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Serious winter storms are becoming an alarmingly regular event for UK homeowners to contend with in recent years. For some, their annual arrival acts as a firm reminder of the real threat posed by the seemingly increasingly disruptive UK weather. For others, the events of recent winters are still a recent and painful memory, a result of the havoc wreaked on thousands of residential homes across the country.
With flooding set to remain a very real threat to many UK homeowners for the foreseeable future, we examine how waterproofing measures can assist those who are recovering from, or facing the threat of, future flood events.
It is when the waters recede that flood victims are left with the greatest challenge – how to make flood-damaged properties fit for reoccupation quickly, and how to protect our homes from a repeat of such catastrophes in future?
Frequently, the post-flood cleanup can be as frustrating and torturous as the flooding itself, and making affected properties habitable again can take a lot longer than expected. In fact, a whole host of factors can prevent occupiers from returning to their homes, such as:
Even after all of the above processes are completed, one of the most torturous delays to the reoccupation of flood-affected properties is the unavoidable requirement to allow saturated structural walls to dry out.
This can be as painfully slow as one month per inch of wall thickness. Furthermore, the process cannot begin in earnest until all contaminated finishes and organic materials have been removed and a ‘Decontaminate Building and Sanitation Certificate’ has been issued.
Either expediting or circumventing this part of the flood recovery process is therefore a crucial element in ensuring swift reoccupation of a property.
This 3D cross-section demonstrates a typical and full Newton System 500 cavity drain waterproofing installation.
Over 3,000 square feet of Newton’s cavity drain system was installed to prevent water ingress in the Grade II listed Pickenham Hall, Norfolk.
Designing an effective and achievable flood management strategy is vital to being able speed up reoccupation. Solutions such as cavity drain systems, comprising of membranes, drainage and pumps, can be a key contributor to success.
The High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) membranes employed as part of such a system are designed with a cuspated profile, creating an air gap between the membrane and the surfaces to which it is applied. Once installed with specially sealed fixings as part of a comprehensive cavity drainage system, the membranes have two major benefits for flood-affected properties:
By maintaining the status quo of the structure whilst simultaneously protecting internal environments, an effective cavity membrane system allows finishes to be applied with the peace of mind that the membrane will prolong their longevity and allow the walls to dry naturally behind.
Most importantly though, in most cases the property can be reoccupied significantly earlier than if the walls were required to dry naturally to a point where new finishes could be applied.
Furthermore, when installed as part of a comprehensive Cavity Drain System that also employs suitable drainage, the system will have additional benefits beyond just providing a solution for post-flood damp proofing. Once installed, the system will assist in future-proofing the property against further flooding, forming an integral part of an overall designed flood remediation solution.
By depressurising water as it enters the structure, the system is able to manage and drain it to a sump, before safely pumping it out and away from the structure, protecting both the occupants and their possessions for years to come.
Contact Newton Waterproofing today for expert guidance on selecting and implementing the ideal waterproofing system for protecting your property. Alongside our nationwide network of specialist contractors, we have a record of protecting homeowners from potentially devastating floods – check out our case studies in both Kent and Oxford for recent examples.
If you need assistance, our team of specialists is on-hand and prepared to provide tailored solutions that ensure the long-term safety of your home.
Our staff are able to provide guidance for projects of all sizes, whether you require some general advice about damp or waterproofing, or support with technical drawings and specifications.