Every home has a level of uncertainty in a seismic event and seismic retrofitting is usually less expensive than demolishing a home. There are methods of reducing the risk of earthquake damage in historic homes, and if carefully planned and executed, these retrofitting techniques can upgrade the safety of the home while at the same time being sensitive to the historic fabric of the house. For information on seismic retrofitting, visit Utah State History’s Bracing for the Big One and“Preservation Brief #41: The Seismic Retrofit of Historic Buildings” on the National Park Service page.
