That slab crack easily could be from settlement, not from quakes.
I have a much more narrow crack running the length of the 1,000 sq ft workshop building on the property. It hasn't got any larger that I can tell, and we've had some moderate tremors since I acquired it. I believe it's from settlement, because the neighboring property (the workshop building in in the corner of the lot about six feet from the property line) drops off about five feet. There is a concrete retaining wall along the short side, but the long side had a decaying wood barrier. The condo association there shored it up with a new wooden retaining wall, but there is still a drop-off. So I planted a row of fast growing trees along the chainlink fence. I believe the roots are helping to stabilize the soil there. At some point I'm going to fill the slab crack with grout or cement or whatever is recommended. The building itself is all wood and doesn't appear to be suffering from the movement. I suspect with non-pre-stressed slabs around here, there are those who have cracked, and those who are going to crack. There also could be some heaving under the workshop. I dunno. Once I fill the crack, I suppose any protruding edges could be ground down, as is done with sidewalk cracks (which are numerous around here).
I do not share your aversion to gas appliances in California. I don't have an operating gas oven here, but if I did I'd vent it up through the roof. The gas cooktop is vented by the range hood. The forced air furnace in the crawl is vented through roof, as is the gas fired water heater in the enclosed patio.
Nothing is guaranteed. Even electricity can kill you. And, remember the big fire up north that killed scores of people? That wiped out an entire mountain community? That was started by... electric power...
And I still don't understand the logic, if any, or putting a water heater in the attic. Seems like it's just asking for trouble, regardless of how it's powered.
I have a much more narrow crack running the length of the 1,000 sq ft workshop building on the property. It hasn't got any larger that I can tell, and we've had some moderate tremors since I acquired it. I believe it's from settlement, because the neighboring property (the workshop building in in the corner of the lot about six feet from the property line) drops off about five feet. There is a concrete retaining wall along the short side, but the long side had a decaying wood barrier. The condo association there shored it up with a new wooden retaining wall, but there is still a drop-off. So I planted a row of fast growing trees along the chainlink fence. I believe the roots are helping to stabilize the soil there. At some point I'm going to fill the slab crack with grout or cement or whatever is recommended. The building itself is all wood and doesn't appear to be suffering from the movement. I suspect with non-pre-stressed slabs around here, there are those who have cracked, and those who are going to crack. There also could be some heaving under the workshop. I dunno. Once I fill the crack, I suppose any protruding edges could be ground down, as is done with sidewalk cracks (which are numerous around here).
I do not share your aversion to gas appliances in California. I don't have an operating gas oven here, but if I did I'd vent it up through the roof. The gas cooktop is vented by the range hood. The forced air furnace in the crawl is vented through roof, as is the gas fired water heater in the enclosed patio.
Nothing is guaranteed. Even electricity can kill you. And, remember the big fire up north that killed scores of people? That wiped out an entire mountain community? That was started by... electric power...
And I still don't understand the logic, if any, or putting a water heater in the attic. Seems like it's just asking for trouble, regardless of how it's powered.