Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Calendar: Saturday, Oct. 11 Pride celebration kicks off with drag pageant Poems explore everyday miracles Police reports Nonprofit offers seismic checkups in Rogue Valley Education AHS rated 'below average' despite high test scores Building + cooking + eating = learning Students to 'Read More For Jack Dorr' Budget committee members needed Fighting back against hackers Environment Fires and forests evolved together, but now people are in the mix Marijuana growers are threat to salmon, biologists conclude Annual tour shows how to live green Taking action here, now on global climate change Business Ashland land use rule review continues From 'drug house' to spa Universal Rites Tattoo Greg Zyla: 1959 430 V-8 Thunderbird owner seeks information Silvio Calabi: Nissan’s Taxi of Tomorrow Politics and elections Ashland land use rule review continues Council backs bump in tax to support buses Travel expert touts pot legalization Videos of local candidate forums airing now on TV Election officials fine Richardson for late reporting of rent-free home State News Nation - World Obituaries Elizabeth Anne Jones Death Notices Lester "Les" Nugent No farewells were spoken Death Notices Sports Latest Stories Ashland volleyball team pushes Summit in three-set loss Grizzlies use trick play to stun Comets Raiders ready to break in new turf against Montana Western Undefeated Grizzlies host Crater today Raiders blank Mountaineers, inch over .500 in league play High school Ashland volleyball team pushes Summit in three-set loss Grizzlies use trick play to stun Comets Undefeated Grizzlies host Crater today Ashland eases past Eagle Point again, keeps streak alive Balanced Grizzlies shred Comets in MWL blowout Southern Oregon University Raiders ready to break in new turf against Montana Western Raiders blank Mountaineers, inch over .500 in league play Ashland eases past Eagle Point again, keeps streak alive It ain't over 'til it's over in the Pac-12 SOU volleyball team up to No. 11 Opinion Latest Stories Our View: Retain Marsh on council Letters to the Editor, Oct. 11 Religion and politics in America Matthew T. Mangino: Trials, pleas and the burden of proof: A search for justice Letters to the Editor, Oct. 10 Editorial Our View: Retain Marsh on council Our View: A delicate balance downtown Our View: Great public effort makes for great public space Our View: Our View SOU control shifts downstate Letters Letters to the Editor, Oct. 11 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 10 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 9 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 8 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 7 Guest opinions Religion and politics in America City should revise its rules for murals Into the heart of darkness Herb Rothschild: Peace begins at the table City still ignores Plaza suggestions Revels Latest Stories Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Works in progress (No heading) Southern Oregon Pride Festival celebrates diversity 'Gone Girl' is a dark, twisting winner Theater Camelot Theatre presents 'Spotlight on Johnny Mercer' Southern Oregon hosts its Lunacy Theatre Festival Friends of Jim Giancarlo remember Ashland theater icon Music Q&A: Becky Alter Q&A: Band du Pays Swing The Farr Side: Bennett-Gaga collaboration is a cross-generational gem Rogue Valley Symphony opens its 2014-15 season Q&A: Nacosta Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies Movie review: ‘The Judge’ doesn’t know when to end Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas 'Gone Girl' is a dark, twisting winner Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Pride celebration kicks off with drag pageant Consenting to receive yourself just as you are Dr. Murray Feingold: Take precautions to prevent home accidents Community Blog: Predicting Peace - Part 4 of 7 Looking Up: See the Great Baseball Diamond Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW Calendar: Saturday, Oct. 11 ... Our View: Retain Marsh on council ... Religion and politics in America ... Calendar: Saturday, Oct. 11 ... Our View: Retain Marsh on council ... Religion and politics in America ... ASHLAND Nonprofit offers seismic checkups in Rogue Valley By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 10, 2014 @ 11:11 am By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 10, 2014 @ 11:11 am » RELATED CONTENT • Letters to the Editor • Historic downtown faces earthquake risk • Grant to help SOU upgrade science building • Chile quake offers tough lessons for U.S. Pacific coast » Social News When it's time to make aesthetic upgrades to the home, Clean Energy Works hopes homeowners also will consider upgrades for stability during a seismic event and energy efficiency.  "When you're renovating the kitchen, opening up walls, it's the perfect time to look at bolting down the house," says Derek Smith, CEO of CEW. "It's a great way to get the most bang for your buck." The Portland-based CEW is the largest nonprofit home performance provider in the state. The company specializes in energy efficiency upgrades for single-family homes but branched out to include solar energy, radon mitigation and seismic upgrade services in the past six months to transition the company to total home performance. "We look at the house as a system," Smith says. "We want to make the home more comfortable, safe, healthy and with an increased value for homeowners." The seismic upgrade program was piloted in Portland using funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "We learned the technical standards for contractors and how to explain the benefits for homeowners," Smith says. "Our goal is to make a good seismic project easy and affordable."  A seismic upgrade involves a steel bracket connecting the house to the foundation and can cost between $3,000 and $8,000. Smith says that many homes in this part of the country are just set on top of the foundation and can shift off that foundation during a seismic event. Even though CEW only began offering these services in the Rogue Valley in September, homeowners are on-board. Before the program came to Southern Oregon, 300 names were amassed to a waiting list. As of Tuesday, 10 percent had been scheduled for evaluations. Interested homeowners can sign up for a free 100 point performance check at www.cewo.org. The check is performed by a CEW vetted contractor to check things like for air leaks, seismic risk and solar potential. CEW then puts together a package outlining financing options and contractors for the projects. "People really learn a lot about their homes during these checks," Smith says. "More people are understanding the existing risks. Homes are much more comfortable after an upgrade and there's a peace of mind knowing that the home is much safer in an emergency." "Efficiency isn't quite tangible," Stephanie Swanson, CEW's director of marketing, says. "But there's a mindset change in homeowners where they're looking past the counter top to other upgrades. "Our first upgraded home was recently resold. It's something the buyer really was interested in. As we start seeing that turnover, we're going to see that interest from home buyers." The city of Ashland in March discussed mandating seismic upgrades for major remodeling projects, perhaps in excess of $100,000, but the ordinance under discussion would apply only to commercial and multiple-unit residential structures, not single-family homes.  A massive earthquake like those that have occurred every few hundred years along the Cascadia subduction zone off the Oregon coast would topple many structures built prior to 1976, when building codes began including seismic structural safety mandates. Email reporter Ian Hand at [email protected] or call him at 253-722-4071. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/IanHand_DT . By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 10, 2014 @ 11:11 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501