Home and business owners are regularly told to ‘protect themselves’ from being flooded but how can we do this? Whatever we do to try and protect our homes, we need to remember that we will always remain at risk. During the floods of last winter we saw major flood defences overtopped in Cumbria, and flood defences at the property level can be overwhelmed in the same way, so we must never be complacent.
I made my former home flood resilient and I can tell you it shortened my recovery time by a huge amount.
Everyone much prefers trying to keep the water out of our homes and businesses (and let’s face it, who wouldn’t?) But what are the best ways of doing this? Flood water will always find its way in through vulnerable places, so make sure the outside of the building is in good repair, and block up any gaps around waste pipes or in the mortar. The next obvious entry point is the doorways, but you don’t always have to put a flood protection guard around your door, as you can now buy what essentially looks like a normal door or even patio door. Once these are locked they can protect against flood water entry 24 hours a day, which is great when you are out at work, or away from home. Always look for a door with a Kitemark, as these doors have been tested to a high standard. Some of these doors are allowed a small amount of leakage, so I always recommend that people also put down some ‘sand-less sandbags’ on the inside. Some of those now available can soak up around 20 litres of water, so will give you an added layer of protection.
Also think about how to close off airbricks, as around 5,000 litres of water an hour can enter your home or business via this route. To combat this, I suggest replacing your existing airbricks with a ‘self closing’ variety as these work without human intervention. These are great when we are away from home, and also saves having to fit airbrick covers at 3.30 in the morning, which is when flood warnings tend to come!
If the floodwater is expected to be more than around 600mm deep, it is not recommended that you try to keep it out. This is because the water pressure could cause structural damage. In this case, it’s best to let it in but you can adapt the inside of your property, so the damage and impact is reduced. The best time to do this is probably after a flood as part of the repair work, or if you are making any alterations to your home. Think about using plaster that can survive a flood, such as cement or lime-based types; put in a solid floor with ceramic or stone tiles, using waterproof adhesive and waterproof grout. The tiles can be extended up the wall to replace skirting boards; plastic skirting boards can also be used. Move your plug sockets, boilers and other essential electric items further up the wall, out of harm’s way.
Think about fitting a flood resilient kitchen – made from stainless steel or marine ply – so when a flood does occur, you can sanitize it, dry and reuse. Please don’t think this will make your home look horrible, it really won’t. I’ve been in so many homes that been made flood resilient, they look so nice – in fact, on several occasions I’ve had severe kitchen envy! I made my former home flood resilient and I can tell you it shortened my recovery time by a huge amount.
Finally, always ask the advice of an experienced professional before undertaking any of this work – for details contact the relevant trade body, which is the Flood Protection Group of the Property Care Association:
For more details see the Know Your Flood Risk website and the Flood Guide.
By Mary Dhonau
Mary Dhonau OBE has been flooded on many occasions herself. She is a well-known flood resilience campaigner, the Chair of the Flood Protection Group at the Property Care Association and the Chief Executive of the Know Your Flood Risk Campaign
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