How do I prevent future damage?

• <div><p>Ensure proper ventilation, fix leaks, and schedule regular pest inspections to protect your property.</p></div>

Are brick houses safer in an earthquake?

• <div><p>According to the <a href="https://www.earthquakecountry.org/step4/urmwalls/#:~:text=Houses%20built%20of%20unreinforced%20masonry,and%20the%20roof%20is%20critical.">Earthquake Country Alliance</a>—a public and private alliance in California that works to improve earthquake and tsunami readiness—reports that unreinforced masonry, such as stone, bricks, and hollow clay tiles, is more susceptible to earthquake damage. The mortar between bricks isn’t as stable as other building materials and methods.</p></div>

How much does it cost to retrofit a house for earthquakes?

• <div><p>Costs vary as much as timelines. The average <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-earthquake-retrofitting-cost.htm">earthquake retrofit costs</a> between <b>$3,500 and $8,700</b>. However, homes on hillsides, large homes, and those with rooms over garages can cost up to $12,000 or more. Make sure to get a few estimates to compare the cost and services.</p></div>

Besides grounding outlets, how else can I protect my home?

• <div><p>Grounding is a great first step to prevent electrical shock, but you can take it further with GFCI outlets and AFCIs (arc fault circuit interrupters). In particular, AFCIs help protect against the type of electrical arcs that cause fires, like if a mouse chews on a wire or your laptop starts overheating at the wall. These are required in some areas of your home.</p></div>

Is earthquake retrofit tax deductible?

• <div><p>Many homeowners want to know whether earthquake retrofitting is tax deductible. Because it’s often considered a capital improvement, you usually can’t deduct it. In some cases and locations, you may qualify for tax incentives, but you’ll need to talk to a tax professional or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about your specific circumstances. You may also be able to find grant money for seismic upgrades, which can lower the cost of your insurance premiums and save money over time.</p></div>

Top 10 Best Earthquake retrofitting specialists in Wales, MA

Q: Are brick houses safer in an earthquake?

• <div><p>According to the <a href="https://www.earthquakecountry.org/step4/urmwalls/#:~:text=Houses%20built%20of%20unreinforced%20masonry,and%20the%20roof%20is%20critical.">Earthquake Country Alliance</a>&mdash;a public and private alliance in California that works to improve earthquake and tsunami readiness&mdash;reports that unreinforced masonry, such as stone, bricks, and hollow clay tiles, is more susceptible to earthquake damage. The mortar between bricks isn&rsquo;t as stable as other building materials and methods.</p></div>

Find Earthquake retrofitting specialists in Wales

SSG Pools

4.00(

)

SSG Pools

4.00(

)

Customers say: Quality work

50 years of experience

SSG, or South Shore Gunite Pools, is New England's largest pool builder. We offer building, renovation and maintenance services to residential and commercial clients throughout New England. Headquartered in North Billerica MA, we have been setting the standard for gunite construction and quality swimming pools since 1975. We are shockingly unique in the way that we build, eliminating the uncertainty of relying upon subcontractors and operating with fully in-house employees. This strategy allows us to take full responsibility for our client's projects.

"I moved into my current home in late 2016 and discovered that Southshore Gunite built the pool and spa back in 1986 when they were located in Hanover, MA, so I got in touch with them when I needed help with the pool in the summer of 2017. We discussed a pool cover, which I ordered, and resurfacing the pool, which I didn't order right away. While waiting for the cover, I realized that I had a sizeable leak (300 gal/day) in the underground pool plumbing and arranged for SSG to come find the leak and fix it. After they didn't confirm I called and was told that they just had too many pools to close, and they couldn't fix my leak this year. They did eventually come and close the pool and install the cover. The cover seems to work; see attached photo. This spring (2018) I wanted to avoid the pool-opening rush, so I called SSG to see when would be the best time to open the pool and find the leaks. The kind woman who spoke to me got back later that afternoon, having talked to her boss, to tell me that (1) they had not built my pool (according to the building permit, Southshore Gunite did build the pool, but probably before records were computerized) (2) they only closed my pool because they expected me to resurface my pool (I guess the $6500 cover does not make me a valuable customer), and (3) they would neither open my pool this year nor help find and fix the leaks. So, I'm looking on Angie's list for pool services. I can only conclude that SSG really only wants to build new pools or resurface old ones and that anything else is a distraction. I'm guessing that they service pools they build because the owners expect it after spending several 10's of thousands of dollars. I may resurface my pool this year or next, but it won't be done by SSG."

GERHARD S on March 2018

"I moved into my current home in late 2016 and discovered that Southshore Gunite built the pool and spa back in 1986 when they were located in Hanover, MA, so I got in touch with them when I needed help with the pool in the summer of 2017. We discussed a pool cover, which I ordered, and resurfacing the pool, which I didn't order right away. While waiting for the cover, I realized that I had a sizeable leak (300 gal/day) in the underground pool plumbing and arranged for SSG to come find the leak and fix it. After they didn't confirm I called and was told that they just had too many pools to close, and they couldn't fix my leak this year. They did eventually come and close the pool and install the cover. The cover seems to work; see attached photo. This spring (2018) I wanted to avoid the pool-opening rush, so I called SSG to see when would be the best time to open the pool and find the leaks. The kind woman who spoke to me got back later that afternoon, having talked to her boss, to tell me that (1) they had not built my pool (according to the building permit, Southshore Gunite did build the pool, but probably before records were computerized) (2) they only closed my pool because they expected me to resurface my pool (I guess the $6500 cover does not make me a valuable customer), and (3) they would neither open my pool this year nor help find and fix the leaks. So, I'm looking on Angie's list for pool services. I can only conclude that SSG really only wants to build new pools or resurface old ones and that anything else is a distraction. I'm guessing that they service pools they build because the owners expect it after spending several 10's of thousands of dollars. I may resurface my pool this year or next, but it won't be done by SSG."

GERHARD S on March 2018