Nepal Earthquake A Wake Up Call For Preparedness

Construction Company Calls For Earthquake Preparedness For Homeowners

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, Inc., (http://julianconstruction.com/) a foundation construction and foundation repair company in Southern California, is calling for earthquake preparedness across California. The recent aftermath of the Nepal earthquake has keenly put attention on the issue of preparing for the next big earthquake to hit the Pacific coast.

In a recent article, building safety expert at Julian Construction, Shawn Kyles, stated: “The 7.8 earthquake that hit Nepal’s Katmandu Valley last Sunday is a tragedy. Nearly 4,000 people are confirmed dead, and that number is expected to rise. The damage to structures throughout the area has also been horrific, especially in Katmandu, the nation’s capital. It is believed that hundreds of people may still be trapped in the rubble. The quake struck approximately 50 miles northwest of Katmandu, and was felt as far away as Pakistan, Tibet and Bangladesh. There were numerous aftershocks, including a magnitude 6.7. If you live in California, news of the quake has probably started you thinking again about the Big One – the 8.0+ earthquake that is expected to hit this area within the next 30 years. It is believed the quake will occur along the San Andreas Fault and cause devastation up to 100 miles away.”

The full text of the article can be found here: http://www.julianconstruction.com/julianconstruction-com-the-nepal-quake-and-californias-big-one/

Julian Construction is urging all homeowners to do their part, and be prepared for the next big earthquake. The company stresses that a home foundation inspection is a major part of ensuring that a home is made safe. A competent foundation inspection, followed by correcting any faults in the home’s foundation, will help to ensure a more stable and safe structure in the event of an earthquake.

Julian De La Torre, founder of Julian Construction, stated: “It is not a question of ‘if’. It is a question of when the next big earthquake will hit California. We all need to do our part to be ready. To save lives and preserve property, everyone must do their part to ensure we are prepared. Call for an inspection, get a competent and professional assessment of what your home will need to be ready in the event of an earthquake.”

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/

Earthquake Retrofitting A Must For Earthquake Preparation

Homeowners Urged to Retrofit Homes to Earthquake Preparedness Safety Standards

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, Inc., (http://julianconstruction.com/) a foundation construction and foundation repair company located in Los Angeles, has been continuing its campaign to raise awareness of home safety standards. Specifically, the company has been working to make homeowners aware of the necessary steps to keep their homes safe in the event of an earthquake, including earthquake retrofitting. The company has extensive experience with the procedures needed to address any structural issues which would cause damage in the event of an earthquake.

In a recent article on earthquake safety, Julian Construction’s safety and inspection expert Shawn Kyles stated: “There are ways to prevent potentially dangerous situations in a quake, like house bolting, which is anchoring the home to its foundation. Los Angeles and other So Cal city homes benefit from these procedures. And the chances of damage from an earthquake increase when there are any type of pre-existing foundation problems. If there is any chance your home has structural weaknesses, it’s a good idea to get a foundation inspection done by experienced foundation contractors before the next quake hits. Foundation issues can be addressed by a foundation repair expert who has an extensive history of work on homes in your area. Retrofitting is the best way to limit damage from an earthquake.”

Julian Construction has worked extensively in the field of home earthquake retrofitting to address structural issues in a home’s foundation. A home can be inspected if foundation problems are suspected to exist, or if the home’s foundation is many years old and has not been inspected. Data on the retrofitting procedure can be found here: http://julianconstruction.com/services/earthquake-retrofitting-or-house-bolting/

Julian De La Torre, founder of Julian Construction, stated: “We have been working and keeping up to date on how to retrofit a home so that you don’t have to. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your home will be safe in the event of an earthquake. You should rest easy, knowing your home rests on a structurally sound foundation. We can inspect your home to find out what steps are needed to get it there.”

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/

Big Trees Inc. Increases Fleet Size and Expands Nursery

Tree Transplanting Company Very Pleased With Acquisition Of New Workhorse and Nursery Clean Up and Expansion

SEATTLE, CA: Big Trees Inc. (http://bigtreesupply.com/), a tree transplanting company and tree nursery in the Seattle area, has expanded their operations by acquiring another truck for transporting large trees for installation or transplanting. They have also cleaned up their nursery to make more room for incoming inventory and larger parking areas for customers and employees.

The new Semi truck is now completely equipped to transport almost any large tree from one site to another, and will be used for all of the company’s larger transport projects, such as with trees measuring from 10 feet tall up to 30 feet tall.

