Property Flood Resilience Measures

I spoke with many people after the floods of 2007 and I was often told that the flood water entered their homes only though their air-bricks. This type of flooding is easily preventable. There are quite a few different varieties of air-brick protection.

• An ‘Elastoplast’ type~ one use only ‘stick on’ variety. (Good to have for peace of mind if you live in a low risk flood area, you can buy these from Amazon)
• Covers that can be screwed into the holes.
• Some that have a fixture permanently on the wall so that, once you have a flood warning, you can easily clip the protection cover in place.  (Remember again, it may be raining  hard or blowing a hooley in the middle of the night when you are trying to fit them, so do allow time in your flood plan.)
• Self closing air brick replacement would be my preferred choice as, they self activate , which means they will work when you are away from home and also means you won’t have to fit them when you receive a flood warning. Don’t forget self- closing airbricks need maintenance. both after a flood to remove any detritus, or at least annually to remove strong spiders webs, which could prevent them from working when needed.

Floodwater can often enter a home via the doorway sometimes entering a home through the front door and leaving via the back door destroying everything en- route.

This type of flooding could well be prevented, or at the very least lessened, by fitting a, preferably Kitemarked flood barrier or ‘flood door’. Make sure they are installed by a suitably qualified professional who works to the code of practice. Be aware that a barrier will have to be installed by you on the receipt of a flood warning ( which may well come at 3.30 a.m, when it’s pelting down with rain) and of course, you will have to be in at the time. A Flood door will act on your behalf, as long as it is locked, so you can be out at work, asleep or  even on holiday in the Bahamas! Kitemarked flood doors and barriers are allowed a small amount of leakage, So think  about keeping a supply of adsorbent cushions’~ they are a bit like disposable nappies for giants and can soak up to about 20 litres of water. (These can soak  up any leakage.) *Remember to have both doors and barriers maintained annually, just as you would a car or boiler.*

 Floodwater can enter your home or business in many ways, and not only through the front door and airbricks. Many people report that the first thing that alerted them to the fact that they were flooding is when their carpets became saturated. In this situation using a pump in a sump under the floor could help to keep the water level down. One of my favourite bits of kit are called ‘Puddle Pumps’  They can sit on the floor and  pump water down to between 1-2 mls. So many people I have spoken to have said they couldn’t cope without a pump ( or several pumps!)

It is sensible to get the advice of an expert qualified in flood risk to help you make informed decisions before selecting such products, experts such as Watertight International.

Exterior flood gates can be very effective at holding flood water back from the street.

Anti back flow valves are very useful to stop sewage entering your home via the toilet. Failing that consider investing in a ‘toilet bung’ which can be easily fitted to stop the floodwater over topping the toilet. Floodwater will find the easiest point of entry, even via your washing machine or similar outlets. Again, you can purchase quite cheap anti-backflow valves for these items.

Also think about the condition of your external brick work, as floodwater will find the easiest port of entry. So have a good look at the outside of your property and repair any suspect mortar and cracked bricks, preferably using water proof mortar. Also on the market are sealants which will make the brickwork more resilient to leaking but, at the same time, will allow the bricks to breath.

Pictured below are Floodsax  ( one version of other similar interventions on the market) which are a useful addition to try to combat surface water flooding and also to supplement other forms of household flood mitigation.

My advice would be to make your home ‘flood recoverable’ – which means: Adapting a property to minimise the effect of floodwater, so that no permanent damage is caused and the structural integrity is maintained. Thus reducing the amount of time homeowners are out of their properties. The recovery from a flood is far worse than the flood itself and anything that can be done to reduce the time it takes to recover is  time and  money well spent!

It is my view that, sadly, every flood defence will be over topped one day and that flood recoverability is going to be the only sensible option, as we adapt to living with the increased threat of flooding.

If a home owner is putting in flood recoverable measures as part of the repair work after a flood, some changes would cost little more than putting it back to how it was before.

Examples of flood recoverable repair includes raising the plug sockets, boilers and service meters higher up the walls – above previous flood levels, installing tiled floors over a concrete floor, (make sure waterproof grout and adhesive is used!) Plastic, laminate look alike flooring can also recover from a flood. Fit plastic skirting boards, or use wood such as oak which is more resilient to floodwater. I used normal skirting board, but coated it with several layers of yacht varnish, when I was flooded again in 2007 and my skirting boards were fine! Ceramic tiles are fine too. Replace your kitchen units with stainless steel or plastic carcasses with beautiful looking plastic doors (if you prefer it is possible to fit ‘normal’ doors and remove them before a flood.)  Also, solid wood can survive a flood. MDF or chipboard units disintegrate with the effects of floodwater.

These don’t have to look at all ugly. The examples shown in my Emag will confirm that. There are some great kitchen design ideas in this booklet too  click to view kitchen booklet

Insulation will need to be replaced with ‘closed cell’ insulation, which can protect against water damage. Make sure that where the walls join the floors ( a regular point of entry for flood water) is sealed, using a good quality slurry. Replace ordinary plaster with lime-based plaster, cement render, a waterproof and breathable plaster, or a replace ordinary plaster boards with ones made of Magnesium oxide, as these are water resistant. If your flood doesn’t tend to be deep, you can replace your plasterboard horizontally for easy replacement. It is also possible to fit a plastic membrane system behind plasterboard, this will allow the water to run straight into a sump and be pumped away.

Solid wood doors will survive a flood but another option is to fit lightweight internal doors with rising hinges, so if you get a flood warning you can lift the doors off and out of harm’s way. Also, keep items of sentimental value upstairs where the floodwater can’t reach them.

Where solid sub-floors exist, the flooring can sit on a studded membrane, allowing water to move beneath the floor and flow to the sumps – this is known as a “cavity drainage system”.