JulianConstruction.com: Warning Signs Of Foundation Damage

by Shawn Kyles

Recognizing the signs of foundation damage can mean the difference between a low-cost repair bill and costly foundation replacement or concrete foundation repair. While an inspection by a qualified foundation repair expert or foundation contractor is the best way to troubleshoot potential problems, here are some things you can look for on your own.

A foundation can settle (move downward) into the soil beneath it. When this occurs, it usually means the home’s structure has become distorted or uneven in some way. The settlement occurs when the soil becomes more compacted.

There are many reasons for soil compaction, including the soil not having been properly compacted in the first place. Moisture can also cause settlement. When the soil gets wet, it expands. When it dries, it shrinks. Certain types of soil, like clay soil, expand and contract more than others. This means the type of soil the home is built on can influence the amount and rate of settlement. Trees looking for water underneath a home can also cause soil disruption that leads to settlement.

Most foundations experience some type of settlement as time goes on. Problems occur when the settlement weakens the structural integrity of the building.

Cracks on both the outside and inside walls are often an obvious sign of settlement and possible foundation damage. The same is true for fireplace cracks.

Sloping floors is another indicator of severe foundation settlement, along with bowed walls and/or protruding nail heads.

Have you started having trouble opening and closing windows or doors? Settlement can cause a foundation to drop lower in some areas than others. This unevenness will affect the fit of windows and doors.

An uneven roof or roof leak, especially if the roof is new, is another bad indicator. When inspecting your roof, make sure you check it from both the inside and outside.

Also take a look at your gutters. A clogged gutter can cause rainwater to run over the sides of your house and seep into the building. Water will erode a foundation. As the layers of foundation are removed, small cracks will begin to appear.

Another place to look for damage is near windows on the outside of the house. If you see cracks running diagonally, you may have foundation settlement issues. In this case, the settlement is causing the window joints to pull apart.

If you don’t see any obvious signs of foundation problems, look around the outside of the house for pooled water, especially after it rains. This is a sign of poor drainage. Water that doesn’t drain properly can seriously damage a foundation. You will also want to check for any plumbing leaks inside your home. Any type of water, regardless of its source, can ruin your foundation.

Don’t have the time to inspect your property? Neglecting this important part of home maintenance can put your home and family at risk. A specialist in home foundation repair (Los Angeles) will often conduct a home inspection for free. The inspection will be thorough and nothing will be missed. You will also save money getting minor problems fixed before it’s too late.


Shawn Kyles, expert in Los Angeles foundation inspection, repair & house bolting at Julian Construction (http://www.julianconstruction.com) in Los Angeles, has inspected over 15,000 structures for building & safety (http://julianconstruction.com/about/ ). See their video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I8j7dXzpj4

Foundation Company Offers Soft Story Building Retrofitting

Soft Story Failure is Preventable With Building Retrofitting Says Foundation Expert

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, Inc., (http://www.julianconstruction.com/) a foundation repair and general contractor construction company in Southern California, is offering soft story building renovation to correct soft story buildings where they exist. Soft story buildings are those where one or more floors have large openings where normally there would be support for the upper floor. To prevent soft story failure, the company is working with Southern California residents and building owners to improve the reinforcement of these soft story buildings as a part of earthquake preparation.

The company’s building safety inspection expert, Shawn Kyles, spoke on the soft story retrofitting process: “The retrofitting process begins with an inspection by a qualified building contractor who has experience in soft story earthquake retrofitting. Several factors are taken into consideration when developing the retrofitting plan. Types of retrofitting include strengthening existing walls with braces or plywood, anchoring walls to the foundation and adding shear walls. The goal of the retrofitting is to make the building earthquake ready and safe by increasing the structure’s lateral stiffness and strength.”

