Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back into
their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs shouldn't
just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house flood resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is actually
very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof non-absorbant walls
(possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty cables coming from upstairs (or
from the loft) *down* rather than from under the floor up, solid concrete
floors downstairs and maybe even a floating "raft" floor on top of the
concrete floor for your furniture that would float on top of flood waters
keeping your valuables dry.

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive? What
other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a flood in a
flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?

Tim

Tim Downie wrote:
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back
into their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs
shouldn't just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house
flood resistant.
By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty
cables coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than
from under the floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe
even a floating "raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your
furniture that would float on top of flood waters keeping your
valuables dry.
How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive? What
other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a
flood in a flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a
disaster?

I recall a program where someone had done just that. It seemed to work
well. Tiles for the first 3-4ft downstairs, Electrical sockets further up
the walls. I can't recall what they did about kitchen units, unless the
kitchen was upstairs. I also know of a pub which is regularly flooded,
though I expect they have far more stainless steel items. Each time it
takes 3 or so weeks to re-open. Where there's a will there's a way.

Some of your suggestions already feature in government guidance:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/eng...aringforfloods

Er - apart from your "floating raft floor".

"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back into
their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs shouldn't
just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house flood
resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty cables
coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than from under the
floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe even a floating
"raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your furniture that would
float on top of flood waters keeping your valuables dry.

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive? What
other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a flood in a
flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?



I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third world,
for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.
--
Tinkerer

"Tinkerer" wrote in message
...

"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back
into their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs
shouldn't just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house
flood resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty cables
coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than from under the
floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe even a floating
"raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your furniture that would
float on top of flood waters keeping your valuables dry.

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive?
What other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a flood
in a flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?



I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third
world, for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.
--
Tinkerer

Houseboats?

Tinkerer wrote:
"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get
back into their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the
repairs shouldn't just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at
making a house flood resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty
cables coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than
from under the floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe
even a floating "raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your
furniture that would float on top of flood waters keeping your
valuables dry. How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly
expensive?
What other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a
flood in a flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a
disaster?


I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third
world, for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.

But we live in a world where planning control give a maximum roof height,
which tend to make the ground floor lower than it should be. I know of one
building which was flooded as a direct result of this.

Tinkerer wrote:
"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get
back into their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the
repairs shouldn't just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at
making a house flood resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty
cables coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than
from under the floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe
even a floating "raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your
furniture that would float on top of flood waters keeping your
valuables dry. How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly
expensive?
What other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a
flood in a flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a
disaster?


I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third
world, for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.

Actually a very good idea. If you live on a flood plain it makes perfect
sense.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Tinkerer wrote:
"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get
back into their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the
repairs shouldn't just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at
making a house flood resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty
cables coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than
from under the floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe
even a floating "raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your
furniture that would float on top of flood waters keeping your
valuables dry.

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive?
What other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a
flood in a flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a
disaster?



I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third
world, for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.

Kind of hard to retro-fit though.; -)

Tim

Tinkerer wrote:


I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third world,
for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.

Which would probably fall foul of the disabled access requirements in
the building regulations.

Andrew May wrote:
Tinkerer wrote:


I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called
third world, for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.

Which would probably fall foul of the disabled access requirements in
the building regulations.

What requirements? That we don't build "town house"s on 3 floors?

Fredxx wrote:
Andrew May wrote:
Tinkerer wrote:

I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called
third world, for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.
Which would probably fall foul of the disabled access requirements in
the building regulations.

What requirements? That we don't build "town house"s on 3 floors?


Isn't there a requirement that access to the front door cannot be via
steps? Certainly all the new houses I have seen around here have that
even if the resulting ramp takes up half of the front garden.

"Andrew May" wrote in message
...
Fredxx wrote:
Andrew May wrote:
Tinkerer wrote:

I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called
third world, for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.
Which would probably fall foul of the disabled access requirements in
the building regulations.

What requirements? That we don't build "town house"s on 3 floors?


Isn't there a requirement that access to the front door cannot be via
steps? Certainly all the new houses I have seen around here have that even
if the resulting ramp takes up half of the front garden.

