Housebuilder October 2018

The case for fitting flood defence doors
Kevin Kiernan,
national sales manager
at Bowater by Birtley,
looks at why developers
will have to consider flood
defence doors as a solution
on more properties if
the climate change
predictions are correct
The Last Word
When the person in charge of England’s flood
defences calls for a debate on whether
communities at the highest risk should be
abandoned and their residents permanently relocated,
you know things are getting serious. It was only in March
that Sir James Bevan, the Environment Agency chief
executive, asked this very question in a speech he gave
in Telford.
Fortunately, in the vast majority of cases, such drastic
action is not necessary and by taking a few simply,
relatively inexpensive steps such as fitting a flood
defence door, developers can protect their properties
from flooding.
Mind you, the WWF charity reports that up to 2.5
million homes will be at risk of flooding by 2050, so he
may have a point. And, despite the record dry summer
this year, long term trends do indicate an increased risk
of flooding in the UK. For instance, in early 2014 the UK
suffered its worst rainfall in at least 250 years, resulting
in thousands of homes being flooded, causing great
distress to home owners and an estimated £1.1 billion
in damage. According to the government’s own figures,
nearly 2 million properties in floodplains along rivers,
estuaries and coasts in the UK are potentially at risk of
river or coastal flooding. A further “80,000 properties are
at risk in towns and cities from flooding caused by heavy
downpours that overwhelm urban drains”.
global warming
Another compelling reason why we should take notice
of these predictions is that the Met Office says global
warming could make heavy summer downpours five times
more likely by the end of the century. It is not just climate
change that is causing the problem, either; management
of the environment, more impermeable surfaces and
removal of trees all exacerbate the risk of flooding.
With the average domestic flood claim payout rising
to around £50,000, according to the Association of
British Insurers, many insurers are now reluctant to cover
home owners in areas at high risk of flooding, whilst the
remaining ones have raised their premiums substantially.
Flooding is a growing concern for developers,
with many now taking steps to futureproof their
developments against predicted climate change. This
is being driven by home owners, too, some of whom
have undertaken a postcode search on the Environment
Agency’s website before visiting a show house. Reports
in the news about the potential devastation for those
affected by floods, in terms of damage to property,
but also for insurance and resaleability, is also driving
potential home buyers to become more clued-up about
what questions to ask.
A flood door is one of the most effective forms of
flood defence and they are now regularly fitted in
homes at risk. Their great benefit is that they are a
permanent solution that requires no intervention by
the home owner, aside from making sure the door
is closed, yet can prevent water from entering the
property up to 600mm high. If you are specifying a
flood defence door it should have been tested to PAS
1188-1:2014 Flood protection products.
It was against this background that we took
the decision to develop and test our own 68mm
composite flood door to this standard following
requests from a number of specifiers and developers.
We invested the time and money to get it right
because we recognise the importance of being able
to offer these types of products. It helps that once
installed it is indistinguishable from our standard
composite door range, making it a popular choice
with both housebuilders and potential home buyers.
How do developers know when they are buying
a genuinely suitable flood defence door, though?
The only sure fire way is to ensure that the door
comes with certification to PAS1188. All products
tested to PAS1188, such as our 68mm composite
flood door, are subject to an initial type test and the
facility that manufactures the product is assessed
for quality at the start of the process and then on
an ongoing basis, typically once or twice a year. We
were already just one of a handful of companies to
offer a double rebated 68mm composite door and so
gaining PAS1188 means we are one of the few firms
able to offer a fully certified composite flood defence
door. This means that our customers can benefit
from a complete range of doors with no gaps and no
compromise, especially where it really matters.
the next deluge
Flood defence doors are an effective way of reducing
the risk during the next deluge and will help
developers futureproof their properties, a useful
selling point when negotiating with potential buyers
that are clued up about the risks of flooding.
Although the summer of 2018 has been the driest
for decades, nature has a way of catching up and
with the Met Office forecasting more frequent heavy
rainfall, home owners in flood risk areas are already
looking ahead. Unfortunately, warmer weather
brings with it the increased risk of storms and
flooding. hb
For more information about Bowater by
Birtley visit www.bowaterbybirtley.co.uk.
96 housebuilder october 2018