Flood Resilience - Your questions answered
1. What are the most likely impacts of flooding?
The impact of flooding is two-fold - the emotional and the practical. On a practical level the impact can be devastating. In some cases properties are gutted by water which completely destroys fittings such as kitchens made of MDF or chipboard, and carpets or soft furnishings are ruined by contaminated water damage. Even once these items are dealt with the fabric of the buildings takes a long time to dry out. The emotional impact is even more devastating. The loss of possessions and property, and the inability to return home for some time causes great stress and disruption. Plus the strain from worry such as the impact on house prices and the risk of future flooding, all take their toll. By following our advice to install protective measures home owners are limiting the emotional as well as the practical impact of a flood.
2. What do I do once I've been flooded to get back into my house?
It is important not to return to your property until it is safe to do so. If water is still present there could be health and safety issues from contaminated water or hidden dangers if the gas and electricity have not been turned off or isolated. First seek advice from Floodline, your Local Authority or the emergency services if they have been involved with the flood to confirm you can return home. Next contact your insurer. Call its emergency helpline and follow the advice you are given. Carry out emergency work e.g. pump out the water, but don't throw anything away as a loss adjuster from the company will need to see it to decide what course of action to take. Most household policies will cover the cost of alternative accommodation until your house becomes habitable, but check your policy details. Talk to your insurer/loss adjustor about resilient repairs and what can be done to your home to help prevent future damage.
3. What methods of protection are there that householders can use?
There are two forms of protection - flood resistance and flood resilient techniques. Measures that provide resistance help prevent water getting in to buildings. Measures that provide resilience are to ensure minimal damage occurs if water does get in. Ideally buildings should be fitted with both. Examples of flood resistance measures include pump and sump systems which drain water from below floor level faster than it rises, or flood boards, which are installed around doors for resistance against flash floods. Flood resilient measures include replacing timber floors with concrete, and carpet with tiles. Perishable materials such as MDF or chipboard kitchens can be replaced with plastic or steel alternatives. Gypsum plaster is susceptible to water damage and can be replaced with more water resistant materials such as lime plaster or cement render. Similarly, items which can be damaged by flooding and which are expensive to replace or repair can simply be placed out of harms way by raising them above likely flood levels - such as boilers, wall sockets and meters. One-way valves on drainage pipes decrease the risk of sewage backing up into a building during a flood.
4. Why do I, a homeowner, need to think about protecting my property?
Buildings and contents insurance will protect homeowners for the majority of the costs incurred through flood damage (please check your policy for more information) but no insurance policy will be able to replace items with significant personal meaning or sentimental value. Similarly, no policy will be able to spare some home owners the inconvenience and disruption of being forced from their homes for days or weeks during and immediately after a flood. Therefore the onus is on all homeowners who live in flood risk areas to find out what steps they can take to protect their properties from flood damage as far as they can. There are a number of ways homeowners can do this which will drastically reduce the level of damage that properties sustain. In addition, home owners can help to control their buildings and contents insurance premiums if they can show they have taken steps to minimise the potential damage.
5. Do homeowners have to employ specialist builders to undertake this work?
It is advisable for homeowners to seek expert advice before carrying out any major work. A professional civil engineer will be able to advise on what kind of modifications are best for the property. However any good building firm will be able to make structural alterations such as moving boilers or installing pumps. And many of the other measures, such as erecting flood boards, can be done by homeowners themselves as needed - these types of product are designed to be erected in minutes after a flood warning has been issued.
6. Can I make any of the changes to my property myself?
Some changes are possible without major work required. For instance it is possible to raise some items off the floor (for example fridges) using props. This will provide protection in the event of shallow flood water entering your property. Home owners do not need to wait until their property is flooded to install resilient techniques, they can be done in normal DIY situations - i.e. if you fit a new kitchen. For work involving fitting specific equipment or making structural changes we advise seeking expert advice and assistance.
7. Aren't these modifications ugly and damaging to the aesthetic appeal of a house?
Many of the changes are mainly hidden - such as the under floor pump and sump system. And some are temporary which only need to be erected when a flood warning is issued and take just minutes such as using door guards, or airbrick covers. Some changes are permanent and visible - for example placing sockets half way up a wall - but can be disguised, and are certainly more preferable to the alternative.
8. How much do flood resilient measures cost?
The cost of purchasing and installing products to keep flood water out of your property and minimising the damage will depend on the type and size of the property and the kind of flooding you want to protect against. The most common products such as door guards and air brick covers could cost only a few hundred pounds and moving washing machines and other white goods to higher levels would again be relatively inexpensive. However a full suite of measures would be substantially more, but could pay for themselves after a single flood. Its worth remembering that if a property is protected, flooding should cause less damage, so drying out and cleaning up is faster and easier. This means you could move back home far more quickly if you have to leave your property at all.
9. How will flood resilient modifications affect my insurance?
In the long term, adopting such measures could make it easier for an insurer to continue to provide cover to your home if you are living in a high flood-risk area. There may even be an effect on the terms of your insurance if a comprehensive course of flood resilience and protection is undertaken, and there is a measurable impact on your flood risk. What's more it will help prevent filthy flood water from invading your home.
10. Is any funding available from the government to assist home owners in paying for this?
The Government has provided financial grants for some areas to help homeowners install flood resilient and flood resistant measures in appropriate properties. The Welsh Assembly Government has already established a pilot grant/scheme for such measures. Check with your local authority.
11. Following a flood what are the steps I need to take before installing any flood resilient techniques?
Diagram Source: DEFRA
As the above diagram illustrates there are a series of steps you can discuss with your insurer to ascertain whether installing flood resilience or resistance techniques is appropriate for your property.
12. Where can I find out about products that reduce the impact of flood damage to my property?
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) published a useful guide giving the types of measures and average costs - including the amount they would save after the event. Go to www.abi.org.uk. The Environment Agency also produces a number of useful guides. You can also try CIRIA's website - the construction industry's research and information association - for up-to-date information - www.ciria.org/flooding. When looking at products remember to look for the BSI - Kitemark certificate.
NHDHG9441 11.2009
