Drew Camenson, general manager of Honolulu Park Place, spent most of yesterday inspecting the Downtown 40-floor condominium for any visible damage as a result of Sunday's earthquakes.

Some minor cosmetic cracks were found in a few spots, including drywall that had shifted slightly in one apartment, but overall the building had sustained no major damage during the violent shake, Camenson said.

"As a matter of prudence, we will be having our architect examine the entire building again," Camenson said.

Engineers say Camenson did what every building or homeowner should do after a natural disaster — examine for visible damage that could indicate larger structural issues and contact a licensed professional if anything suspicious is found.

Gary Chock, vice president of the Structural Engineering Association of Hawai'i, said generally if nonstructural damage has not been found — such as doorways that have shifted or cracks in interior drywall — that most likely there is no structural damage to the building.

Large diagonal cracks in concrete or masonry, broken glass, window and door frames that have shifted, or drywall that has shifted are all examples of nonstructural damage that could indicate larger structural problems.

"There will be damage to the nonstructural portions of a building well before the structural damage ensues," Chock said.

If damage is found, Chock suggests calling a licensed engineer or architect to do a building-safety assessment. If the damage is considered to be significant or life-threatening, he suggests calling state Civil Defense, which can dispatch a professional to examine the structure.

Structures that are likely to have sustained damage include those on soft soil; buildings constructed before 1988, when O'ahu's Seismic Zone rating was upgraded; or buildings that are fairly old or contain elements of unreinforced masonry.

For instance, a 100-year-old home in Manoa where a brick chimney collapsed is an example of a building containing unreinforced masonry, Chock said. The chimney made of brick was not built to withstand even minor earth shaking, he said.

He said most buildings constructed during or after the 1990s offer little cause for worry.

"The shaking on O'ahu was quite noticeable, but it wasn't to the level (that) we would expect to see structural damage," he said.

Camenson said Honolulu Park Place residents had reported being rattled from bed Sunday morning, and many were concerned about the structural integrity of the building after the quake.

He said he assured those residents that building management had found no significant problems, but did find several cosmetic cracks, including one that stretched for three floors between the parking structure and the building.

"We still felt it was necessary to call our architect and a licensed contractor," Camenson said.

Homeowners who have earthquake coverage also may work with their insurance agent to assess possible damages.

But, most homeowners in Hawai'i don't elect to purchase additional earthquake insurance as they do hurricane insurance, said J.P. Schmidt, state insurance commissioner.

"Most lenders don't require it here in Hawai'i. They do require hurricane insurance, which is why most people have it," Schmidt said.

Schmidt estimated that only a few thousand people purchase additional earthquake coverage in Hawai'i.

Carolyn Fujioka, spokeswoman for State Farm Insurance Cos. in Hawai'i, said relatively few of the company's customers purchase the additional coverage. But those who have it may work with their agent to take stock of suspected damage, she said.

Nova Lee, an artist with Third Dimension Gallery at the Maunalani Shops on the Big Island, said the gallery lost about $50,000 in artwork as a result of Sunday's quakes. The gallery isn't even set to open until Friday, but Lee said the shop will open as planned despite the loss.

"Insurance will not be covering it. We were told our business insurance doesn't cover earthquakes," Lee said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.