Flood Protection: Beyond Sand Bags

7/8/2020 (Permalink)

Check Out These Other Options to Prevent Flood Damage in Your Commercial Property

The sand bag is a commonly recognized solution for preventing flood damage, but it isn't the only option available when it comes to keeping your Tulsa, OK, commercial property safe from storms and high water. Take a closer look at some of the other options.

DIY Levees

If you have enough advance warning, you could use the following steps from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build flood dams around your property.

1. Gather wheelbarrows, sheets of polyethylene plastic, a sand bag collection, shovels, and protective gear.
2. Select a site with the right terrain and appropriate earth.
3. Dig a 1- to 2-foot trench where you want the levee.
4. Build up a mound with the soil, sand, or clay you have available.
5. Cover the structure with plastic tarps.
   

Get more information about this method from local flood damage remediation professionals.

Inflatable Barriers

Filling sturdy bags with sand and then building a barrier around your property is a common method of directing flood waters away from your buildings and land. This method has been used to prevent flood damage for many years. The use of inflatable barriers follows the same principle except that the bags are filled with water instead of sand. The benefit is that filling the bags with water is much faster than using sand, and the time savings could prevent expensive losses.

Landscape Changes

Simple changes, such as grading landscaping away from your building, can help you avoid high water damages. Other tips include using native plants, grassy areas, water reservoir features, and rain gardens to divert extra rainfall or snow runoff. Drainage areas are also effective barriers.

Foundation Vents

Foundation vents are often used to circulate air under the floor during the summer to reduce moisture buildup. Don't confuse these vents with crawlspace vents. Flood vents, gates, or ports are used to reduce structural damage by allowing water to pass beneath a building.

As you gear up for the possibility of flooding, use more than a sand bag collection. Try out one or two of these alternatives.