We sincerely want our dear customers to stay safe and feel truly protected during any flood event by providing advanced modern flood protection solutions. However, we sometimes get comments that doors or gate passages are not the only way floodwaters enter the house. That is why we decided to create an article that will focus on how to reinforce your house and make your flood protection most efficient.
Why is it essential to reinforce your building against floods?
Indeed, even the most efficient anti-flooding solution like a flood gate won`t provide you 100% protection if your building, structure, and materials are not flood-proof.
And the struggle is real for more and more homeowners worldwide. Once a hazard for those on a coastline or near significant water bodies like lakes and rivers, floods are turning into an annual routine for more people today.
The notorious climate change leads to massive rainfalls and snowmelt that lead to flooding. Still, the ongoing process of global urbanization leads to covering the surface of Earth with hard materials like roads, concrete paths, etc.
It prevents water from its normal circulation, soaking into the soil and evaporating gradually. Eventually, we get a misbalanced water circulation process that leads to numerous natural disasters and hazards. Floods are, of course, the most common ones.
In other words, today, any house is at risk of being flooded. Therefore it is wise to build your house considering the flood-prevention standards from the beginning.
But what if you already live in a house that was built long before flooding became an issue in your area?
There are several ways you can reinforce the building to make it withstand a flood.
Consider flood-resistant materials
Flood-resistant materials can withstand at least 72 hours of direct contact with water without being significantly damaged.
When we talk about significant damage, we mean damage beyond a basic DIY low-cost cosmetic repair.
It is essential to use flood-resistant materials for walls, floors, roofs, and other building parts that may get into direct contact with water, soak it, or get damaged, "welcoming" the flood into your house.
Flood-resistant materials are:
- concrete,
- closed-cell and foam insulation,
- pressure-treated and marine-grade plywood,
- ceramic tile.
As for the hardware of those structures, it is best to use galvanized and stainless steel. Such materials are definitely more expensive, but considering the damage caused by a flood, it is an investment that will pay off instantly.
Waterproof Veneer for Exterior Walls
A waterproof veneer is another way to reinforce your house and help it withstand flooding most efficiently.
Such veneers often consist of a layer of brick, which is endured with waterproof materials. To get maximum protection, it is also useful to consider the same reinforcement for the house's inner walls.
You may also want to make certain changes in the interior walls to guarantee the efficiency of your floodproof reinforcement..
Ensure to replace batt insulation with washable closed-cell foam insulation in the areas below the estimated flood level.
Also, it is essential to replace all wood blocking parts with exterior grade lumber for maximum protection.
Sewer back-flow valves
We often get requests that imply that doorways and gate passages are not the only way floodwater enters the house. Once you want to truly reinforce the building, it is, of course, essential to consider all possible scenarios.
It is pretty common for floodwater to connect with sewage and enter your house through the drainpipes. Not only do such unfortunate events cause significant damage and are definitely a severe health hazard, but the repair that you will need after such an event is quite costly and complicated.
A sewer backflow valve is another type of flood barrier that will help you prevent sewage from getting into the house and causing significant damage.
You can purchase such easy-to-install and efficient devices on our website along with numerous other additional anti-flooding solutions.
Reinforce wells against contamination
Although it is not technically a building reinforcement, protecting the well from floodwaters is essential and, unfortunately, often neglected.
However, floodwaters often carry pretty hazardous contaminations such as sweage waters, toxic material, chemicals, gasoline, and others.
Not only can they damage the well it is safe, but those contaminations may also pass unnoticed right after the flood and have severe long-term consequences after the water retreats. In other words, there is a big chance that your water may appear simply dangerous to drink or even touch after flooding.
To protect the well water, make sure to extend its above-ground part for at least two feet over the estimated flood level.
If you have any kinds of materials that can potentially contaminate the well water (stock of gasoline, chemicals, fertilizers, etc.) right on your property, it is essential to place them at least 100 feet away from the well itself to avoid contamination.
While we are doing our best to provide you efficient and easy-to-use flood barriers, they still cannot be a 100% solution in case your building itself cannot withstand the flood. That is why once you buy an estate or build a house in a flood-prone region or feel like floods may become an issue in your area due to climate change and other factors, it is essential to inspect your building thoroughly with an expert who will be able to pint out all flaws in the construction that can welcome floodwater into the house.
At Dam Easy, we are always happy to answer all your questions and offer numerous additional solutions except for our world-famous flood barriers. Contact us today and get a comprehensive consultation and an instant offer that will consider all the architectural peculiarities of your house along with the rate of flooding in your area.
$1,087.79
Dam easy® para evitar la inundación de la represa. Las inundaciones son cada vez más frecuentes en todo el mundo.Lo que solía ser un fenómeno centenario se ha convertido en una tendencia estacional que los propietarios deben afrontar. … Read MoreEl dique de contención de inundaciones.