That's easy. Front door at ground level, and behind the front door steps up
to the living quaters. Where there's a will there's a way :-)

On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:42:02 +0000, Andrew May wrote:

Fredxx wrote:
Andrew May wrote:
Tinkerer wrote:

I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called
third world, for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.
Which would probably fall foul of the disabled access requirements in
the building regulations.

What requirements? That we don't build "town house"s on 3 floors?


Isn't there a requirement that access to the front door cannot be via
steps? Certainly all the new houses I have seen around here have that
even if the resulting ramp takes up half of the front garden.

It'd make far more sense practically to put keeping water out first and
build traditional houses with a step or two (or more) up to the front door.
Then have a fund so that anyone who is or becomes disabled can have a ramp
or other appropriate access fitted rapidly and free of charge whenever they
want to move. This would also open up the existing housing stock for anyone
with such a need. I also dislike ramps not only because they take up so
much space, but because they are dangerous for the able-bodied in wintery
weather. Incidentally, in my local town centre, the bank was recently
extended into the shop next door and although there is a very wide
pavement, they did not take the option of putting a ramp outside, running
along the front of the building, with steps at the high end, so that people
could choose which to use - instead they ramped the whole pavement, making
a dangerous slope in the winter where it was previously flat.

SteveW

On 23 Nov, 19:52, "Tinkerer"
wrote:

I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third world,
for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.

Or a three-storey townhouse design with the garage and entrance the
only things on the bottom floor. If floods are predicted, the car can
be removed to higher ground, then everything else should be safe (so
long as it isn't used for junk storage).

Neil

Tinkerer wrote:
"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back into
their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs shouldn't
just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house flood
resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty cables
coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than from under the
floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe even a floating
"raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your furniture that would
float on top of flood waters keeping your valuables dry.

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive? What
other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a flood in a
flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?



I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third world,
for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.

I've also seen it done in an expensive looking house beside the Thames.

Colin Bignell

On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:52:06 -0000, "Tinkerer"
wrote:


"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back into
their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs shouldn't
just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house flood
resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty cables
coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than from under the
floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe even a floating
"raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your furniture that would
float on top of flood waters keeping your valuables dry.

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive? What
other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a flood in a
flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?



I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third world,
for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.


And also at some very fashionable beach side locations such as
Galveston.

Trouble would seem to be that they behave to some extent like the
houseboats they are derived from, IE storms and hurricanes treat them
like playthings.

Derek

"Derek Geldard" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:52:06 -0000, "Tinkerer"
wrote:


"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back
into
their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs shouldn't
just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house flood
resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty cables
coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than from under
the
floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe even a floating
"raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your furniture that would
float on top of flood waters keeping your valuables dry.

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive?
What
other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a flood in a
flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?



I suppose the ultimate is what they have done, in the so called third
world,
for years in flood prone areas - houses on stilts.


And also at some very fashionable beach side locations such as
Galveston.

Trouble would seem to be that they behave to some extent like the
houseboats they are derived from, IE storms and hurricanes treat them
like playthings.

Derek

maybe even a floating
"raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your furniture that would
float on top of flood waters keeping your valuables dry.

But would it float with all that furniture on top of it?

On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:26:39 +0000, Tim Downie wrote:
By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is actually
very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof non-absorbant walls
(possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty cables coming from upstairs (or
from the loft) *down* rather than from under the floor up, solid concrete
floors downstairs and maybe even a floating "raft" floor on top of the
concrete floor for your furniture that would float on top of flood waters
keeping your valuables dry.

Wonder how *fast* the water comes in in situations like this? i.e. would
concrete floors and a drainage channel around the perimeter, leading to a
sump/pump do the job - or would the pump just get overwhelmed? (There's
the issue of where to pump *to* of course!)

Wonder how *fast* the water comes in in situations like this? i.e. would
concrete floors and a drainage channel around the perimeter, leading to a
sump/pump do the job - or would the pump just get overwhelmed? (There's
the issue of where to pump *to* of course!)

Everything from water gently lapping up at your house and rising
imperceptibly slowly, to mudslides and tidal waves.

Sewers overflowing back into properties is a particular danger (in
emergency use sandbags in the loo), so automatic valves or "sea
toilets" may be necessary.

On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:26:39 -0000, "Tim Downie"
wrote:
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back into
their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs shouldn't
just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house flood resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is actually
very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof non-absorbant walls
(possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty cables coming from upstairs (or
from the loft) *down* rather than from under the floor up, solid concrete
floors downstairs and maybe even a floating "raft" floor on top of the
concrete floor for your furniture that would float on top of flood waters
keeping your valuables dry.