Nancy Penrose, owner of Big Trees Inc., stated “We have had an old broken down truck and a massive pile of debris taking up space in our nursery for years. It feels so good to get these removed from our property. Not only does it look so much cleaner and better, but we have created more space for our increased nursery stock, and parking for customers and employees.

Big Trees has been involved in a number of planting projects for estates in Anacortes, Bainbridge Island and Medina. All have been a combination of large privacy trees and large specimen trees. Because the stock is already established, the trees make a massive impact on the projects. Todd Holmes, Operation’s Manager of Big Trees Inc states, “These large scale projects are so much fun for us because of the immediate impact the trees make on the property. And of course, seeing the
customer’s faces when these trees get put in place is priceless! The trees look big in our nursery, but when they are put into somebody’s yard, they look even bigger – like they’ve been there all along!”

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/

BigTreeSupply.com: Spring Tree Maintenance--Mulching

By Nancy Penrose

Spring is a great time to ensure the continued health and beauty of your landscape by mulching, pruning and fertilizing. If you have trees on your property, mulching should be at the top of your list of tasks.

Mulch is material applied to the soil around a plant. The word is believed to come from the Middle English word “melsche” which means soft and Old English melsc (mellow or mild).

Mulching has many purposes. To start with, it conserves water by slowing down evaporation. Because the soil won’t dry out as quickly, less watering is needed. However, you also need to be careful that the mulch isn’t actually blocking water from entering the soil.

Mulch also protects the soil and plant roots from the sun. In addition to reducing heat stress, the soil will remain cooler for a longer period of time. Cooler soil means plants won’t prematurely leave their dormancy.

Another benefit of mulch is that it can prevent plant damage from lawn mowers and similar types of equipment. Mulching also stops the growth of weeds, which can save you time in the garden. Mulch can even be used to get rid of small plants that are no longer wanted by placing it directly on top of the greenery

There are many different materials used in mulching, including shredded bark, wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, straw, pine needles, pecan shells, cocoa hull, sawdust, peat moss, manure, compost, cardboard, newspaper, river rock and gravel. Non-organic materials include plastic sheeting and rubber from tires.

Mulch also comes in colors. The dye is water-based and considered non-toxic.

Organic mulches will decompose as time goes on. As tree bark decays, it can absorb nitrogen from the soil. One way to prevent the loss of nitrogen is to add fertilizer to the soil.

Mulch is usually spread by hand around the plant. Depending on the amount of mulch that is needed (and type of mulch you are using) you may need to load it into a wheelbarrow. When organic materials are used, the mulch should be at least 6 inches in height.

If mulch ends up on your grass, remove it immediately. Otherwise, the grass underneath it will die.
When mulch that contains a large amount of nitrogen isn’t rotated, decomposition can speed up, causing toxicity. Over time, the decay can change the woodsy aroma of the mulch to the smell of ammonia, vinegar and sulfur. The smell of this anaerobic (sour) mulch will dissipate when the mulch is exposed to air. Sour mulch placed on soil before the dissipation occurs can damage and even kill plants and trees.

May is usually considered one of the best times for mulching. If you plan on mulching big trees (Seattle area), get tips and advice from a big tree supplier or tree nursery (Snohomish) and make sure they are tree nurserys knowledgeable in big tree care. Identifying trees correctly to understand their particular needs is the best way to avoid mistakes that could damage the health of your tree. A supplier with large trees for sale will know what type of mulch you should use and how to spread the mulch beneath the tree. Always keep mulch at least six inches away from the tree trunk.

Nancy Penrose is owner of Big Trees Inc. (http://www.bigtreesupply.com), tree nursery 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

JulianConstruction.com: The Nepal Quake and California’s “Big One”

By Shawn Kyles

The 7.8 earthquake that hit Nepal’s Katmandu Valley last Sunday is a tragedy. Nearly 4,000 people are confirmed dead, and that number is expected to rise. The damage to structures throughout the area has also been horrific, especially in Katmandu, the nation’s capital. It is believed that hundreds of people may still be trapped in the rubble. The quake struck approximately 50 miles northwest of Katmandu, and was felt as far away as Pakistan, Tibet and Bangladesh. There were numerous aftershocks, including a magnitude 6.7.

If you live in California, news of the quake has probably started you thinking again about the Big One – the 8.0+ earthquake that is expected to hit this area within the next 30 years. It is believed the quake will occur along the San Andreas Fault and cause devastation up to 100 miles away.

