Homes built without a basement often use cripple walls, which are short (2ft - 60cm) stud walls that help support the main floor and rest on the foundation. Failure of the cripple wall can cause a building to collapse. These walls need to be braced horizontally to be able to resist the destructive quake forces.

Sheathing strengthens cripple walls by providing this lateral reinforcement. The size and nailing requirements are determined by the size of the building and the expected forces acting upon it. Specifications can be obtained through a local contractor or a handbook of construction codes which can be found in a local library. This installation is inexpensive and easy to do, and can prevent homes from complete collapse.

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