Concrete flooring a key part of flood defence, says property expert

Jason Taylor, writing for PropertyRoad.co.uk, has recommended that property owners should upgrade their properties to protect them from storm and flood damage. These improvements can be costly but can prevent loss and lower insurance premiums.

Climate change fears have prompted many areas to spend money on flood defences. Floods Minister Therese Coffey has recently opened a £67m tidal surge barrier in Ipswich and has announced a £42m flood defence system to be constructed in Kingston-upon-Hull, but concrete flooring also played an important role in flood defence for buildings.

One of the first steps Taylor suggests is to replace wood floors with concrete flooring on ground floors. In the event of flooding, carpets or other floor coverings may be damaged, but the concrete can be cleaned and resurfaced easily.

If a concrete floor is flooded, it can be dried with heaters and humidifiers, but this can take a long time. There are drying systems to make this quicker, such as Arxell, which is used to cover the floor to create a microclimate that speeds up the drying process.

Power sockets should be moved above the floor level so that electric power is still available after a flood. Flood doors and flood boards are inexpensive ways to water entering a building.

If the climate change forecasts are correct, more floods are to be expected in 2019 and subsequent years. Concrete flooring is essential to minimise the effects that flooding can have on any business premises.