The full text of Mr. Kyles’ article can be read here: http://julianconstruction.com/preventing-soft-story-collapse/

Julian De La Torre, founder and owner of Julian Construction, stated: “If your home or business’s building is a soft story building, if you see that a large portion of the ground floor is unsupported somehow, it needs to be fixed. Call a specialist to do an inspection right away. With the inspection done you will know if the building needs to be reinforced and brought up to code. The process is not too hard to do by a trained professional. The retrofitting process will help ensure that the structure will not collapse, particularly in the event of one of the many earthquakes California experiences. You need to be prepared for it with a properly reinforced building.”

Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.com/blog/

Building Safety Expert Speaks on Soft Story Buildings

Buildings of this Type Not Safe in an Earthquake Says Building Safety Inspector

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, Inc., (http://www.julianconstruction.com/) a foundation construction and foundation repair company in the Los Angeles area, is taking up a new topic in the field of building safety. The company has spoken out many times about foundation maintenance as an important part of building safety, but today they brought up the issue of a type of building design which may lead to greater risk for the building’s occupants. A soft story building is a design where the ground floor has unsupported floors above it, due to a wide front window or other wide section of floor with no supporting beam under it. Soft story buildings are much more likely to cause the collapse of a building during an earthquake, and so form an important part of earthquake preparation according to the company.

According to Shawn Kyles, Julian Construction’s resident building safety inspector specialist, “Soft story buildings have one or more floors with large openings that would normally require a shear wall for stabilization. Types of soft story buildings include apartments built over a parking garage or retail businesses with large windows, as well as multi-level commercial structures with floors that have large spaces, windows and doors. The soft story buildings most likely to collapse are those built on street corners or unstable soil. However, any multi-level residential or commercial building with unreinforced ground floor openings is a potential hazard during a quake, especially buildings constructed between the 1960s and 1980s.”

The full text of Mr. Kyles’ article can be seen here: http://julianconstruction.com/preventing-soft-story-collapse/

Julian De La Torre, founder and owner of Julian Construction, stated: “We see these kinds of soft story buildings every day. Fortunately much more is known about the risks involved with this type of design now, so buildings today are built much more securely. But with older buildings, it is important to know the risks involved with soft story structural issues.”

Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.com/blog/

20 Foot Tree Transplanted and Replanted in Washington

Developer Contacts Big Trees Inc for Tree Transplant Project

SEATTLE, WA: Big Trees Inc., (http://bigtreesupply.com/) a tree transplanting and tree nursery company in the Seattle area, recently completed the transplantation of a large tree onto a development property in Kirkland, Washington. The company took the tree carefully from its original location and successfully brought it to its new site on the property.

The developer of a large property in Kirkland had a tree in mind to go at the entrance to the estate, a 20’ tall Frontier Elm. The problem the developer faced was not knowing the correct way to handle the tree installation so it would not be damaged in transport. Big Trees Inc was called in to move the tree, lifting it by crane. Once in place, the Big Trees crew worked to settle the tree so it would grow optimally in its new surroundings.

Nancy Penrose, owner of Big Trees, Inc., stated, “Our team members are so good at making these projects work out! There are numerous ways to damage these large trees in handling, and if not done properly, the tree can be killed with a misplaced strap that strips the bark off or cuts the root ball too deep for the tree to survive. The developer was happy to have a successful placement of the tree, and we were happy to help!”

Nancy Penrose is the owner of Big Trees Inc. (http://www.bigtreesupply.com), located in Snohomish, WA, in the Seattle area. The company is one of the largest tree nurseries in the Seattle area with over 120,000 trees available in over 300 varieties. They not only can deliver young trees but also mature trees in a wide range of sizes. Some types of trees available include spring flowering, deciduous, evergreen, and privacy trees. The company also does tree transplanting including large trees. Their blog can be seen at http://www.bigtreesupply.com/blog/

MaloneEditorial.com: The Author Or The Market

By Susan Mary Malone


So, who do you write for? Yourself? Your readers? A combination?

