Flooded road with sign

Flood Resilience – Design

In addition to installing specific flood materials and products, simple design changes can have a large impact of the recoverability of a property. These include both new-build design and retrofit measures.

During the retrofit of the Flood Resilient Repair House there was an opportunity to carry out design alterations to improve the properties resilience to water damage. These include some of the measures listed below.

Elevated Electric Sockets

By simply raising all ground-floor sockets and having them wired down from the ceiling, the damage of flood water to a homes electrical circuits can be avoided.

man measuring plasterboard sheet for interior construction

Horizontal Plasterboard

Traditionally plasterboard is installed vertically. However, by installing them horizontally only the lower panel needs to be removed and replaced should flood water enter the property, reducing impact and costs.

Raised Appliances

Kitchen appliances such as ovens and washing machines can be raised to worktop height; elevated them above potential flood water levels. Similarly TV’s and sounds system can be wall mounted.

Storage Baskets

Often floods occur quickly, leaving little time to protect household belongings. By placing items in lower cupboards in baskets, these can easily be removed and placed on high counter tops or taken up to other floors.

Impermeable Materials

Replacing carpets with tiles or ceramic ‘wooden’ boards will act as a form of mild resistance, but primarily prevent costs of flooring damage and speed up the recovery of a property post-flooding.

Resin Bonded Furniture

A large impact of flooding is warped fittings and furniture. By installing products such as kitchen units and boards made from resin-bonded board or ceramic countertops this impact can be mitigated.