Prudent Prepping: Quakehold! Wax Review

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

Last week marked the 2 year anniversary of the Napa, CA earthquake. There is a very good recap of the damage at the 2014 S. Napa Earthquake Wikipedia page, and I gave it a very brief mention in a post a week after it happened.

Last week also saw a terrible earthquake of similar magnitude hit Central Italy, but with very different results.

What seemed to make the difference was

1. Very strict building codes in California, used to build and remodel older structures;
2. Italian earthquake retrofit laws only coming into force since 1997, and 
3. The difficulty in reinforcing 100-500 year old structures. 

California has very few buildings over 150 years old, and none of them are for residential use. The house I am in now is 50 years old, and while not up to current CA codes (in place since the mid 1980s), it is built and braced well enough to show no damage from the 1989 earthquake. I don't have any worries about this house falling down in anything less than a repeat of the 1902 San Andreas quake, estimated to be 100 to 200 times more powerful than the 1989 quake that destroyed a freeway and closed the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge!

I do however have a personal concern for things inside the house falling or breaking. I have anchored the mirror on my dresser to the wall and do not have anything else to hold steady, other than the monitor and mid-tower computer case on my desk. My landlord, on the other hand, has several cabinets that are strapped to the walls, but the contents are liable to be broken in an earthquake.

I have recommended to him some of this:

QuakeHold! Museum Wax

http://amzn.to/2bTwIRt

From the QuakeHold! website :

Depending on what types of items are to be secured, and on what kinds of surfaces they will be positioned, here are some recommendations as to which adhesive to choose. In the case of china, pottery, ceramic, or wooden items the putty is preferred. For crystal and glassware use the clear gel, and for anything being secured on a more permanent basis on wooden shelves the wax is a good option.



As the china cabinets hold family heirlooms and mementos that will be difficult to replace, securing everything to the shelves is important! I used several QuakeHold! products in the past and my parents are using it to secure my Mom's mementos.

Using all of these products is very simple:

1. Clean the base of the object to be secured, and also the space where you are securing it.
2. Scoop out a small portion of of the wax and roll in your hands to make it soft.
3. Place it under the item(s) to be secured and press firmly to mold the wax to the shelf and item.

One Important Tip!
When mounting bowls, vases and other items with circular bottoms, several small dots of wax from pea to grape-sized are better than one large blob. Smaller amounts will show less and make dismounting things much, much easier.

The Takeaway
Don't forget the small things in your prepping plans. Grandma's cup and saucer won't keep you warm, but saving them may warm the heart of someone close.

The Recap
Recommended to my landlord: Several QuakeHold! items, particularly Museum Wax. $10.49 from Amazon with Prime.


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If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.