The things you didn’t know are at risk
Unawareness is the number one problem when it comes to flood damage. Most of the people we met during our research did not know to what extent their house would be damaged if struck by a flood. Even trained rescue teams were surprised by the unpredictable dangers caused by such extreme events.
In order to avoid this, here’s a list of flood damages to buildings than can occur.
Note: this list is not exhaustive as certain damages remain unpredictable since every flood presents unique characteristics.
Strucural damages
Let’s start by debunking a myth. Your house is not going to suffer severe structural damages, unless you are extremely exposed to river overflowing or heavy runoff (for example if you live right next to a stream or in a low area down a hill). What occasionally occurs is that a house’s foundations slightly sink because of the water carrying away the debris of soil on which the ground floor stands.
Building components
- Pavement and floorings: wood flooring can be damaged by little floods, while tiles are usually more resistant, especially if made of natural materials or porcelain. Depending on the duration of the flood, the screed (layer of concrete underneath the flooring) can become very humid and start to crumble.
- Doors and windows: wood doors swell if exposed to water for a few hours while windows could break under the water pressure or get stained by mud and eventual pollutants.
- Plaster and wall paint: both interior and exterior walls get easily stained by mud.
- Plasterboard and insulation materials: plasterboards have to be thrown away if in contact with water, as well as insulation materials. Both soak up water and get stained by mud.
Building systems
- Electrical system: plugs are usually located down the wall and are the first to be damaged, followed by switches and electrical boxes. During a flood, appliances could also transfer electrical charge to the water in the house. For safety reasons, it’s always suggested to turn off utilities in the case of flooding.
- Heating system: electric radiators are likely to be damaged if water reaches their level. Boilers and heating systems, especially if located in the basement, are highly exposed to irreparable damage.
- Plumbing system: plumbing systems can rapidly be clogged by mud, it is important to unclog them as soon as possible, as the mud could solidify and damage the whole sewage system.
Other things to keep in mind
Additionally, some objects can float and hit walls, windows, doors and sanitaries (etc.) during a flood. They can cause a great deal of damage. This poses a rather unpredictable damage that is difficult to modelise and is not yet included in Inond’Act. These possibilities should be taken into consideration if you are at risk. Anchoring heavy objects near your house could be a cost-effective solution.
The costs of all the damages can be easily estimated by running an analysis with Inond’Act. It will also provide you with adaptation measures that are most suitable for your case. To learn more about how to adapt your house to floods, take a look at our adaptation packages.