Did you know that the water supply for San Francisco Peninsula residents comes from two sources (the San Andreas Lake and Crystal Springs reservoir) that sit on top of the fault, or that the fault passes through three key transportation, power and utility corridors in southern California?

Experts believe that if the fault ruptures, it will break almost everything that crosses it. In one study, a scenario was created in which a large earthquake ruptured the fault for 200 miles. According to the report, there would be 100 seconds of shaking, and the ground near the fault would shift as much as 20 feet in some places. In other places, there would be back and forth movement of up to 6 feet every second, causing houses to fall off of their foundation.

Earthquake scientists have been saying for years that a big quake could level cities with poorly built masonry structures. Katmandu was considered one of those types of cities. Many of its buildings are made of brick, clay, timber and stone. Other cities considered to be at risk for similar reasons include Mexico City, Mexico and Istanbul, Turkey.

Here’s something else to think about. The Earth is made up of large, broken plates. These are sections of the planet’s lithosphere, the solid, outermost shell of the earth. There are 7 major plates and 8 minor plates. All of the plates on the planet are in continuous motion. You will find the largest number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions where these plates meet. They happen all of the time.

There are an estimated 50 earthquakes taking place each day across the planet. In fact, the number of earthquakes with a magnitude 7.0 and above has been increasing over the past 30 years.

In Nepal, the India Plate is moving under the European Plate. In California, the Pacific Plate is sliding next to the North American Plate. Both regions experience quite a bit of seismic activity.

In California, considerable efforts are being made to ensure commercial and residential buildings are earthquake-proof. Even so, many structures are still not retrofitted. It’s important for anyone in California to know whether or not their home could withstand a large earthquake. Houses with no earthquake retrofitting can fall off the foundation or collapse when the ground starts to shake. Sometimes, damage can be severe enough to require the home be torn down.

There are ways to prevent potentially dangerous situations in a quake, like house bolting, which is anchoring the home to its foundation or house leveling. Los Angeles and other So Cal city homes benefit from these procedures. And the chances of damage from an earthquake increase when there is any type of pre-existing foundation problems.

If there is any chance your home has structural weaknesses, it’s a good idea to get a foundation inspection done by experienced foundation contractors before the next quake hits. Foundation issues can be addressed by a foundation repair expert who has an extensive history of work on homes in your area. Retrofitting is the best way to limit damage from an earthquake.

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

Changing Soil Means Trouble for Home Foundations

Home Foundations Need to be Periodically Inspected Says Building Safety Expert

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, Inc., (http://julianconstruction.com/) a foundation construction and foundation repair company in the Los Angeles area, has recently released information on the subject of how changing soil conditions can affect building safety. Soil conditions must be watched for, which will cause eventual structural damage. The company has spoken out on the necessity for foundation inspections to maintain the safety and structural integrity of a building.

Recently, Shawn Kyles, Julian Construction’s building safety inspections expert, stated: “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. Most foundations experience some type of settlement as time goes on. Problems occur when the settlement weakens the structural integrity of the building.”

The company advocates getting a home foundation inspection to locate the presence and source of foundation damage before it seriously threatens the safety of the structure.

Julian De La Torre, founder of Julian Construction, stated: “We are interested in homes and businesses learning more about this issue so they can be aware and handle it. If people do not know about soil conditions and how they can affect their home’s foundation, they may not think there is a problem. A home’s foundation needs to be properly inspected to know if there is a problem. Then a professional can handle it and ensure the safety of all.”

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/

Home Owners Must be on Lookout for Foundation Damage

Signs of Foundation Damage Brought to Attention by Foundation Repair Company

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, Inc., (http://julianconstruction.com/) a foundation construction and foundation repair company in Los Angeles, is revealing the results of decades of experience in the causes of foundation problems. The company has been working in the field of foundation repair for over 20 years, and has worked with many homes to determine the conditions surrounding and indications of foundation problems, so that homeowners can spot them before they become a structural risk.

Shawn Kyles, chief safety expert at Julian Construction, stated: “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.”

The article published by Mr Kyles goes into further detail on indications of foundation problems being present: http://julianconstruction.com/julianconstruction-com-warning-signs-of-foundation-damage/

Julian De La Torre, founder of Julian Construction, stated: “It is important to become familiar with these signs that indicate that there is something wrong with a foundation. We hope everyone will learn this data. We have worked with hundreds of homeowners and business owners to ensure their buildings are safe. We know when a home has a foundation problem. An inspection from a professional will make sure that any problem is handled right away.”

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/