With yellow weather warnings throughout the week, and reports of London firefighters responding to over 350 calls on Monday alone due to the flooding, experts at Howarth Timber have shared their expertise on how to assess your flood risk along with steps to prevent and manage flooding in your home or business in the future.

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How to assess your flood risk?

Flooding is unpredictable, but there are actions you can take to determine your level of risk and effectively prepare for these hazardous conditions.

Homeowners and business owners, for example, may easily determine their risk by entering their postcode into the government’s Flood Warnings in England page. Flood planning maps illustrate where flooding is expected to occur, allowing you to estimate your risk and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your home.

Even if you know your house is at risk of flooding, your local council’s interactive maps or data may not solve the fundamental concerns. You may ask a flooding expert questions such as, “Where will the water come from?” What are the chances of floods in the area? How can I keep my house safe?”

How might flooding impact your house or company?
Flooding may be catastrophic to your house or company. It can cause water damage and mould, as well as structural damage and loss of goods. As you can expect, these difficulties are not only expensive but also extremely annoying and time-consuming to resolve.

Depending on the sort of flood and the height of the waters, flood damage can harm your house or company in a variety of ways:

Damage to electrics

One of the most serious consequences of a storm is flood intrusion into electrics. Because of the potentially fatal mix of water and electricity, this problem must be addressed as soon as possible. A competent electrician will need to replace any exposed plug sockets and wiring. Metals oxidise at a considerably higher rate when exposed to water than when exposed to air. If the water includes contaminants, salts might accelerate oxidation.

The first step in cleaning up after a flood is to turn off the electricity at all outlets in your home. This entails disconnecting anything from power sources before beginning work on any portion of your home that may have been flooded (even if it seems dry).

Damage to the foundation and structure

If floodwater sits in a structure for an extended amount of time, it will begin to corrode the materials. Water will remain in a structure for a long time after a flood has passed unless moisture management equipment and large power fans are used promptly to dry it out.

Floods can also cause structural damage by pressing on the foundation and basement of a structure. Even if the flood was not high enough to reach your home, the ground outside might remain wet for days if you do not mop up any flood water immediately. Under the strain of this water, the foundation or basement walls of a building may break or collapse.

Damage to furniture

Floodwaters can infect and ruin soft furniture and carpets for good. Furthermore, the risk of mould and mildew, as well as the accumulation of bacteria, demands the restoration of damaged furniture. Certain furniture may be recoverable with intensive professional cleaning; nevertheless, some things may cost more to rescue than to replace. Chipboard furniture will quickly absorb water, but plastic and solid wood objects may remain intact after being completely cleaned and dried.

What steps can you take to make your property flood-resistant?

There are various methods to make your property flood-resistant, but one of the most essential things to remember is that you should never put off thinking about these things until a flood occurs.

If you live in a flood-prone location, you should take precautions as soon as possible to protect yourself and your family from being caught off guard.

Flood resistance refers to the efforts you may take to keep the flood from entering your home. Among the suggestions are:

When the flood risk is high, install detachable barriers to windows and doors
Seal any windows and inspect the brickwork for cracks (these should be filled in)
Install one-way valves in drainage lines and toilets to reduce the possibility of sewage backing up into the home

Flood resilience involves protecting a property’s interior if a flood does enter. This can be done in a variety of ways, including:

TVs mounted on the wall and connections placed high up the walls
Putting up high shelves to safeguard decorations and things
UPVC frames being used to replace existing wooden window frames.
Laying down stone or ceramic tiles to protect the flooring

Should you hire flood recovery equipment?

If you find yourself in an emergency due to severe rain or other sources of flooding, you must act quickly to minimise damage and protect safety. To remove the affected area, you’ll also need fast access to pumping and drying facilities.

Clear and the affected area

If your home has been flooded, you must act quickly to minimise damage and quickly dry out your property. There are a few things you can do right away to help reduce the length of time it takes for your house to dry out and the risk of electronic fires.

First, make sure that all devices in your home are completely unplugged before submerging them in water. This includes televisions, laptops, and other major equipment. If any of these things are plugged in while submerged in water, they may be damaged or short-circuit due to moisture exposure.

Remove standing water with a water pump

If there is a flood, you should hire a submersible pump. Many companies offer a variety of water pumps, from low water levels to high debris-filled water levels. Sump pumps are excellent in dealing with groundwater floods and high water levels. Submersible pumps are made to be immersed in water and have a high flow rate (the pace at which it shifts water away). Sump pumps can be permanently placed in high-risk areas to provide extra peace of mind.

Ventilate and dry the area

The next stage in flood restoration is to dry out the affected area with additional drying equipment. Hiring an air mover (carpet drier) and dehumidifier will save drying time dramatically. An air mover can dry carpets, wallpaper, and hard floors; this process is quicker and more effective when a dehumidifier is used in conjunction with the air fan.