Flood resilience measures - Can they work?

Flood resilience measures - can they work?

Flood resilience measures are solutions you can use to make your home or property stand up better to flood events.  This might sound bizarre, but sometimes it is better to let the water in than trying to keep it out by making your property more resilient to flooding and thus reducing the impact of flood damage and allowing you to reoccupy in days instead of months.

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Examples of flood resilience 

Getting the drying process underway as soon as possible is the key to getting back to normality quickly.  Below are some resilience examples that can help 

• Putting the plug sockets, boilers and service meters higher up the walls - above previous flood levels.
• Installing tiled floors on a concrete floor. Consider "tanking" – waterproofing used for underground structures.
• Fit plastic skirting boards, or wood such as Oak that is more resilient to floodwater, or coat with several layers of yacht varnish.
• Replace your kitchen units with stainless steel, a plastic carcasses (on which ‘normal doors can be fitted and removed before a flood) or solid wood rather than MDF or chipboard units (as these disintegrate with the effects of floodwater). Alternatively, raise the units and stand on a plinth so flood water can run beneath them into a drain.
• Replace ordinary plaster with lime-based plaster or cement based render.
• Fit lightweight internal doors with rising hinges, so if you get a flood warning you can lift the doors off out of harm’s way.
• Also, keep items of sentimental value upstairs where the floodwater can’t get them.

Simple measures that cost nothing can often be taken to “build back better” after a flood. They can greatly improve flood resilience.