1. Home
  2. Environmental issues
  3. Flood Risk Management
  4. Flood risk advice
  5. Property Flood Resilience and Resistance

Property Flood Resilience and Resistance

Property Flood Resilience and Resistance measures 

The risk of flooding to your property cannot be eliminated entirely. However as a property owner you can install measures to reduce the likelihood and impact of flooding.

If you live in an area prone to flooding it may be worth considering Property Flood Resilience (PFR) measures (also called Property Level Resilience (PLR) and Property Level Protection (PLP).

Resilience

  • Resilience measures aim to reduce the impact of flooding should water get inside your property or business
  • These measures aim to ensure that damage is minimised so that you can move back into your home or business as soon as possible after flooding occurs
  • Measures should be tailored to each property but can include using porous plaster, raising electrical sockets and fitting solid floors
  • In a flood event efforts can be made, where possible to move furniture and valuable possessions to higher ground

Resistance

  • Resistance measures are used to reduce the likelihood of water getting into your property or business
  • These measures allow more time for you to move possessions from ground level and get people to a safe place
  • Measures are usually used in combination and include flood boards and doors, air brick covers, non-return valves, toilet bungs and pumps
  • When considering resistance measures it is important to ensure that the measures are designed for the property and the fabric of the property is sound e.g. pointing is well maintained

It is important to note that resistance measures are not suitable for depths greater than 600mm. Flood water must be let into a building for large depths otherwise there is a risk of structural damage to your property or business.

See the National Flood Forum for:

  • Independent and impartial advice on Property Level Resilience
  • A Property Protection Advisor – A simple tool that raises awareness of the options available and provides an initial estimate of the cost of resistance measures for different types of properties (provided by JBA Consulting)
  • Blue Pages – Directory of property flood products and services
  • Advice on maintenance and testing your PLR systems