The garage may be the one room in your house about which you have little, if, any concern. But its structure is worth taking another look at as this part of the home is notoriously poor at withstanding earthquakes. This is particularly true if a garage bears the weight of a second-floor room. The wide door built to accommodate one or two cars can effectively deprive the edifice of a load-bearing wall. The problem becomes exacerbated if the second-floor room is an addition to an original structure that was not designed to carry extra weight.

If your garage has not been inspected for earthquake safety, have a licensed engineer or architect assess the design and construction for seismic resistance. If retrofitting measures are called for, don't skimp on the necessary investment. You might be advised to reinforce the strength of the doorway wall with certain upgrades, such as the addition of plywood panels, a steel frame or steel straps. Retrofits might not be cheap but will certainly cost far less than rebuilding a fallen section of your house. Also bear in mind that a collapsing garage could crush a car and rupture containers of flammable liquids—an obvious recipe for disaster.

For a general illustration of seismic retrofits for the garage, see The Homeowner's Guide to Earthquake Safety, produced by the Seismic Safety Commission of the State of California.