How to stop water entering your property

Insurance, protection, flood advice

You can protect your home in a variety of ways from sandbags to water-resistant walls. You should seek expert advice to ensure that the proposed defences are suitable for your home and won't lead to other problems such as long-term structural damage.

Look out for flood products that have been awarded the BSI kitemark as they help you assess the quality of the product. 

• General maintenance
  Give flood water every opportunity to disperse before it even reaches your home, for instance make sure that ditches and drains are kept clear to ensure they are free flowing - You can contact your local council to report any drainage problems » more

• Walls and floors
  - Silicone sealants can be used along all gaps in ground floor windows and doors, with special attention to pipe and cable entry points. Sealants are available from DIY stores
  - Waterproof sealants can be used on exterior walls and water-resistant paint for internal ground floor decoration
  - Move air-bricks to above the likely level of flooding
  - A raised damp proof course can be installed to enhance water-resistance
  - Walls and floors can be made more water-resistant by having extended concrete footings and a waterproof membrane put in the foundations 
  
• Doors, windows, air-bricks and vents 
  There are a number of manufactured products that can be purchased directly from DIY shops to minimise water entry through doors, low-level windows, air-bricks and vents.
  
• Drains, sewers and pipe work 
  Look to have anti-backflow valves installed by a plumber. 
  
• Sandbags
  - Have an adequate supply of sand and bags ready to use. They will become scarce during flooding. Try DIY stores, builders' merchants and your local authority for supplies. If necessary, use alternatives such as plastic bags or pillowcases filled with soil.
  - Place each half-filled bag lengthways against a door and parallel to the direction of the water flow. Tuck the open end under the bag, and turn it toward the water flow.
  - Place bags in layers, like a brick wall so each layer overlaps.
  
• Alternative polymer flood bags 
  These lightweight alternatives to sandbags are ideal for storage and deployment because they only expand when they are wet. Floodsax are not often provided free by local councils and need to be purchase directly from the supplier. Floodsax are filled with a super-absorbent polymer. When dry they are flat and weigh less than a kilogram. But when they come into contact with water they can swell up to 20kg in three minutes » more
  
• Flood skirts
  These systems have a water proof membrane below ground level and a 'skirt' which is lifted from special ducting and is attached to the property. A pumping system alleviates rising water pressure and removes any residual water from the ducting system. » more
  
• Adjoining properties 
  - If you live in a terraced or semi-detached property discuss any issues with your neighbours otherwise the defences will only have limited effect.