How to Secure Shelving for an Earthquake
- Step 1 - Choose Sturdy Shelving. Whenever you’re installing shelves in your home, choose sturdy and heavy materials that...
- Step 2 - Secure Shelves to the Wall. Installing your shelves properly is the next step in ensuring they can live through...
- Step 3 - Don’t Forget the Front. The next step, which many people forget, is that...
What should you do with your shelves during an earthquake?
Whether it’s a clothing or linen closet or one that stores small appliances, cleaning products, and other home goods, you’ll want to secure these shelves to avoid valuable materials breaking during a natural disaster. Shelves with books and decor items should definitely be secured to ward off the possibility of a mess after an earthquake.
How do you keep shelves from falling down?
For shelves in less visible spots, like in your pantry, bungee cords can be used to secure the front of shelves and to prevent breakable items such as glass bottles from falling and breaking. You can also choose a style of shelving with a lip on it for prevention.
What should you do to prepare your pantry for an earthquake?
You’ll want to make sure that you secure the shelves within your pantry so that you don’t end up with a huge mess of cans and dry goods in the aftermath of an earthquake.
How to earthquake-proof Your Windows?
You must take steps to earthquake-proof your windows and prevent them from shattering due to the powerful ground movement. The easiest option is to apply a safety film to strengthen the glass. The film will hold the glass shards together in case the glass breaks.
How to protect shelves from earthquakes?
What can be used to secure the front of shelves?
What is the best material to use for shelves?
Why do you need to secure shelves in a pantry?
Why should books be secured after an earthquake?
Why is it important to take precautions when you live in an earthquake prone area?
Is it worth securing shelves?
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How do you make a earthquake proof shelf?
0:191:18Earthquake Safe Shelves & Cabinets : Restoring & Painting Kitchen ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can use museum wax. Place it on the bottom of the object. And then put that directly on theMoreYou can use museum wax. Place it on the bottom of the object. And then put that directly on the shelf and i'll stick directly to the shelf.
How do you secure a bookshelf for an earthquake?
0:251:24How to Secure Heavy Furniture for an Earthquake - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThem by using flexible fasteners. Such as nylon straps to secure top-heavy furniture to at least twoMoreThem by using flexible fasteners. Such as nylon straps to secure top-heavy furniture to at least two wall studs flexible fasteners allow the objects to sway reducing the strain on wall studs.
How do you keep things from falling off shelves?
Wire shelf ledges attach along the back and sides to prevent items from falling off. All ledges are 4" high and can be stacked for added height. Use ledges for your wire shelving with both mobile and stationary applications.
What materials can withstand earthquakes?
Wood and steel have more give than stucco, unreinforced concrete, or masonry, and they are favored materials for building in fault zones.
How do you stabilize a freestanding bookcase?
Tip. A bookcase has more of a tendency to wobble when it's top-heavy. Prevent this by concentrating weight on the lower shelves. If you have heavy carpeting, make the bookcase more stable by pulling back the carpeting and nailing a wooden shim to the floor at the position of each of the feet.
How do you secure a freestanding bookshelf?
You can add cross bracing with straps to strengthen the shelves. If you have more than one shelf, place them together back to back and attach them together using bolts for metal shelves or screws for wooden shelves.
How do you secure items on a shelf?
You can use brackets, straps made specifically to secure shelves and large or tall furniture to the walls, or drill holes through free-standing shelves or bookcases to secure them to the wall. Floating shelves are already designed to be mounted to a wall. Just make sure they are securely fastened to studs.
What needs to be done to ensure boxes don't fall from shelves?
To alleviate this, use closed back shelving units or install safety nets on the outside of your shelving. Don't overload and don't mis-load: Shelving, like rack, can collapse and spill its load if it isn't properly loaded. Take care to be sure you don't exceed either the shelf level or total unit capacities.
How do you put a binder on a shelf?
How to Organize Binders on a Shelf1 Put a label on each binder spine to show what's inside.2 Sort different types of materials using colored binders.3 Set your binders out in a methodical order.4 Store hard-to-organize binders by their theme.5 Set project binders out where you can see them.More items...
Is wood earthquake-resistant?
Wood buildings withstand earthquakes. Wood structures can withstand earthquakes, wind and fire. In the aftermath of an unfortunate disaster, wood is a versatile and resilient building material well-suited to repairing and rebuilding structures.