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive? What
other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a flood in a
flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?


Flood resistant houses with tiled walls and electrics installed at
first floor level are common in the Netherlands in areas where
achieving the national standard of protection against flooding is not
practicable.

On 23 Nov, 19:26, "Tim Downie"
wrote:
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back into
their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs shouldn't
just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house flood resistant.

There was a suggestion on telly after a previous round of floods of a
giant condom which you raised around the house as water approached,
but I bet you'd then find the rubber had perished at the folds.

Another idea from Holland shown around the same time was the whole
house built on a raft that floated up and down on poles.

The real solution, if you insist on living in a flood plain, is to
live upside-down, i.e. the living space with its expensive electrical
goods and irreplaceable family treasures are upstairs, and bedrooms
and bathroom downstairs. Keep a pile of black bags in the bedrooms
ready to get the clothes upstairs PDQ and use rugs not fitted carpets.
Water alarm in case it comes at night.

Chris

wibbled on Monday 23 November 2009 23:35

On 23 Nov, 19:26, "Tim Downie"
wrote:
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back
into their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs
shouldn't just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house
flood resistant.

There was a suggestion on telly after a previous round of floods of a
giant condom which you raised around the house as water approached,
but I bet you'd then find the rubber had perished at the folds.

Another idea from Holland shown around the same time was the whole
house built on a raft that floated up and down on poles.

The real solution, if you insist on living in a flood plain, is to
live upside-down, i.e. the living space with its expensive electrical
goods and irreplaceable family treasures are upstairs, and bedrooms
and bathroom downstairs. Keep a pile of black bags in the bedrooms
ready to get the clothes upstairs PDQ and use rugs not fitted carpets.
Water alarm in case it comes at night.

Chris

Garage at ground level under the rest of the house. The car's going to bite
the dust anyway - at least it would be the only thing of significant value.
Easier to hose out a garage and buy a new car on insurance than deal with
the mess those poor sods are finding.

Problem that some people overlook is flooding isn't just about a bit of
muddy river water coming up - by the time that happens, the sewers are
breached and you've got crap everywhere - as one report put it, after the
waters had receeded, "the street was littered with faeces" (amongst other
things).

--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...

On Nov 23, 11:35*pm, wrote:
if you insist on living in a flood plain, is to live upside-down

1 - Exactly.

Downstairs bedrooms.
- Concrete floor, cheap laminate & roll up rugs
- Tiled or textured UL94V0 plastic walls
- Acoustic tiles on ceiling to restore acoustics
- Sockets & lightswitches IP66 glanded drop
- Automatic flood valve on toilet
- Understairs tanked to ceiling, shelves for bedding, clothes, flood
pump & door seal

Cleanup aids.
- Central drain for house/room
- Simple hose-down, disinfect, dehumidify

1st-floor.
- CU and even DNO cutout on 1st-floor
- Possibly block n beam construction
- Possibly steel stairs with inset wood

A blend of modernist, minimalist & practical.

2 - Removal of PP restrictions on height to permit more logical 80cm
floor height.

3 - Dredge the ruddy rivers properly

Victorians built much of the UK 's infrastructure AND regularly
maintained the rivers, we are not doing this. We are treating the
effect with multi-million pound barriers pushed by enterprise rather
than civil servants tackling the cause and being held to account for
not doing so. We are failing to manage waterflow just as we failed to
manage transportation.

USA is about to hit the same problem head-on, monumental amounts of
bridges, roads even basic utility structures across America are in
dire need of repair, replacement & maintenance. It too is about to
find "post-empire" is an expensive world of compromises.

4 - Downstairs Contents Insurance guaranteed to £2.5k

"Upside down" house should be able to secure specialist cover of £2500
for £100/yr, perhaps varying £50-200/yr. Indeed one could say the same
is true for "normal" houses - it comes down to risk, insurers like too
easy a life.

New Build on flood plains which has been rampant under New Labour
really should have been "upside down". Instead we have had "build
anywhere without due consideration of the risks, feel the finance in
your fingers not the water round your toes".

"js.b1" wrote in message
...

3 - Dredge the ruddy rivers properly

Why?
They are not needed for navigation anymore.


