How To Protect Your Home From Flood Damage

It’s impossible to completely flood-proof your home, but there are lots of things a homeowner can do to reduce flood damage.

We’ve got some ideas to help…

Is My Home Likely To Flood?

Stormy weather is becoming more common for UK winters. winters are getting wetter, with flash flooding events becoming more likely every year. Five out of the six wettest UK winters on record have occurred since the year 2000. The Environment Agency estimates that almost one in four properties in England are at risk from flooding.

Before purchasing or renting a home it’s worth checking if your home is at risk or if you are considering buying a house in a flood zone and you may want to consider having a flood risk assessment report undertaken by a surveyor.

You can check your flood risk instantly and for free using your postcode on the government webpage Flood warnings for England. If you are at risk, then you can sign up for flood alerts by phone, email or text message. These services are free.

It’s worth noting, though, that even if your home isn’t listed as being at long-term risk on this government website, you could still be at risk of flooding in the event of a high level of rainfall. Flooding doesn’t just happen to properties near rivers.

How To Quickly Protect Your Home From Flood Damage

If your area is on high alert for flooding, you can help to flood-proof your home by getting sandbags and other temporary flood precautions in place. Move valuables, including important documents, upstairs, and if you can, turn off your water, electricity and gas supplies. Also, turn off appliances that use water, such as your dishwasher andwashing machine. Be prepared to evacuate immediately if you’re asked to, including your pets. Don’t risk leaving too late and only return when you’re told it’s safe.

Simplest And Cheapest Steps To Flood-Proof Your Home

• Stock up on sandbags: Your local council should have a stockpile. Or you can get your own from some DIY or building supplies shops. Or look for non-sand alternatives on the National Flood Forum Blue Pages Directory. But beware, if your problem is with groundwater flooding, sandbags won’t help.
• Varnish wooden skirting boards:This isn’t as fail-safe as fitting water-resistant plastic skirting boards, but varnishing your existing wooden ones is a quick and cheap alternative.
• Air brick covers. You can buy covers that fit over air bricks to stop flood water entering. They are relatively cheap at £50-300, but make sure you remove them once the flooding has passed, to allow the bricks to dry out again.
• Fit non-return valves on drains and pipes: This helps prevent sewage from flowing back through pipes from toilets and sinks. And it is relatively inexpensive at £50-£500.
• Shelving. Mount high shelves to store valuable items if you can’t move them off the ground floor.
• Raise your household appliances: Similarly, to protect the mechanics of household appliances, you can either move them off the ground floor or raise them on plinths where they stand. You can also raise televisions and sound systems to the wall above flood level.
• Protect valuables with sealable bags: If large items such as electrical goods and sofas are too hard to move to a higher floor, buy large sealable bags.

Measures To Take If You Have More Time And Money to Flood-Proof Your Home

• Move electrical sockets higher up the wall: If you move electrical sockets to a height of about 1.5m they are less likely to be damaged by low level flooding.  This is not always practical, and it will cost around £1,000-4,000.
• Replace wooden floors and carpets. Concrete with a damp-proof membrane and ceramic tiles are preferable to wooden floorboards. Be careful sealing it around the point where the floor and walls join. And replace fitted carpets with rugs, which are easy to move them away when there’s a flood warning.
• Quick release internal doors: These can be quickly and easily lifted off their hinges and moved out of the way so that they don’t absorb flood water. If you can’t be sure you’ll be around to remove doors, you can fit synthetic or waxed doors which will resist flood water. You can have your door thresholds raised above the flood level. The front door and porch could cost from £1,000-£10,000.
• Replace chipboard and MDF units: Materials such as plastic, solid wood and some metals will absorb less water and require less drying out after a flood.
• Fit water-resistant skirting boards: Plastic skirting boards might not be as attractive as wooden ones, but they are less absorbent, so all you’ll need to do is wipe them down after a flood.
• Seal exterior walls: Applying sealant to the exterior walls will cost around £500.  But it may cause damp inside your bricks if they are in bad condition.
• Water-resistant air bricks: These will cost £500-1000 and mean you don’t have to fit covers every time it floods. But they need to be carefully maintained to avoid seepage.
• Barriers: Building a flood barrier can be expensive, anything from thousands to tens of thousands of pounds, but your neighbours may be willing to pool their resources.
• Landscaping: The outside areas of your home can also be designed in order to divert water away from the building.
• Protect your doors and windows: If you don’t have time to install flood-resistant doors and windows, you can quickly install flood boards if you are expecting flooding. This will cost around £500-£3,000 and will require permanent fixtures that will be visible on your building.

What Are The Best Measures For Keeping Groundwater Out?

Even if your neighbourhood isn’t on the Environment Agency’s map of “at risk of flooding” areas, you could still be at risk of surface water or groundwater flooding. Indeed, many city homes experienced their first floods in recent years when drains bec

• Should I use a pump? Yes, a pump is the most effective way of dealing with groundwater and it will cost anything from £50-2,500. But make sure the inlet is installed lower than the water you are pumping so that it can drain.
• What if the flood level outside is higher than the water inside? Don’t pump! You could increase the water pressure outside and cause structural damage to your home.
• Should I use an electric or petrol/diesel pump? Electric pumps are quieter and easier to power because you just need to plug them in. Be careful because electricity can be dangerous near floodwater. You may also need a generator if flooding has caused a power-cut.
• Can I flood-proof my basement? Yes, tanking is a popular way of flood-proofing basements. But it can be expensive (£10-20k) as well as complicated.

Does My Insurance Cover Flood Damage?

If it’s a flash flood, then generally yes. However, some insurers may be unwilling to cover you if you live in a location susceptible to flooding. Others will cover you, but may decide to set higher premiums on your home insurance payments.

This is partly due to the Flood Re scheme, into which all UK home insurers must pay so that there’s enough to cover those affected by floods. To be eligible for this scheme, your home must have been built before 2009 and be in council bands A to H.

If your home content or buildings insurance is up for renewal or you’re moving into a new home, the best thing to do is compare home insurance providers to find the right cover for you.

How To Clean Up After A Flood

To clean up after a flood, you’ll need to call your insurance company along with a Loss Assessing specialist like Concept Claims Solutions before you do anything, and they’ll advise on what to do next, including whether you’re able to make a claim.

A Loss Assessing specialist, like Concept Claims Solutions, will represent you, the policyholder, in a home insurance claim to ensure you receive your full entitlement. It’s advised that you appoint your Loss Assessor as soon as possible. For further information, please contact 01772 799750 or claims@concept-solutions.co.uk

Insurance policies vary in the level of cover, with some covering the replacement of damaged items, while others may include help with the cleanup process. Read your policy document carefully to check what you are entitled to.

Always keep a record of the dates and times you contacted your insurer, the person you spoke to, and what was agreed.

If you don’t have insurance, contact your local council for details on hardship grants.

Concept Claim Solutions is a trading name of Concept Building Solutions UK Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 989782).