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Property Flood Resilience

Installing property flood resilience (PFR) measures can help reduce the impact and damage caused in the event of a flood. There are a number of different PFR measures available which may be used in a ‘resistant’ or ‘resilient’ approach. It is reported that every £1 spent on property flood resilience provides a £5 saving on future damages.

Resistance and Resilience

Property Flood Resilience (PFR) is the term used to describe the ways in which a property can be protected from flood damage. The two main strategies used are ‘resistance’ and ‘resilience’.

Flood resistance

A flood ‘resistance’ approach aims to prevent water entry or reduce the amount of floodwater that enters a property and it requires the purchase and installation of home flood defence products. These products can be permanent or temporary. Permanent products are fitted, left in place, and remain ‘always ready’ to work 24/7, with no action needed to activate them in the event of a flood. Temporary measures are usually stored away and then put in place when flooding is expected.

Government guidelines suggest 600mm (2ft) as a safe height to resist water entry, although many buildings in flood risk areas are protected to around 900mm (3ft). Flood protection in excess of 600mm in height should only be installed subject to a structural survey being undertaken on the property.

A successful resistance strategy ensures that every water entry point on the property is protected. If a single point is missed or a flood defence product fails, the property will begin to take in floodwater which compromises all other protection measures and results in a failed package of works.

Flood resilience

A flood ‘resilience’ approach aims to reduce the impact and damage caused by floodwater once it enters a property, resulting in quick and easy cleaning, drying, recovery and reoccupation of the property. This could potentially eliminate the need for an insurance claim. Resilient measures usually involve changes to the fabric of the building so no action is needed to activate them in the event of a flood. Undertaking a resilience approach directly after your home has flooded presents an opportunity to reinstate the property with water resilient materials and design.