Protecting your home from floods

Monday 20th October 2014

Winter weather alerts are a timely reminder of the need to batten down the hatches. Read below for how to protect your home from flooding.

It's impossible to completely flood-proof a property but there are lots of things you can do to reduce flood damage.
 
By preparing your home in advance, you can reduce the damage floodwater might cause and also make drying out and cleaning up quicker and easier.
 
Shelving: Keep irreplaceable or valuable items on high mounted shelves.

Home entertainment: Fix your audio-visual equipment such as your TV and hi-fi to the wall, about 1.5 metres above floor level.

Skirting: Fit water-resistant skirting boards or varnish wooden ones.

Walls: Use horizontal plasterboard or lime-based plaster to dry-line, instead of gypsum. Get a special draining system for cavity walls.

Floors: Lay tiles with rugs rather than fitted carpets.

Internal doors: Fit synthetic or waxed doors, or make sure wooden doors are easy to remove before a flood.

External doors and windows: Install synthetic or waxed windows and doors, or varnish wooden ones.

Kitchen and bathroom: Use water-resistant materials such as stainless steel, plastic or solid wood rather than chipboard.

Appliances: Where possible raise fridges and other electrical appliances on plinths.

Electrics: Raise electrical sockets, fuse boxes, controls and wiring to at least 1.5 metres above floor level.

If re-wiring: Bring cables down the wall to the raised sockets so cabling isn't affected by flood water.

Large items: buy extra large, sealable bags that you can use to protect items that are difficult to move such as electrical goods and sofas.