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How do you prevent flood water from coming under your door?

How do you minimise flood water from coming in under your door?

To flood proof a door there are a variety of guards you can quickly fit as soon as you become concerned of a possible flood to your property.

These can reduce or stop water from seeping, squirting or gushing through gaps in external doors as the flood depth and pressure rises.

As with all options there are positive and negative aspects to each, here are some to consider.

 

Sandbags

For

Against

 

 

Easy to find in DIY stores, on line and via builders’ merchants

You need time to fill them

Tried and tested traditional solution – you know what to expect.

The British Government Commissioned Pitt review Review was unable to obtain any significant evidence that sandbags were particularly effective during the 2007 summer floods in providing protection to individual households.

Can be built into a high wall away from a structure.

It takes skill to build a wall, best left to emergency services or the army to deploy in this way.

Sieve effect can be reduced by adding plastic sheet.

It is not easy to build an effective barrier 1st time when working under pressure.

Weighing 30-40 pounds each 15kg – 18kg dry to 55 pounds 25kg when wet they are less prone to being washed away by shallow flood water.

You need strength to position them and they can still be washed away. AA (Automobile Association) states “Just 60cm of standing water will float your car. Just 30cm of flowing water could be enough to move your car.” 

The main ingredients – sand or dirt are natural.

Used contaminated sandbags are very heavy, large and smelly and must be dumped into landfill

 

Flood bags / inflatable sandbags

For

Against

 

 

Easy to find in DIY stores, on line and via builders’ merchants & cheaper to transport and store while dry than sandbags.

Once wet they take up the same storage space as sandbags and have about a 2-month shelf life from being wet.

Tried and tested based on traditional solution but less porous they do not need plastic sheets.

It takes time for the absorbent within the bags to absorb water and swell and they become heavy and difficult to manoeuvre before they can be used

Can be built into a high wall away from a structure.

It takes skill to build a wall.

Each Flood Bags can weigh less than 1 pound (approx. 1/2kg) when dry and up to 50 lbs (23kgs) once filled and wet. This makes them easier to store and manage.

Being of similar weight to the water they absorb they are even more prone to being displaced by the flood than sandbags. AA (Automobile Association) states “Just 60cm of standing water will float your car. Just 30cm of flowing water could be enough to move your car.” 

Uses similar ingredients to disposable diapers / nappies.

Used contaminated flood bag like sandbags are very large and smelly and must be dumped into landfill – not recycled yet

 

Flood Door Panels – water proof panels, wooden, plastic or metal that slide into fitted rails or other permanent attachments to secure / seal the panel in front of the outside door.

For

Against

 

 

Easy to find in DIY stores, on line, via builders’ merchants and specialised flood panel installers.

Ideally defined by survey and fitted by professionals – relatively expensive

 

Needs a frame to be permanently fitted to / near the door frame – a constant reminder and indicator to others that your property is at risk of flooding

Panel can be painted to blend-in with the door.

The door panel may e lost or damaged in between flood events

Door can often be opened while the flood is ongoing, making escape easier.

Risky, if the system is not well maintained and perfectly well fitted it could leak …

Reusable.

Needs regular maintenance to ensure the seals work when needed.

 

Flood Trap tape – water inflating weather strips to boost a door’s seal against flood water pressure from allupsltd.co.uk

For

Against

 

 

Easy to find on-line via www.allupsltd.co.uk

Not currently available through 3rd party resellers or platforms, delivery 1-2 weeks.

Very low cost per depth of flood £/cm or $/Inch protection

Not recycleable yet, though very low impact in land fill compared to alternative options

Easy to fit by everyone – not just the most physically fit and able.

Making a soft waterproof seal between the door and its frame the door cannot be used until the flood water has drained away.

Very low cradle to grave cost

 

Easy to store and transport

 

Low weight and volume both when dry and when wet

 

Can be used against both low level floods and very deep floods without risk of being moved by flood water as trapped and swollen between the door and its frame.

 

Can be used around basement doors

 

Flood Traps Tape


See what happens without Flood Traps Tape when just 10L of water is through at a door to 6" 15cm up from the door threshold