Which is the most earthquake-resistant structure?
The Burj Khalifa is simply one of the most iconic supertall structures in the world. It also happens to be an earthquake-proof building! The structure is composed of mechanical floors where outrigger walls connect the perimeter columns to the interior walling.
What makes a structure earthquake proof?
To be earthquake proof, buildings, structures and their foundations need to be built to be resistant to sideways loads. The lighter the building is, the less the loads. This is particularly so when the weight is higher up. Where possible the roof should be of light-weight material.
How do you brace a bookshelf?
Place one block in each corner at the top of the bookcase. Place one behind the face frame on the front, and one at the back, directly opposite the first one. The glue side of the blocks should be flat against the sides of the case. Tap the blocks hard into the corners.
How do you attach earthquake straps to furniture?
0:001:30QuakeHold! Furniture Strap Installation Video - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSlide the furniture back into the desired. Position clean the surface using the alcohol pad providedMoreSlide the furniture back into the desired. Position clean the surface using the alcohol pad provided. And apply the adhesive end of the strap to the top of the furniture.
How do you secure an open bookshelf?
Measure on Top of the Bookshelf. Place the bookshelf against the wall. ... Apply Double-Sided Mounting Tape. Apply a piece of double-sided mounting tape to the top of the bookshelf where you made the pencil marks. ... Connect the Velcro Fastener. Line the two straps up to the Velcro on the top of the bookshelf.
Do earthquake straps work?
Earthquake straps are a must-have if you live anywhere prone to geological activity. They'll hold heavy items of furniture in place during an earthquake to reduce the risk of damage and injury, and are especially recommended for bookcases, which can deal considerable damage if they topple.
Half-Ass Earthquake Proofing The Pantry | Northwest Edible Life
Living in earthquake central here in the Bay Area means we’re fairly prepared. The shelves aren’t going to last a whole lot longer, due to the weight of the jars, and when they go, I’m going to build wooden ones.
1926.250 - Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Employers shall conspicuously post maximum safe load limits of floors within buildings and structures, in pounds per square foot, in all storage areas, except when the storage area is on a floor or slab on grade.
Earthquake-Proofing Your Living Room Shelves | DoItYourself.com
Securing living room shelves can save your life if and when a major earthquake hits your area. Fastening big furniture such as shelves and cabinets to walls will prevent them from toppling over or becoming obstructions that can block your escape passages.
How to make a shelf earthquake proof?
Plastic shelving and particleboard products can snap and break even when secured to the wall. Even with higher quality shelving, you will also need to secure the shelves to the wall in some way. To truly earthquake-proof shelves, they need to be anchored to studs in the wall, not just the drywall. You can use a stud finder to help locate studs in the wall to mount to.
What to use to protect shelves from earthquakes?
A decorative board, valence, or galley rail will add style to the shelf and act as a shelf restraint. Bungee cords and rope are another option. Bungee cords are a favorite in restaurant pantries and homes alike for securing cans and bottles. The cords are easy to remove and work around when needed. Bungee cords are also great for bookshelves and keeping books from falling to the floor.
How to secure items to shelves?
If you don’t want to alter the look of your shelves with boards or rails, a great way to secure delicate items to a shelf is to use what is called museum or mounting putty. This affordable, adhesive putty can be found at just about any home supply store. The putty is designed to secure collectibles and household breakables to a solid service and keep them from moving around during an earthquake. Museums and antique dealers routinely use the putty to protect porcelain items, china plates, vases, pottery, and other delicate collectibles and antiques from bumps and an other unexpected movement. The putty is simple to use and can be removed from the object without leaving any residue behind. Museum putty is not meant to be used on books or paper objects.
How to keep wine bottles in place?
When it comes to wine bottles, keep racks low to the ground. If you store your wine in wooden boxes, don’t stack them more than two high. If you really want to show off your wine collection, the bungee cord method should keep the bottles from jumping off the shelf or out of their racks. Many California wine companies use high-strength fishing line to keep bottles in place. You can wrap the fishing line around the necks of the bottles and then tie it tightly to the rack.
How to minimize damage from earthquake?
