Flood-resilient prototype house launched to show flood prevention

BRE has developed “Resilient House” to show how practical measures can prevent flood water entering a property.

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has developed the “Resilient House”, to illustrate the kinds of flood resistant measures that can be installed in a home to prevent flood water entering a property, following the 2015 December floods which devastated thousands of homes.

Solutions to flooding in homes include flood resistant doors and windows, water resilient walls and insulation, a resilient kitchen with movable kitchen units, floor and wall membranes to direct water towards floor drains, an automatic sump pump and one way valves fitted to toilets and sinks.

The new measures are designed not only to help prevent flood water from entering the house but also to aid in recovery in the event of flooding, reducing costs and disruption of repairs.

Stephen Garvin, director of the BRE’s Centre for Resilience, said: “It is not yet normal practice for properties in areas at high flood risk to be made more resilient following a flood. The aim of this project is to show contractors and householders in a tangible way that resilient repair isn’t as challenging or difficult as they may think it is.

“There are an estimated 5.2 million homes considered at risk from surface, river and coastal flooding. Preventative measures play a key role but given the scale of our vulnerability, we need to think more practically about flooding and start to adapt to ‘living with water’. So fitting a house with resilient technologies and testing its ability to bounce back from water ingress is the first step on this journey.”

Amanda Blanc, CEO UK & Ireland, General Insurance said “As the country faces the prospect of more severe weather striking more often, government, insurers and society need to work together to ensure that our homes and businesses are protected against the worst effects of flooding. Flood defences and the right insurance cover are vital elements of that but increasingly, the use of resilient repairs is a key tool that we can use to reduce the impact of flooding. AXA is committed to investigating all forms of protection for our customers which is why we are working with and funding the BRE to help them carry out this important work. We eagerly await the results of their research and the potential implications for homeowners and businesses across the country.”

The project has been funded by the BRE Trust and partners AXA Insurance, British Damage Management Association, Cunningham Lindsey, Natural Cement Distribution, Property Care Association and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

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