Howard Cook’s Videos

The following videos were created by Howard Cook, owner of Bay Area Retrofit in California. Howard is a leading authority on the retrofit of homes, having been in the business for twenty years. He was a FEMA earthquake inspector after the Loma Prieta earthquake in the San Francisco area and has been involved in the development of buiding code, retrofit techniques and the training of other contractors including, to a far more indepth level, this one. While the videos were made for, and speak to, the San Francisco Bay area market, they are also extremely relevant to the British Columbia market. Our homes are constructed similarly and the engineering principles behind retrofit design are universal.

How We Apply Engineering

How We Apply Engineering

Description
Seismic Retrofits for Homes With Crawlspaces

Seismic Retrofits for Homes With Crawlspaces

Homes sitting on level lots with just a few steps to the front door do not have cripple walls. Retrofits are simpler, more affordable and very effective.
Seismic Retrofits Prevent Houses from Overturning

Seismic Retrofits Prevent Houses from Overturning

Pay good attention if your home has living space above a garage or above walls full of windows. Top heavy homes are least able to resist an earthquakes overturning forces.
How Seismic Retrofits Save Houses

How Seismic Retrofits Save Houses

Learn about the three key components of a seismic retrofit and how they function.
Why Houses Need Seismic Retrofits

Why Houses Need Seismic Retrofits

Find out why bolting your house to its foundation is not the primary concern in preventing its collapse during an earthquake.