House Raising Brisbane - Tips for Protecting Your Home

Whether you are in a flood prone area or not, flash flooding can occur at any time. It can cause a lot of costly damage to your home, as well as your belongings. Being prepared and planning for possible flood events can assist you in protecting your home from damage caused by flooding to avoid costly repairs and to give you extra peace of mind.

Determine Water Flow

In the best case scenario, the house will have been built with drainage that accommodates water flowing away from the house. Determining how water flows around your house will assist you in planning your drainage around the home to angle water to move away from the house. In the case that your street accumulates a lot of standing water even after small storms, it might be a good idea to talk to your local council about suggestions for combating the situation for the whole street.

Retrofit Your Home

If you are finding that your home floods regularly and you are unable to move, there are a few measures that can be taken if you are prepared to invest some cash. If your home is designed to be able to be raised up then this is the best option, but it could take a bit of work. You will need to find a good house raising company such as Black and White Houseraising and Restumping, which employs professional staff to do the work. Other options include wet-proofing your home by installing foundation vents that allow water to flow through the building. Additionally, dry proofing by sealing walls with specific waterproof coatings is another option.

Raise Electrical Circuitry

For homes that cannot be raised out of flood water levels, taking measures to protect electrical circuitry will prevent some costly repairs. Have switches, breakers and wiring high on walls so that if there does happen to be flooding they will not be damaged.

Ensure Outdoor Equipment is Raised and Anchored

Outdoor machinery and equipment such as air conditioning machines, fuel tanks and generators should be fitted at a raised position and anchored into place. Anchoring these items will prevent them from breaking free and from being lost in flood waters, should the waters get especially high.

Modify Water Valves

Modifying water valves will prevent sewerage from flowing back into the house in the event of a flooded sewer system. These sealing valves are fitted to the pipes entering the house to prevent flooding of the pipes.