How To Create A Flood-Free Property

While it would be lovely to imagine that we could choose not to live in a flood prone property, with the booming population and shortage of available land in the areas that we want to live, often this can be unavoidable. In the event that you may need to live somewhere where there has been previous flooding there are ways of reducing the impact of possible flood events and using some careful planning to create a flood-free property.

Risk Assessment

The first thing that you will need to do is have a risk assessment of actually how flood prone the property is, and what is the probable flood depth that may put the house at risk. Knowing what level the risk of flood may be can be helpful to determine how to best tackle making your house flood free. Should the possible flood risk to the house be more than 500mm, the best option might be not to plan for how to keep the water out when it does rise, but to use materials that will dry out quickly following the flood event.

Build High or Raise Your House

Another option for keeping your house safe from possible flood waters is to build it high above the predicted flood levels, on stilts made from treated hardwood or galvanised steel posts. If you have already purchased a property and have a house on it but have discovered that it is prone to flooding, in some cases, it can make sense to have the house raised. In terms of weighing up the possible cost of replacing flood damaged personal belongings, measured against the cost of raising your house, peace of mind is worth its weight in gold. Be sure to speak to a professional house company such as Black and White Houseraising and Restumping, for an assessment about what would work best for you.

Drainage and Planning

Adequate drainage and planning is needed for creating a flood-free property to live on. Using permaculture principles can be of great assistance during planning as you will be able to utilise the lay of the land to get the most out of your property. The use of different materials can have an impact on how well your property copes during a flood event, so be sure to seek professional advice before getting your property development underway.