Seismic Retrofit a Historic Building

When retrofitting an old home to be more earthquake resistant there are many sensitive issues to consider. The Old House Journal goes into great detail on how to retrofit your home safely and with minimal damage to it's historical pedigree. Begin with these three principles:

* Historic materials should be preserved and retained to the greatest extent possible and not replaced wholesale in the process of seismic strengthening;
* New seismic retrofit systems, whether hidden or exposed, should respect the character and integrity of the historic building and be visually compatible with it in design; and,
* Seismic work should be "reversible" to the greatest extent possible to allow removal for future use of improved systems and traditional repair of remaining historic materials.

The Seismic Retrofit of Historic Buildings: Keeping Preservation in the Forefront [Old House Journal]