Because an earthquake is not a matter of if, but when, for some people, minimize the damage to your home (and you and your family) by taking steps to secure shelving and items on shelves. Do a walkthrough of your home and look for any items that can be shaken loose during a quake. Even a small earthquake can topple furniture and rattle pictures on your walls
How to secure a bookcase to a wall?
You can use brackets, straps made specifically to secure shelves and large or tall furniture to the walls, or drill holes through free-standing shelves or bookcases to secure them to the wall. Floating shelves are already designed to be mounted to a wall. Just make sure they are securely fastened to studs. Other items such as armoires, china hutches, or tall pieces of furniture, and paintings, should be securely anchored to wall studs as well, for maximum support.
What to do if an item falls off the shelf?
If an item falls off the shelf, it can damage other items and the floor in addition to itself.
How to save your life in an earthquake?
Securing living room shelves can save your life if and when a major earthquake hits your area. Fastening big furniture such as shelves and cabinets to walls will prevent them from toppling over or becoming obstructions that can block your escape passages. Moreover, bracing large shelves onto walls will keep the objects inside them from falling out and causing physical injuries.
Do you need doors for shelves?
If you live in an area that is frequented by earthquakes, you should have doors for your shelves. There are sliding shelf doors that can allow you easy access to the shelves while ensuring that the objects inside them will not fall out should an earthquake happen.
Can you bolt a shelf to the wall?
Unhitched shelves and other furniture can tumble down and get in your way as you scramble to exit or find a safer spot in your home or building. So, it is vital that you fasten or bolt your shelves to the wall. For smaller shelves that contain light objects , ordinary bolts and braces are perfect for the job.
Can you use adhesive on shelves?
If you want, you can also use special adhesives to secure all valuable and delicate contents of your shelves. This type of adhesive is non-drying and can be cut according to your preferred sizes and shapes. More importantly, it can be used over a number of times, so you can easily take out the objects anytime and put them back securely in place.
What happens if a kitchen shelf is open?
If kitchen shelves are open and exposed, all of the items stored there might fall off during a large quake, including dishes and glassware. To help alleviate this problem, you could create a "lip" on the shelves, such as a thin strip of wood on or near the edge of each shelf, that would make it more difficult for things to fall off.
How to keep wine glasses from sliding off shelves?
It's easy to install a lip across the front of shelves. Even a lip that is only an inch tall can keep wineglasses from sliding off. Place silly putty, velcro, or surfboard wax under breakables, to keep them from falling off shelves. Add a thin strip of wood as an additional barrier.
What can you attach to a desk?
Also attach large top-heavy objects (such as televisions and computer monitors) to the desks or tables on which they are standing.
How much does it cost to add a heater strap to a wall?
Modern installations include heater straps as a matter of code, but it would cost less than $10 to add them if yours doesn't already have them.
Can you put latches on kitchen cabinets?
In the case of kitchen cabinets, you might also consider installing latches on certain cupboards. During a large earthquake, it is possible that the items inside the cupboard could be sent flying with enough force to knock open the cupboard door.
Can bookshelves fall over?
If your bookshelves are free-standing, they could easily fall over during a large earthquake, injuring anyone who happened to be adjacent, especially a small child. Don't take that chance! Inexpensive metal L-shaped brackets are available at your local hardware store, and they're easy to install.
What does it mean to have a good shelf?
A good shelf means nothing if a jar can just bounce off of the front of it in a quake. People who build wood shelves can add 1×2″or similar strips of wood across the front of the shelf. Ideally, you want this bracing to be high enough to prevent a jar from bouncing right over it.
What is a backstand on a shelving unit?
The backstands are designed to stop items from falling off the back of the shelving units. However, if your unit is mounted securely against a wall and you clip the backstands in the front, you have excellent earthquake bracing for your jarred goods.
How to store jars in original box?
The simplest way to do this is to store filled jars back in the original box they came in with the cardboard divider in place (or, make a sturdier DIY one out of corrugated cardboard). I highly recommend wrapping once or twice around your jar-boxes with duct tape when they are still new and crisp. This does a lot to keep them functional and strong enough to handle getting shoved around (gently, please) while full of preserves.
How high are Metro style snap together shelves?