Victorians built much of the UK 's infrastructure AND regularly
maintained the rivers, we are not doing this. We are treating the
effect with multi-million pound barriers pushed by enterprise rather
than civil servants tackling the cause and being held to account for
not doing so. We are failing to manage waterflow just as we failed to
manage transportation.

The Victorians didn't pave huge areas so the water would run off into the
rivers as fast as it fell from the sky.
The Victorians didn't build big barriers on the sides of rivers that made
the huge volume of water flow down stream too fast for the downstream areas
to handle.
The Victorians didn't build on flood planes.

I have little sympathy for people that decide to live on existing flood
planes.
I have a bit of sympathy for those that find they are on a new flood plane
caused by someone "fixing" an upstream problem.
The best solution is to demolish the houses that keep flooding.

On 24 Nov, 09:11, "dennis@home" wrote:

The Victorians didn't pave huge areas so the water would run off into the
rivers as fast as it fell from the sky.

You ever seen Saltaire?

On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:11:30 +0000, dennis@home wrote:
The Victorians didn't build on flood planes.

Well, aviation - at least powered - was pretty new back then I suppose.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "dennis@home"
saying something like:

The Victorians didn't pave huge areas so the water would run off into the
rivers as fast as it fell from the sky.

Nor did they drain huge acreages of land. The loss of much of the
natural sponge of the countryside is a direct contributor to much of
this trouble.

On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:43:32 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

Nor did they drain huge acreages of land. The loss of much of the
natural sponge of the countryside is a direct contributor to much of
this trouble.

Aye, getting the sponge back is one of the reasons the North Pennines
ANOB is spending quite a bit of money in blocking up the grips cut to
drain the blanket bog just after WWII. Not that this would have
helped along the Derwent/Cocker but it will help the Tyne and the
Wear.

--
Cheers
Dave.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember saying
something like:

The real solution, if you insist on living in a flood plain, is to
live upside-down, i.e. the living space with its expensive electrical
goods and irreplaceable family treasures are upstairs, and bedrooms
and bathroom downstairs.

Which struck me as the solution for future flood damage avoidance in
areas likely to get it again. Problem with Cockermouth was the
unexpectedness of it, but in many areas the above idea should be put
into practice. Of course, as time passes and the memory recedes, folk
would go back to having the expensive gear on the ground floor again.

On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:40:29 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

Problem with Cockermouth was the unexpectedness of it,

Pardon? The Met Office had a red weather warning out on the Tuesday
IIRC, a red weather warning means "take action". The warning forecast
250mm of rain over the fells.

The EA had Severe Flood Warning for the Cockermouth and several other
places on Wwednesday evening. A Severe Flood Warning means "Severe
flooding is expected. There is extreme danger to life and property.
Act now!".

Or by "unexpectedness" do you mean the fact that the waters rose so
high in just a few hours? 'Cause even that shouldn't have been
unexpected, the fells were already saturated, the lakes full any
freash rain would just run off and run off fast as the Lake District
isn't exactly flat.

--
Cheers
Dave.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Liquorice"
saying something like:

Or by "unexpectedness" do you mean the fact that the waters rose so
high in just a few hours? 'Cause even that shouldn't have been
unexpected, the fells were already saturated, the lakes full any
freash rain would just run off and run off fast as the Lake District
isn't exactly flat.

Mostly that, I suppose. From what I read I see there was a flood in '05,
and that should have girded some loins, but ho-hum. I don't suppose most
people there expected this one to go as high as it did.

On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:40:18 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon
wrote:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Liquorice"
saying something like:

Or by "unexpectedness" do you mean the fact that the waters rose so
high in just a few hours? 'Cause even that shouldn't have been
unexpected, the fells were already saturated, the lakes full any
freash rain would just run off and run off fast as the Lake District
isn't exactly flat.

Mostly that, I suppose. From what I read I see there was a flood in '05,
and that should have girded some loins, but ho-hum.


After 2005, the locals girded their loins and worked very hard to
persuade the Environment Agency, against much opposition from nature
conservationists, to dredge the river in order to increase its flow
capacity and reduce the risk of flooding. Because of the opposition
from the conservationists, persuading the Agency took several years.

The Agency finally caved in in the summer of 2009 and the work was
programmed to take place in late spring/early summer of 2010.


I don't suppose most
people there expected this one to go as high as it did.


