A Guide to Flood Resilient Repairs

Over five million people live or work in areas at risk of flooding and sadly things are not likely to improve substantially. Climate change and pressure to build more new homes, often on flood plains, will only contribute to the problem of flooding. And it is unlikely that the flood defence measures currently in place will be effective enough to counter the increased risks.

The effect of a flood is devastating for a homeowner. Not only do they have the trauma of seeing their possessions damaged and lost, they may also be unable to return to their home for many months.

Bar moving home, you cannot stop a property at risk of flooding from being deluged. But you can put into place measures that will minimise the damage and speed up the repair time. This guide looks at what is available and gives handy hints on how to reduce the effects of a flood on your home and family.

We take a look at:

What you can do if the threat of flooding is imminent
What you can do during a flood
What you can do to protect your home in the future

In the house:

Turn off gas, electricity and water supplies at the mains.
Unplug all electrical items and where possible store them up high or upstairs. With heavy electrical items such as fridges raise them up on bricks.
Put the lid down on your toilets and place something heavy, like bricks on top to stop the water coming in through waste pipes.
Put plugs in baths and sinks, weigh them down with a sandbag, pillowcase or plastic bag filled with garden soil or a heavy object.
Make sure all personal items are moved upstairs or out of the house, as these cannot be easily replaced.
Keep all important documents in a watertight plastic bag in a high safe place. Consider keeping duplicate copies of documents with family or friends that are not at risk of flooding.
Move as much furniture as possible upstairs. If items can't be carried, move them away from the wall as this will speed up drying times later.

What you can do if the threat of flooding is imminent

If you live in an area prone to flooding then you probably already know about it. The Environment Agency runs Floodline on 0845 988 1188 which gives real time flood warnings and advice. It is worth updating yourself regularly if you think you are about to be flooded. You can also gain information from the website www.environment-agency.gov.uk/floodline.

Before water hits your home there are a number of measures you can take to reduce the damage and cut down the drying out period.

Roll up rugs, and carpets if you can, and move them upstairs. The same goes for curtains or wrap them round a curtain pole up high.
Leave internal doors open or remove them where possible and store upstairs.
Make up a flood kit - including key personal documents, torch, battery, wind up radio, mobile phone, rubber gloves, Wellington boots, waterproof clothing, a first aid kit and blankets. Also have a list of useful numbers such as the emergency services, local council, your insurer's emergency helpline number and details of the policy.
Make sure neighbours, especially elderly or infirm ones, know there is a flood on the way.

Outside the house:

Open doors and windows and smear the frame with silicone sealant, then shut and lock them to provide a watertight joint. For floods deeper than a metre, you should allow water to enter the property to prevent any structural damage that could be caused by a build up of water outside.
If you can, cover windows, doors and airbricks with plywood, sandbags or metal sheeting. The Environment Agency has a practical guide to doing this.
Move anything not fixed down such as dustbins and garden furniture to a safer location.
Move your car to higher ground so it is not damaged.
Don't try and walk or drive through floodwater - six inches of fast flowing water can knock you off your feet and two feet of water will float your car. Manhole covers may have come off and there may be other hazards you can't see.

What you can do during a flood

Make sure you stay safe during the flood itself.

Don't walk on sea defences, river banks or cross bridges as they may collapse or you could be swept off by a large wave.
Avoid contact with floodwater as it may be contaminated with sewage.

What you can do to protect your home in the future

Once the shock of being flooded has subsided along with the water, it is time to clear up the mess and get the house habitable. Although not widely known about, there are a whole range of measures that can be taken to reduce the impact of the next flood.

Find out the risk of flooding to your property.

Contact your local authority or Floodline for information about the type of flooding the property has experienced, such as the water height, cause of flooding and frequency. Find out the risk of it or any other form of flooding happening again. If others are affected, consider forming a local flood association so that you can help each other. Contact the National Flood Forum (www. floodforum.org. uk) for advice on how to do this.

Find out what can be done to reduce flood risk in your area.

It is important that you find out if there are any plans to reduce the risk of flooding in your area. Again the National Flood Forum will advise on who the responsible authorities are and how you can press for action to be taken.

Consider what you can do yourself.

Fortunately there is a lot you can do to protect your property and, if it is unlikely that preventative measures will be taken by any responsible authority, it is particularly important that you give this very serious consideration

Flood defences fall into two categories - flood resilience and flood resistance. Making a house flood resilient will reduce the amount of damage caused by any water that gets into the house. Flood resistance meanwhile is concerned with stopping the water getting into the property in the first place.

Making flood resistant alterations to your home will cost more than just restoring it to its previous state, but it is money worth spending. If installed, in future floods these measures will speed up the drying out time and get you back in quicker, it will also reduce the cost of future repairs.

You can install these measures at any time, but if you are implementing them as part of the restoration costs following a flood you will probably find that you will be expected to pay the extra cost of the alterations while your insurer pays the cost of the like-for-like restoration.

Making changes

Before you start making changes get advice from a specialist flood surveyor or civil engineer. They can carry out a comprehensive flood assessment and make recommendations for the most appropriate flood defences for your particular property.
They will also advise on specific products, the costs involved and how successful they are likely to be in limiting future flood damage to your property.
The National Flood Forum's Blue Pages feature companies which specialise in this work.

If you are installing them as part of a restoration following a flood not all of the measures will be much more expensive than returning the house to its previous state. For example fitting plug sockets, boilers and service meters higher on walls - above previous flood levels - may cost little more than restoring them where they were before. Others will cost more, but will often pay for themselves after a single flood.

Consider:

Replacing timber floors with solid floors and cover with tiles. Tiled floors with rugs that can be moved will suffer less damage in a flood than carpet.
Replace chipboard kitchens and bathroom units with plastic, steel or solid wood. If not, raise cupboards up on stilts so that water can flow beneath them.
Fit water - resistant door and window frames.
Install non-return valves in drainage pipes to prevent sewage backing up into the house.
Replace usual plaster with a more water resistant version such as lime plaster or cement render.
Always use waterproof sealant on external walls and water resistant paint on internal walls.
Buy airbricks with removable covers - put them on during the flood but remember to remove afterwards to help the drying out process.

Flood defence

You can also buy a number of ready-made flood defences to minimise damage. We recommend use of accredited products such as those with a Kitemark - supported by the Environment Agency - as these have been tested and found fit for the job. Many of these flood products such as window and door boards are attached only when there is a risk of flooding. The Environment Agency or Floodline will be able to give further information about these products as will the National Flood Forum

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) (Jan 2009), if an average home were to flood to a depth of 0.5 metres the cost of the damage caused is estimated to be £30,000 - £40,000. But the cost of flood damage to properties with these products could be reduced by between 40% and 70%.

Do remember though, if there is a risk of severe flooding - defined as when the flood water is more than a metre high - then you may cause more harm than good keeping the water out as the force may cause structural damage to the building itself

It also depends on why your home is flooded and the type of soil it is built on. For example if it is on porous soil, such as chalk, then the water can rise up from the ground into the ground floor so protecting the property from flooding is more difficult. A "sump and pump" system may be necessary in these cases - a sump is created below the floor and a pump is installed in it, so that the water can be pumped out faster than it is coming in.

NHDHG9439 11.2009