We’ve looked at how to assess your home’s risk to flood. Now here are three ways to reduce potential flood damage.
1) Elevate Your Home—Raise your home so that the lowest floor is above the flood level or base flood elevation (BFE). Use building piers or columns to create an open foundation. Sacrifice the first floor—build a false floor above the BFE and elevate the roof.
2) Wet Flood Proofing—Install flood vents that create permanent openings in the foundation’s walls so water can flow through the structure. This retrofit requires at least two vents on different walls. You would need 7 square feet of vents for a 1,000 square-foot house.
3) Dry Flood Proofing—To prevent floodwaters from entering the house, install new brick veneer over asphalt coating and apply a polyethylene film over the existing walls. Check out the latest issue of FLASH’s Blueprint for Safety News for more recommendations on protecting your home from flood.
Credit: Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. (FLASH)