The problem is that too many warnings are given, and the warnings are
often too severe (understandably erring on the side of safety). When
the floods don't happen, people become complacent. So when they get
*yet another* severe warning, they perhaps don't react as they should.

In message , Tim Downie
writes
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back
into their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs
shouldn't just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house
flood resistant.

By this I don't mean "keep the water out" as I suspect that this is
actually very hard to achieve. I'm thinking more of waterproof
non-absorbant walls (possibly tiled) downstairs, all electricty cables
coming from upstairs (or from the loft) *down* rather than from under
the floor up, solid concrete floors downstairs and maybe even a
floating "raft" floor on top of the concrete floor for your furniture
that would float on top of flood waters keeping your valuables dry.

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive?
What other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a
flood in a flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?

At the end of the day, it comes down to statistics

What are the chances a) that such a flood will occur and b) that it will
involve you

vanishingly small, it's just a bugger when it happens to you


--
geoff

On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:54:07 +0000, geoff wrote:

At the end of the day, it comes down to statistics

What are the chances a) that such a flood will occur and b) that it will
involve you vanishingly small, it's just a bugger when it happens to you

c) Where you are located.

Vanishingly small is true for us but for a location less than 20'
above the normal water level it's anything but.

Build in that zone and the chances are you will get flooded at least
once in a lifetime. If you are only a foot or three above the water
level then you'll get flooded far more often.

The simple answer is don't build on flood plains. But if you have
been daft enough to do so live it. Don't come crying to me post flood
because "they" didn't warn you, "they" haven't built adequate
defenses, "they" won't insure you. Want that nice riverside
appartment, don't buy the ground floor one...

--
Cheers
Dave.

wrote:

Fortunately we're about 30m above the river, so probably safe for a century
or more.

Where I used to work had a flood in the 90s due to building work blocking
drains. It was 1200 feet above sea level. Not a lot was done to relieve the
problem, it was a one off, they said despite my pointing out the cause. Of
course it was repeated a year or so ago, this time I think they sorted it.

After a period of prolonged heavy rain, a house near me developed
a substantial flow of ground water springing out of the middle of
its drive. Clearly you never know where it is going to hit you.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:26:39 -0000
"Tim Downie" wrote:

Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back into
their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs shouldn't
just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house flood resistant.

I was thinking: knock down the house and build an ark that sits on the
same foundations. Tethers short enough to keep it in the plot, but long
enough to rise, say 20ft - keep bolt croppers handy to cut loose if
necessary. Gas water and electricity through self-sealing
connectors. Probably avoids the Building Regs too.

Noah.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember TheOldFellow
saying something like:

I was thinking: knock down the house and build an ark that sits on the
same foundations. Tethers short enough to keep it in the plot, but long
enough to rise, say 20ft - keep bolt croppers handy to cut loose if
necessary. Gas water and electricity through self-sealing
connectors. Probably avoids the Building Regs too.

Sky News, November 2035
Lifeboat and tug crews have been out all day recovering the town of
Cockermouth from the Irish Sea.
"It's been a grand day out," said Ivy Till, as she steered her 3-bed
apartment back to land.

On 23 Nov, 18:26, "Tim Downie"
wrote:
Whenever I hear about the poor b*ggers waiting for months to get back into
their flood damaged houses I always wonder whether the repairs shouldn't
just stop at "repair" but should be aimed at making a house flood resistant.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Tim Downie"
saying something like:

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive? What
other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a flood in a
flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?

There's a house a few miles from me that's entirely up on stilts. Car
parking and garage/storage underneath and a bungalow above with a really
nice deck around it - long before they became common. In fact, the deck
is a car ramp, iirc.
It's miles from any likely source of flooding, though.

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Tim Downie"
saying something like:

How much of the above is practical? Would it be terribly expensive? What
other measures could one incorportate to make recovery from a flood in a
flood prone area just an inconvenience rather than a disaster?

There's a house a few miles from me that's entirely up on stilts. Car
parking and garage/storage underneath and a bungalow above with a really
nice deck around it - long before they became common. In fact, the deck
is a car ramp, iirc.
It's miles from any likely source of flooding, though.

Sounds like a Queenslander. They were designed to keep cool with no
aircon though - shaded windows, and the breeze blows underneath.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Brisbane1.jpg

AKA

http://preview.tinyurl.com/yekbdxy

Andy