Protect Your Home This Season With Flood Barriers

There are a variety of glass flood shields that can protect the most vulnerable parts of your home. But before you call contractor, you need to find out certain information from your local authority. You need to establish if your house is situated in a high-risk flood area, especially if you live near a river, lake or on the beachfront. Areas where flooding has occurred in the past are categorized as Special Flood Hazard Areas.

You also need to establish the base flood elevation (BFE) in your area. Base flood elevation is defined as 'flood elevation that has a 1% chance of being exceeded or equalled in a year'. This information can also be obtained from your local authority. Once you have these details, you can get the ball rolling with your contractor and have the protective shields fitted.

The most common materials used in the making of flood shields are lightweight aluminum and glass. Glass panels are glazed and put through stringent testing to guarantee certain levels of resistance against flooding waters. You must ensure that the company you use to install the shields uses products that meet the requirements of your local authority and your insurance company.

The aluminum used to make shields to protect against floods is fitted with girders to make the aluminum extra strong. This is done before the shield is assembled. When the shields have been assembled, they are welded and waterproofed. They are also tested to meet certain criteria.

The lift-out shield is a practical and cost effective way of preventing flood damage in the home. These shields are designed to be easily put in position during a flood alert. They can then be lifted out when the all-clear is given. Some people prefer the lift-out shield to be fixed permanently, but that is up to the individual. You might prefer another popular shield - the sliding shield. This can be slid into position quickly and easily.

The barrier type shield can protect your household contents from being damaged by water that accumulates on your patio or porch after heavy rains. These are very practical because they are easily installed and just as easily removed. A barrier shield is able to prevent more than 1ft of water getting into door openings. They are available in 10 or 20 inch heights.

Since doors are particularly vulnerable during floods, it is advisable to place door shields on all doors that are in danger of being hit by flooding. What's the point of having shields in other areas of your home if your doors are in danger of collapsing? Door shields can be fitted in a few minutes and you don't need any tools to do it. These shields will protect against flood waters up to 3 to 4 feet.

Flood damage can strike at any time and residential flood barriers can help. As with everything in life, prevention is better than a cure. Therefore take the necessary precautions to protect your home by installing residential flood barriers. Do it now - don't wait until the damage has been done.