If you buy Metro-type snap together wire shelving at industrial or kitchen supply places (and this stuff is a personal favorite of mine), they will come with a 3 or 4-inch high snap-in “backstands” for each shelf. They look like this:
What is sturdy shelving?
Sturdy Shelving. Either wood or heavy duty metal. This is not the place for some snap-together plastic shelving unit designed to hold sweaters for nine months in a college dorm before falling apart. To quote my father, you want shelving, “strong enough that elephants can dance on it.”.
Where is the rolled over lip on a shelf?
Note the rolled-over lip at the front of the shelf. I turned a few upside down and got this.
Does the lip slow down earthquakes?
That lip provides a measure of protection in that it slows down the daily earthquake that is my 2 year old son. He likes to run into the pantry in an attempt to play “stack the jars into a tower!” This is one of my least favorite games and I think he just likes seeing how fast I can run after him squealing, “Noooooo!”
How to earthquake proof a garage?
In order to earthquake-proof your garage, it’s a good idea to reinforce the garage door wall with steel or plywood. And while you’re at it, keep your garage storage unit away from the garage windows. This will prevent any glass breakage during an earthquake.
How do earthquakes test your home?
Earthquakes test the strength and structural reliability of your home. Most importantly, they test your preparedness. Make sure your home has been constructed or retrofitted to be as earthquake-proof as possible. While earthquake proofing your home is an unending task, you can always ensure most of the above steps for your safety.
How many earthquakes are there in a year?
According to the National Earthquake Information Center, on average, there are 20,000 earthquakes each year in the world — and most of the damage is not caused by the quake itself but by the collapse of building structures with people inside them.
What are the regulations for building a house?
Building regulations, especially in earthquake zones, require that a house is designed to withstand the horizontal and vertical earthquake forces. These forces should be allowed to pass through the frame of a house to its foundations — leaving the structure intact.
What is the purpose of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program?
Fortunately for us, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continuously works with the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) for building earthquake-proof structures, practices, and regulations. The goal is to safeguard our homes, schools, and offices against earthquakes.
What are the materials used in seismic engineering?
Building materials such as structural steel and wood resist stress and vibration. They allow buildings to bend without breaking.
What materials are used to help with earthquakes?
There’s also fiber-reinforced plastic wrap that provides up to 38% greater strength and ductility. Interestingly, bamboo and 3D printed materials can also function as lightweight, interlocking structures — potentially providing great resistance during earthquakes.
How to protect shelves from earthquakes?
Installing your shelves properly is the next step in ensuring they can live through an earthquake. Attach shelves to studs rather than just the drywall to ensure maximum support. For this, you’ll want to take advantage of a stud finder to locate the studs within the wall and then to mount them accordingly. (This same method should be used to secure other pieces of furniture like armoires, bookcases, and hutches to the wall to protect them from falling or attaining damage during an earthquake.)
What can be used to secure the front of shelves?
For shelves in less visible spots, like in your pantry, bungee cords can be used to secure the front of shelves and to prevent breakable items such as glass bottles from falling and breaking. You can also choose a style of shelving with a lip on it for prevention.
What is the best material to use for shelves?
Whenever you’re installing shelves in your home, choose sturdy and heavy materials that can stand up to the test of movement and heavy usage. This is the first step in securing your shelves to persevere through anything that comes their way. Solid wood or heavy-duty metal shelves fall into the “sturdy” category while snap-on plastic shelving units should be avoided.
Why do you need to secure shelves in a pantry?
You’ll want to make sure that you secure the shelves within your pantry so that you don’t end up with a huge mess of cans and dry goods in the aftermath of an earthquake.
Why should books be secured after an earthquake?
Shelves with books and decor items should definitely be secured to ward off the possibility of a mess after an earthquake. If you forget to secure these, you could lose your bookcase entirely, which will result in an unnecessary expense associated with the cleanup.
Why is it important to take precautions when you live in an earthquake prone area?
If you live in an earthquake prone area, it’s important to take precautions surrounding your home and belongings in case one of these natural disasters strikes. Because the nature of these disasters is so unpredictable, it’s important to have certain precautions in place at all times.
Is it worth securing shelves?
The act of securing the shelves around your home and the items on them is not hard to do, and it’s well worth the investment for when an earthquake hits. You can never be too prepared for a natural disaster, so start now and you’ll be thankful that you did.
