Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Earthquake strengthening and other home improvement advice ...

Hutt City Council staff will be in Westfield?s Queensgate Plaza on 12?16 November, talking to people about the importance of earthquake strengthening and making your home healthy.

Council will operate a stand in the plaza over the week. Experts will be on-hand to talk through the process of earthquake strengthening, or answer questions about making your home healthy, dry and warm.

?Building Manager Environmental Consents Leonie Gibb says the council recently produced a guide to help homeowners identify features of their properties that might need to be assessed to help to earthquake strengthening. Copies of the free guide, Earthquake Strengthen Your House, will be available for people to take away.

?Earthquake strengthening is an important topic for Hutt City residents, given the region?s proximity to several fault lines? says Leonie. ?The guide offers straight-forward, practical advice for homeowners so they can have their properties assessed and decide if earthquake-strengthening work is required.

?Our homes are often our biggest investment, and maintaining them to a good standard is necessary to protect not only the value of the property, but also the safety of its residents,? says Leonie.

"Some features of a property can be easily improved by the owner, whereas others need expert assistance. We can help people get an idea of what that might involve.?

Assessments are undertaken by qualified builders from the Master Builders and Certified Builders associations. An application form will be available for property owners to fill in if they want an expert assessment.

In an earthquake, un-reinforced brick chimneys or walls, foundations and unsecured hot water cylinders are the biggest culprits relating to damage.

Eco Design Advisor Sarah Fleet, who provides free, independent advice on how to create a healthy home, says people are sometimes surprised to find out the council provides a free advisory service aimed at improving the comfort of their homes.

?There are some simple things that can easily improve a home?s health, but often it?s about not knowing where to start or what will make the biggest difference,? says Sarah. She will be taking bookings for free, two-hour in-home consultations.

?Find Leonie and Sarah and the rest of the Hutt City Council team at Westfield?s centre court, on the ground floor, from 10am each day next week.

Source: http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=99460

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