Do you live in an area with frequent earthquakes? Can you give some advice?

January 13, 2007 9:21 PM

I've recently moved to San Francisco and experienced my first earthquake. During the very minor quake (so minor I thought it was a truck driving by for a second) I noticed one of my book shelves wobble. So I'm wondering: how can I protect collectibles and such from falling off/breaking in a more serious earthquake?

I'm sure there is only so much I can do. But have you used products like museum wax? Or screwed your Ikea bookshelves into the wall with those straps they always provide? Is it worth the trouble?

Thanks!

posted by ebeeb to grab bag (17 comments total)

Secure things as best you can, with the heavy stuff mounted to the wall via moly bolts and such. Museum wax is definitely a good idea for collectibles where you want to show them off, but have some measure of stability, combined with the wall mountings.

But seriously, your biggest concern is keeping the bookcases from falling and smacking you in the head. So, start there first.
posted by frogan at 9:26 PM on January 13, 2007

There are braces to hold bookshelves to the wall. And you can use museum wax to hold your things in place. Been through my share of quakes. Wow, do I HATE them.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:30 PM on January 13, 2007

From my experience most fragile things break in earthquakes not because they are thrown forcefully around but because they "shake" themselves off of whatever surface they are on. So a simple solution is just to not provide a clear path for them to fall off that way.

For much bigger quake in which things are thrown around, then your personal safety takes precedence over your things and that means, as frogan said, not having high thin bookcases to smack you down.
posted by vacapinta at 9:35 PM on January 13, 2007

The Ikea brackets are really there so that the shelves don't fall and break you. But yes, I live on the other side of the Bay and I bolt everything I can to the wall. I don't know if it will make any real difference when the Big One comes, but I can at least feel somewhat prepared. And, honestly, if you make it through something rough enough to break your colectables they'll likely be the last thing on your mind at the time.
posted by lekvar at 9:54 PM on January 13, 2007

Related question, hope that's ok. I'm in Seattle, and have built-in bookcases of the ubiquitous adjustable variety- that is to say, the wooden uprights have cylindrical holes drilled into them, and the shelves are supported by little geegaws that fit into those holes. I've wondered if there are any superior geegaws available which would actually grip my shelves rather than simply rest underneath them. Anybody know?
posted by carterk at 9:54 PM on January 13, 2007

My parents put latches in the dish cupboards.
posted by brujita at 10:16 PM on January 13, 2007

The same company that makes museum wax makes these really cool picture hangers that are large and plastic and have a maze that the wire runs through so it can't fall off...use these for your pics on the wall, and they also have furniture straps that screw into the wall and then velcro to the top of the bookcase or whatever.

We have a very old, very valuable mirrored hall stand and what we did with that was install screw hooks on the back, put heavy duty picture wire in between and then put a couple of the picture hangers up and settled the hall stand so that its whole weight was on the floor, but it can't wobble due to the wire.

I've also seen some people install a little elastic strap across the front of the bookcase so the books don't run away.

Museum wax is your friend tho...its under just about everything in this house, including a kitchen light fixture that I couldn't figure out how to fix any other way :)

regina
posted by legotech at 10:17 PM on January 13, 2007

In our lab, we used tape on the bottom of the shelves to form a lip so the bottles wouldn't just shake off. If you are looking for more aesthetic advice, try the NZ Earthquake commissions be prepared site
posted by scodger at 11:49 PM on January 13, 2007

I moved from northern california to arizona. the books stay on the shelves just fine now. ;o)
posted by doplgangr at 1:03 AM on January 14, 2007

My one tip, from an anecdote: No mirrors above the bed.
posted by shanevsevil at 1:33 AM on January 14, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Do indeed put the straps on your book shelves. And secure as much stuff as you can. In the Wittier quake (LA, 1987, IIRC), my boss lost his cat when a heavy tape deck fell down onto the cat. (His house was otherwise totalled, too, and that wasn't a big quake).
posted by Goofyy at 5:59 AM on January 14, 2007

Another thing to consider: the new magnets are amazingly powerful. If your collectibles have either ferrous metal or a spot you could hide a magnet inside, you could probably embed a few in the shelf. The modern magnets are incredibly powerful, to the point that it's important not to order very big ones. You can hurt yourself quite badly with a 1" neodynium magnet.

With small magnets, the attraction falls off very fast, so you need to get the the two surfaces almost touching... but once you do, the stick is amazing. You can put a small magnet in your pants pocket and hang a huge spanner wrench off the outside. They're STRONG.
posted by Malor at 6:05 AM on January 14, 2007

When I moved to LA in 1990, I used to laugh at people who would freak out when a small earthquake would roll under their feet. Then I was thrown from my bed at 4:31 AM on January 17, 1994. My roommate was in his water bed yelling "Weeee, it's the big one!" but I still think it sucked.

Secure everything that may break, but more importantly you don't want things to fall on you. Learn how to be prepared for an earthquake.

Personally, after the Rodney King beating and subsequent race riots, and the OJ Simpson trial, and fires and floods, etc, I decide the 1994 Northridge Earthquake was my invitation to leave California.

Good luck!
posted by terrapin at 6:56 AM on January 14, 2007

Thanks everyone! I'm going to spend some time (and money) making my apartment safer for my collectibles AND ME!!!!
posted by ebeeb at 11:55 AM on January 14, 2007

You're probably ahead of this ... I screw ring-bolts into the uprights in the wall, then secure the bookcases etc using picture-hanging wire (or other wire) between bookcase and rings. Make sure the rings go properly into the studs though, not just into plaster. You can buy stud-finders in hardware stores.

Loops of nylon fishing line round vases then tied to pushpins in the shelving are an extra level of protection with the museum wax -- wax stabilizes things but isn't strong enough to prevent taller objects from toppling.

As others said, anything that might fall on your bed needs to be extra secure.
posted by anadem at 1:19 PM on January 14, 2007

Right.

Two other tips: No bed under a window. No breakable bottles full of flammables (includes some high-proof liquor, as well as oils) anywhere near a pilot light. A friend kept a bottle of lamp oil in his laundry room and it shook down and broke during a quake; the gas dryer's pilot light ignited it, leading to a fire that damaged the residence.
posted by ikkyu2 at 6:57 PM on January 14, 2007

Second vacapinta's suggestion about small objects on shelves. A friend glued down her knick-knacks with something, (not sure what it was) and it made a horrible mess.
posted by Rash at 10:26 PM on January 15, 2007