We all talk about this a lot. One side firmly states that you write for yourself. Of course, this has to be true, as you’re the one up in that sequestered place (hopefully clean and well-lit, as Hemingway would suggest), toiling away. If you don’t like your people and story, odds are no one else will either.

It’s funny, I see a lot of manuscripts where the villain is all villain, and all the evil gets pinned on his shoulders, which is not only unbelievable but belies that the writer hated him to the core. And that has the paradoxical effect of flattening out the character so that his effect is minimized. But that’s another discussion!

The point being that the essence of writing, especially fiction, stems from your own inspiration and connection to your words. To your people. Your story. All of that has to be interesting enough so that you keep stepping into that writing room.

The other side says, “Know your audience,” a familiar refrain, and of course, this holds water. Especially true when writing genre fiction of all sorts, as the readers invested in the different genres and categories and sub-categories read broadly in those specific lines. Those readers know the requirements, and are right ready to call foul for sometimes even the most minor transgressions. They expect perfection from the authors they follow, and if a book delivers, those readers will be loyal for pretty much life. Even forgiving said transgressions in later books (provided they’re not too egregious).

But I ran across this quote recently that tweaked me, from Walter Lippmann: “It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.”

And it got me to thinking about the dumbing down of our society, and how publishers have gone from targeting books to an eighth-grade reading level, to a sixth-grade one today. Gulp. The former statistic has always been disheartening but the latter is downright distressful. How do we write for such? Oh, manuscript editor, please help me!

We’re tempted to say screw it, I’ll write for myself and whatever audience is there, so be it. And that’s a noble position. One I take fairly often, before returning to reality.

But we don’t, in the end, want our stories and people to languish, unread. And yet, I confess that I’m more comfortable with that position in nonfiction (I had to rewrite “Five Keys for Understanding Men” five times, in order to make it accessible for the market, and many reviewers said it was still too highbrow). Fiction is a bit too close to the soul for that to sit well.

We all have to find our own personal balances, based on goals and dreams, on financial and family situations. And I’m not sure that’s a fixed balance, but one in which the pendulum swings to and fro as occasions and our own hearts change with the ebb and flow of writing and life.

Many authors use pseudonyms for different genres, which I like for its firm boundaries, and have thought at times to adopt. But I never actually do it. I like the idea of owning my work, no matter how well or not it does in the market. Or a developmental editor can be used to make the book market readable.

And in the end, no right or wrong answer exists to the question. There is no shame at all in writing to the market; editing fiction to fit what they will read—that makes authors successful. And no fingers need be pointed at folks who stick to their guns and write what their hearts dictate, whether their stories sell well or not.

The only answer is within each one of us, our own personal pacts with the universe. And once we make peace with that, creativity gets freed again to soar.


Susan Mary Malone (http://www.maloneeditorial.com), novel editor, has gotten many authors published, was fiction editor for books featured in Publishers Weekly & won numerous awards. See more writing tips at http://www.maloneeditorial.com/blog/editorial-tips/ & see her latest video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSM6ifeJxS4&index=4&list=UU7Q8OdBNjpnfvVCwVyymIjw

Building Cleaning Services Cleans Up Black Mold While Also Giving Back to the Community

LOS ANGELES, CA: Building Cleaning Services, (http://buildingcleaningservices.net/), a Los Angeles company that specializes in water damage restoration, post construction cleaning and mold remediation, is also community minded. More than 15 years in the cleaning and mold removal business, it also supports non-profit organizations that work to improve societal conditions. BCS recently assisted an international human rights group headquartered in Los Angeles, that was holding a gala in celebration of its more than 40 years of campaigning for children’s rights and human rights generally. BCS donated specialized carpet cleaning and other services.

Company co-owner Kathy Liverance said, “We have a unique working relationship with our clients, where we are known for trustworthy and professional service. Black mold, construction dust and water damage can all be stressful to those having to live or work with it. We aim to reduce any impact of such problems, taking the worry out of it.

