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How To Protect Your House From Flooding

Here in the UK, it’s safe to say we’re used to some dreary weather. Our “summers” are usually short lived and we get more than our fair share of rain.

Now that the winter months are upon us, we can expect some unforgiving weather (especially rain). Lots of rain can lead to potential flooding, and this could end up causing damage to the insides of your home.

In order to correctly prepare you for the harsh weather, we’ve decided to look at the best ways to protect your house from flooding.


What Is Flooding?

This may sound obvious, but flooding is when an area is submerged with water, often an area that isn’t usually wet.

Flooding is caused by extreme weather conditions such as very heavy rain, which can cause rivers or drainage systems to overflow and spill out into the streets. The effects can be made worse if you introduce strong winds into the mix, and the results can be very damaging.

In the UK, we don’t get floods quite as bad as other areas of the world where floods can take out entire cities, but it’s also good to be prepared just in case.


Be Aware Of Any Potential Flooding Situations

First of all, it’s important to be aware of any potential flooding in your local area.

You can check this by signing up for flood warnings on gov.uk. This is a free service that will alert you by phone, text or email if your home is at risk of flooding. If you’d like more information on this service, click here.

It’s also a good idea to keep checking the news whenever the weather gets really horrible. Any signs of a strong storm will likely feature on the news and could give you the advantage you need when preparing for the intense conditions.


Identify Your Home’s Weak Spots

It’s important for you to inspect your home and make sure they are no cracks or any signs of a leak. Even the smallest crack can lead to disastrous results if the flood is strong enough, so fix them as soon as possible.

Any areas of concern in your house should be attended to straight away. If you think that water could leak in an area, take the correct measures to preventing it. There are different kinds of waterproof sealants that can help in the event of a flood, and a quick search will allow you to find the thing you need.


Prepare Your Home Accordingly

In order to be fully ready for flooding, there are a few things you’ll need to do around the house.

The first thing that you will need to do is to make sure your gutters are clear. Having clogged gutters can end up sending water into your home and you really don’t want that. Your gutters can be a great aid in sending water away from your home so you need to make time for regular maintenance.

Another useful item that can help with sending water away is sandbags. Sandbags are great for helping to divert water and blocking doorways and other points of entry, but they work better alongside other kinds of flood protection products. There are companies such as Floodgate that have produced effective anti-flood devices, so you should look into what will work best for your home.


Be Careful Of Your Electrics

When preparing your home for flooding, you need to make sure any electric devices are raised off of the ground. In the case of a flood, anything electrical on the ground level will be badly damaged and could be extremely dangerous.

The appliances in question can include speakers, chargers, games consoles and even your TV. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Just to be safe, we suggest having them at least 1.5 metres off the ground.

This doesn’t just apply to electrical appliances either. Anything you consider valuable or irreplaceable should be lifted off the floor and stored as high as possible. For extra protection, consider storing your valuables in waterproof bags.


What You Should Do If The Flood Enters Your Home

Luckily for us, floods will not just happen randomly in the UK. We tend to have a bit of a warning if a storm is on the horizon, and this allows us to plan for any kind of flooding.

If the flood breaks into your home, you need to have a plan on what to do. Each flood plan will be different, but here are a few tips to consider.

First of all, you need to make sure all lights and electrical items are turned off if it is safe to do so. As soon as you notice any water coming in, this should be the first thing that you do.

Next, grab any essential items that you need and head upstairs. Make sure anyone in the house moves upstairs and away from the water, this includes pets as well. It’s crucial that nobody touches anything electrical if they are standing water, as you can imagine what this leads to.

Depending on how bad the flooding is, you should be fine to wait it out upstairs. However, if you are in danger you must call 999 and get help. Water can sometimes rise quickly so it’s important to stay calm and keep everyone around you calm.

Make sure you do not turn on any electrical equipment before you know it is safe to do so. It should also be noted that you shouldn’t be driving in extreme flooding, as this is very dangerous and could lead to you losing control of the vehicle.


Summary

Some of these methods may sound extreme, but you can never be too safe in the event of a flood. Flooding can do some serious damage to homes, so you should try and prepare yours as best as you can.

If there’s anything we know, it’s that the British weather can be unpredictable at the best of times and with a long winter ahead, why wouldn’t you want to be one step ahead?