How To Protect Your Home From Flooding
According to figures published by the Environment Agency, roughly one in six UK homes is susceptible to flooding of some kind, should the weather take a turn. Additionally, 1 in 10 new homes are being built on at-risk land. This might seem startling, but should highlight the importance of ensuring your home joins the ever-growing band of flood proof houses.
Reading on, explore why it’s important to protect your home from flooding, and the techniques you can follow to achieve flood proof housing.
Why is it important to protect your home from flooding?
Millions of Brits are positioned to be potentially impacted by flooding, because of the whereabouts of their property, so it’s crucial that appropriate measures are taken to avoid catastrophe. If you’re unsure if your property is considered a flood risk, you can request a full report that details the history of your home.
If your home does come under the flood risk category, you should establish preventative measures to keep damage to a minimum. While flood proof housing can save you from substantially forking out in repairs the long term, it also helps you to preserve the sentimentality of your home and your cherished belongings.
Finding the right flood insurance
If your home is a flood risk, you should definitely consider taking out flood insurance. Having active flood insurance can offer peace of mind, should your defences fail or prove to be too weak. It’s worth noting that, despite flood resistant houses being better placed to handle water, you should always plan and prepare for the worst-case scenario with insurance in place.
As with all kinds of insurance, there are varying levels and categories you can choose from, covering everything from structural damage to irreparable furniture. The level of insurance best-suited to your home depends on the chances and severity of possible flooding. If you’re unsure of this, check out your long-term flood risk.
How to protect your home from flooding
You know why it’s important to protect your home and possessions, but understanding how to create flood proof housing is even more crucial. We’ve outlined some of the ways you can limit the damage to your home if you fall foul of flooding, from quick solutions to practical steps.
Sign up to a flood warning system
A flood warning system is in place to alert you of any imminent danger to your home or surrounding area. This could be as a result of rising rivers or excessive rainfall.
Signing up to receive free phone, email, or text flood warning notifications could be the difference between seeing out the flood in a secure and prepared environment and suffering extensive water damage.
Let your landscape do the work
The easiest way to ensure a flood proof home is to divert flowing water away. The most effective way of achieving this is the way you landscape your garden:
- Install efficient drainage and piping
- Create a gradient away from your property
- Choose rain-loving plants
- Avoid cutting your lawn too short
Make a flood plan with your household
It’s absolutely crucial that you and your family are fully prepared for every eventuality when the flood warning sirens. Instead of waiting until the day arrives, and resorting to panic, map out a plan of action ahead of time, so each member knows how to tackle the difficulty.
Your plan should detail who is responsible for certain tasks, the areas that require the greatest protection, what to do in the event of breaching, and an outline of your temporary living arrangement should your home become compromised. By fully preparing for flooding, you can approach the otherwise stressful situation with a level head and stronger focus.
Ensure all installations are non-porous
When kitting out your home, consider the practicalities of your chosen appliances and installations, and how likely they are to stand up to flooding and resulting damp. For instance, solid wood, stainless steel, and plastic features will absorb much less water than the likes of chipboard and fibreboard, both of which would likely be unsalvageable.
This is just as important a point to remember when picking out your skirting; you might not consider plastic skirting to be as attractive as more up-market alternatives, but it withstands water much more impressively.
Install non-return valves
Non-return valves are a clever piece of kit that ensure water only flows one way: from your toilets, sinks, and showers. In instances of flooding, a non-return valve prevents nasty sewage water from being pushed back into your home, and can cost between £50-500. This measure helps prevent your flood proof housing from becoming unsanitary.
Elevate your electricals
Electrical appliances and sockets are the last thing you want to expose to water, so, if your home is in a high-risk flood zone, this should be one of your first considerations.
Give your home a fighting chance of surviving by ensuring your plugs are raised off the ground, to a height of at least 1.5m. This way, if your home does start to take on water, the damage will, at least, be superficial.
Have shelving across your home
Despite being one of the more basic defence measures, shelving could be your most cherished installation in the instance of flooding. Of course, it won’t save your large appliances or flooring, but strong shelving allows you to move your personal belongings above ground level if you are anticipating a flood. While water damage can still be costly and an inconvenience, saving your sentimental and irreplaceable memories is priceless.
Protecting your home against flooding not only helps to improve the safety of your family and pets, but also prevents serious internal damage. Flood proof houses are recognisably better prepared for heavy rainfall and difficult conditions, so make sure you fall into this category if you live in an at-risk area.
Failing to take appropriate measures can reduce the value of your home considerably, whereas taking flood protection seriously can encourage prospective buyers. For even more helpful advice and tips around home maintenance, explore the latest from us now.
