hours won’t impede night time. Parking will be kept open and construction vehicles will do their best not to disrupt traffic. It is understood that people will still be living in the area during the retrofit process, and they will want to be disturbed as little as possible.

Once the job has been completed, city engineers will come out to do the final inspection. Each building needs to pass this inspection as part of the soft story retrofit program. Once your building’s retrofit has taken place, you can rest easy knowing that everything will be protected, including precious lives, in the event of another major earthquake.