“As an extension of this client-based care, we have also provided pro bono support to a human rights group with annual carpet cleaning and maintenance help. We have a philosophy of going above and beyond in our help and that includes helping groups that are doing the same on a broader community scale.”

One of Building Cleaning Services clients recently stated: “We hired BCS to deliver air scrubbers and to clean following an extremely dusty floor replacement project. Our business runs on a tight schedule and had to be up and running the very next day. BCS had two crews arrive at 6am just as scheduled - one to do the ‘high’ areas, and another to do the areas below 8'. We have several areas with exposed ceiling with lots of pipes and ductwork and cabinetry and the high crew did a superb job cleaning all these hard to reach areas. It is now probably cleaner than when we moved in! The low crew did a great job as well. They cleaned areas that I wouldn't have even thought to clean. They were very accommodating about rescheduling the job and coordinating it for an exact time to synchronize with the contractors' schedules. The price was fair and the entire experience was positive from beginning to end.”

Building Cleaning Services' other reviews on Yelp can be seen at http://www.yelp.com/biz/building-cleaning-services-glendale

BCS provides water damage handling and mold removal services for the Greater Los Angeles area, and other areas of Southern California. Established in 1997, they have over a decade of experience as a company with fast service, high professionalism and work ethic. BCS is certified by the Institute of Inspection and Cleaning and Restoration and Environmental Testing & Technology. To learn more, visit http://www.BuildingCleaningServices.net, or call 818-953-7100 or e-mail bcs@buildingcleaningservices.net.

BigTreeSupply.com: Tips on Landscaping with Trees

By Nancy Penrose

Trees are often an important part of a landscape design. Special, unusual trees used in landscaping are often referred to as ornamental trees. They are planted to enhance the appearance of the design. Many flowering trees are considered ornamental trees, as well as trees with interesting bark, leaves, structure and smell. Many tree varieties are also used in landscaping for shade, trees for privacy and backdrops.

Before you purchase a tree, take some time to map out your overall landscape design. This will help you decide what types of trees you need and where you are going to plant them.

Remember that trees are an investment. Talking to a big trees arborist is the best way to get the information needed to choose the ideal trees for a particular landscape. Tree suppliers or tree nurserys will know what trees will grow best, based on need and location. Consulting an expert can save one money by helping to avoid costly mistakes.

Here are some more tips on purchasing trees for your landscape.

To start with, create your landscape plan. Any landscaping project comes with expenses, big and small. Developing a long term landscape plan will enable you to achieve your overall goals while minimizing the financial impact. You will also be able to make any necessary changes before you move on to a new purchasing and planting phase. Avoid back tracking and getting stuck in a ‘one step forward, two steps back’ situation by having a good landscape plan.

When developing your plan, make sure you know what type of soil you have on your property. Many tree species have their own soil requirements. Planting in soil best suited for the tree will help maintain its vigor and health. Most native soils types include sand, loam, silt and clay. Some soils will have a better ability to retain water than others. Soil type can also impact the availability of nutrients, which the tree will need for growth. Drainage and depth of the soil are other factors that need to be taken into consideration when purchasing a tree.

Your planting plan should also be based on the size of tree, both height and diameter, that will work best for each planting location. Pruning a tree can help maintain height and width, but may eventually alter the natural shape of the tree. If the planting location is near a driveway, you will want to avoid trees with low branches. Trees that drop fruit can be a problem if they are planted near pools or water features. And don’t forget potential interference with power lines if your tree is a tall-growing tree. The kind of tree you plant near utilities should be well thought and researched to avoid disappointment in the future if the two ever tangle.

If you’re not sure what trees to plant or want to get an idea of how certain trees will grow in your area, take a walk around your neighborhood at various times of the year. Look for trees that are thriving regardless of the season, as well as any seasonal tree changes that might make you want to reconsider your plan.

