Flood Control

Flood defences and leak diverters

Increasingly, with the ever-changing climate, businesses are at risk from flooding and water damage, which is why it is important to be prepared with flood prevention products.

Flood protection for your workplace

Business premises will often have flat accessible entrances, great for offering a safe and welcoming entrance, yet potentially less good in terms of keeping water out. The nature of a flat threshold means that although wheelchairs, pushchairs and prams can enter easily, heavy rain water often can too.

The same can be said for warehouses. Those who have visited an industrial estate, or the trade entrance to a DIY or furniture store will be familiar with roller shutter doors. These entrances are created with a roller door which rises and rolls up into the roof allowing access for large trucks and forklifts to load and unload.

The downside of these type of apertures is that there is often no permanent seal at the bottom of the door. This is where trouble can occur during heavy rain and exceptionally high tides.

Fortunately help is at hand, as there are now plenty of products available to aid the prevention of damage to your premises due to flood water.

Sand bags

Sand bags are an effective tool which can be used to absorb flood water as well as to create a barrier to divert water flow away from doorways, garages and air vents and into suitable drainage channels.

The most common are hessian sand bags. This type of sack are effective at providing a barrier to rising water, and can be placed in a brick-like fashion to create, essentially a sand bag wall. This type of sandbag can be allowed to dry out and then re-used time and time again.

The main downside of the traditional sandbag is their weight. Although this obviously helps the bag to stay put, they can be hard work to put in in place, especially for the less able. The other thing which can be a pain, is finding enough storage space for your sandbags when they're not in use.

Temporary flood solutions that are lightweight and simple to store

The manufacture of sand bags has moved on considerably following their heavyweight predecessors. Now on offer are lightweight alternatives made from woven polypropylene.

The primary feature of these polypropylene sandbags is they are super-light and can, if necessary be installed by children. Their clever design means that in storage they are small and weigh as little as a tea towel. Yet, when they come into contact with water they inflate and expand in a matter of seconds thanks to the special gelling polymer inside.

Like traditional sand-filled bags these removable flood solutions can be stacked to create flood barriers sturdy enough to retract a significant amount of rain and river flood water.

Ceiling leak diverters

You will be forgiven for mistaking these bright yellow contraptions as industrial kites. But, actually these curious plastic sheets, found hanging from the ceiling are used in order to catch leaks from roofs due to heavy rainfall, then funnel this liquid into a container, reducing the potential damage from rain water damage to carpets, stock or equipment.

Ceiling leak diverters can also be used to divert and collect water which may be leaking due to a plumbing failure, spillage or of course if somebody accidentally leaves a bubble bath running! There are no guarantees however, that they are able to collect rogue rubber ducks.

In the event of flood door barrier failure and you have the unpleasant job of removing the water from your home or business you'll need a water pump. There are options available for either clean or dirty water and a choice of light or heavy duty pumps for a faster flow rate.

So if you are located in a high flood risk area or simply want to ensure that you're prepared for all wet weather eventualities, make sure you are able to create your own flood defences system before future floods occur. Sadly, once the flood gates open this is often too late to get anti-flood products in place.

If you're looking for tools to help with pesky winter weather such as snow and ice, you may like to take a look at our selection of winter maintenance products, snow shovels, ploughs and accessories, de-icing products and salt spreading equipment.

For help and information about flooding and coastal change visit the Environment Agency.