David Gunderman and Andrew Raskopf

Maintaining your home's structural integrity by retrofitting and eliminating hazards inside the home may be a life saver in the next quake. Here are some things to look for:

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES
Check for hazards in the home.

• Fasten shelves securely to walls.
• Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
• Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.
• For the kitchen: Use latches, such as those used for baby-proofing, to secure cabinets and drawers. Secure the refrigerator and microwave with nylon straps with peel and stick application.
• Keep heavy items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds, couches, and anywhere people sit.
• Brace overhead light fixtures.
• Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks.
• Secure a water heater by strapping it to the wall studs and bolting it to the floor.
• Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects.
• Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves.
• Close blinds or drapes each night to prevent broken glass from flying into the room.

• Foundation: Check for cracks, crumbling and evidence of standing water.

  Brick foundations are troublesome because they can break apart. Poor foundations are fairly common in pre-1930 homes.

  The first step in retrofitting is bolting the foundation to the mudsill at 4- to 6-foot intervals around the perimeter with expansion bolts.

• Cripple Walls: Cripple walls are the short walls between the foundation and the first floor. During an earthquake, cripple walls can act like hinges, allowing the house to shift off its foundation. This can rupture utility lines and damage the entire house.

  Cripple walls should be reinforced with plywood sheathing, also known as shear walling. The cost of putting a house back on its foundation is about 23 times the cost of shear walling. Shear walling is also recommended at the ground floor for two- and three-story homes.

• Garages: Living space above the garage makes your home more vulnerable to damage. Steel reinforcement or added shear walling along the sides and above the garage door can help keep your home from buckling, as many apartments in San Francisco's Marina District did during the Loma Prieta quake.

• Chimneys: The Loma Prieta quake destroyed more than 10,000 chimneys. Most of them were built before 1960 or were in poor condition.

  Falling chimney bricks can cause serious damage and injury. Brick chimneys can fall through the roof or onto surrounding property during a quake. A chimney's vulnerability depends on its age, location, height and the condition of the mortar. The most dangerous are chimneys extending 5 feet or more above the roof.

  Consult a qualified contractor or engineer about your chimney's safety. Stay clear of the chimney during and after an earthquake.

• Masonry Veneer: Stone, brick and adobe are sometimes used around the fireplace or on the exterior of the house. Older veneers are especially vulnerable to earthquake damage, and there's not much you can do to reinforce them.

  Like brick, falling stone can be extremely hazardous. Stay away from masonry veneer during and after a quake until you know it's safe.

  Jim Winter, owner of the Alameda retrofitting company California Earthquake Protection, says he never discourages anyone from working on their own home, but he cautions people to know what they are getting into before beginning a do-it-yourself retrofitting project. The tools are expensive, even to rent, and working inside a crawl space isn't pleasant. If you have someone else do the work, expect to pay a licensed contractor from $3,000 to $10,000 for a complete retrofit.

• Shutting off the gas: Keep a crescent wrench -- the kind with adjustable open ends -- near the gas valve. Show everyone in your household how to use it.

  If you smell gas or hear a hissing sound after a quake, you could have a gas leak.

  Turn off the gas by moving the bolt on the gas line a quarter turn in either direction so it runs crosswise on the pipe. (Sometimes an old bolt is too corroded to move. Test yours before a quake occurs. If you can't turn the bolt one-eighth turn, call your utility company for an inspection.)

  If you suspect a leak after a quake, turn off the gas and open the windows. Don't light matches or turn on electrical switches. Let the utility company turn the gas back on because there may be damage, and relighting pilot lights can be tricky.

  Some homeowners purchase an automatic gas shut-off valve, which works when it senses an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 or greater. The drawback to such valves is they also may shut off when a heavy truck passes.

  Homer Nowell of San Leandro, inventor of an automatic shut-off valve called the Vanguard Valve, says the thought of a fire after a quake on the Hayward fault drove him to design his product.

  "I don't want to spend 30 years paying for a house and then lose it in an earthquake fire,'' he says. ``How do I know I'll even be at home to shut off the gas?''

  Expect to pay about $200 for an automatic gas shut-off valve and another $150 to $250 for a permit and installation by a qualified plumber. The valves are available through most plumbers.