When shopping for a tree, pay close attention to the tree’s health. Signs of poor health include wilting foliage, poor foliage color, dead branches, insect infestation and any other noticeable damage. Indicators of a healthy tree are root growth for bare root trees and a firm, soil ball for balled or burlapped trees. If you are buying a balled or burlapped tree, consider if the root ball is the proper size for the tree. Potted trees should not have any large, circling roots or be too large for their container. Good bark, firm but pliable leaves, a straight trunk, proper spacing between branches and well-distributed branches are also signs of a healthy tree.

If you are buying a deciduous tree during the early part of spring, it will most likely be dormant. One way to check a dormant tree’s health is to look for green tissue by scratching an outer branch segment with your fingernail.

Talk to a big trees professional to get answers to all your questions about landscaping with trees before you begin. Make sure your plan will work and your trees will thrive.


Nancy Penrose is owner of Big Trees Inc. (http://www.bigtreesupply.com) in Snohomish, WA, one of the largest Seattle tree nurseries (see inventory at http://bigtreesupply.com/sales-inventory/), specializing in tree transplanting. See our video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpactBDUPmQ

Preventing Soft Story Collapse

By Shawn Kyles

Half of all the homes that became uninhabitable following California’s 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake were the result of soft story failure. Many of the apartment complexes severely damaged during the Northridge earthquake in 1994 were also caused by soft story structural issues. This includes the collapse of the Northridge Meadows apartments, which resulted in the death of 16 residents.

In the San Francisco area, it is believed that the next moderate to large earthquake could lead to more than 150,000 soft story collapses. In Los Angeles, experts say a big earthquake could cause the collapse of 1,500 concrete buildings throughout the city.

Soft story buildings have one or more floors with large openings that would normally require a shear wall for stabilization. Types of soft story buildings include apartments built over a parking garage or retail businesses with large windows, as well as multi-level commercial structures with floors that have large spaces, windows and doors. Soft story buildings most likely to collapse are those built on street corners or unstable soil. However, any multi-level residential or commercial building with unreinforced ground floor openings is a potential hazard during a quake, especially buildings constructed between the 1960s and 1980s.

Technically, a building is considered “soft story” if a floor is less than 70% as strong as the floor above it, or less than 80% as strong as the average strength (stiffness) of the three floors on top of it. This is because the weaker floor is more susceptible to lateral motion from the quake. The side-to-side earthquake motion can create enough stress to damage or collapse the floor. A single floor collapse can lead to the collapse of the entire building.

With an estimated 20,000 soft story buildings throughout Los Angeles, earthquake retrofitting is a serious matter. A new proposal could result in mandatory retrofitting requirements with a 30-year retrofit deadline. To date, only a relatively small number of property owners have taken action to improve the structural integrity of their buildings.

The retrofitting process begins with an inspection by a qualified building contractor who has experience in soft story earthquake retrofitting. Several factors are taken into consideration when developing the retrofitting plan. Types of retrofitting include strengthening existing walls with braces or plywood, anchoring walls to the foundation and adding shear walls. The goal of the retrofitting is to make the building earthquake ready and safe by increasing the structure’s lateral stiffness and strength.

What happens if retrofitting is neglected? In 2008, China’s 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake killed nearly 90,000 people and left almost 5 million people homeless. Many of the deaths have been attributed to the collapse of unreinforced buildings. Right now, if a major earthquake hits the Bay Area, it is believed that 80% of San Francisco’s soft story buildings would collapse.

When it comes to strengthening your structure and preventing earthquake damage or building collapse, a foundation contractor in Los Angeles with extensive retrofitting knowledge is the best resource for a foundation inspection. Earthquake preparation should be taken seriously, and the retrofitting process should be started now, before the next quake, to protect your property and prevent injuries during a quake.

Shawn Kyles, expert in foundation repair & house bolting at Julian Construction (http://www.julianconstruction.com) in Los Angeles, has inspected over 15,000 structures for building & safety (http://julianconstruction.com/about/ ). See their video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I8j7dXzpj4