How flooding or heavy rainfall can affect your property

With an 6% increase in rainfall over the last 30 years and the weather becoming more extreme within the UK, it’s hardly surprising that saturated grounds and flooding are becoming a regular occurrence.

This, of course, can have a significant impact on your pipes and plumbing. Saturated ground can lead to subsidence whilst flooding can lead to backed up drains and blockages. Your plumbing can also crack and weaken against the torrent of rain and constant pressure.

Where flooding or standing water occurs, sometimes pipes can be exposed, although they may not be damaged, they can be blocked by debris. This can lead to extra pressure; the water has to go somewhere – after-all they are designed to drain the water away – and this can lead to breaks/burst pipes.

So, what can you do?

It’s said that prevention is better than cure, with all plumbing and drainage it pays to ensure that your drain pipes and guttering is kept clear and clean. This will prevent build-up of debris and ensure water can drain away freely.

Do not flush anything but paper down your toilet to avoid blocking the sewer. Remove hair from sinks and ensure that only bath/shower products end up down your plug hole.

This will help keep plumbing and your underground pipes flowing as freely as possible.

If your lawn is starting to become flooded/saturated, use a fork to aerate it by pushing it down approx. 4 to 5 inches and gently lifting the grass. Repeat this process at approx. six-inch intervals around the lawn, as this will help surface water to dispel more easily.

What else can be done to prevent damage?
Although it is harder to prevent saturation, and avoid flooding of your ground, you can provide alternative drainage routes or make your driveway out of porous materials to help with drainage.

If you are concerned about flooding within your home, you can get plastic barriers or sandbags that can act as the first line of defence. You can also install larger flood barriers that are very effective.

If you have a basement you can arrange for this to be waterproofed against flooding. Alternatively, you could also arrange for electrical outlets to be high up any wall and for furniture to be built on stilts.

You can also use a sump pump if you fear that you might flood or you do find you have experienced flooding (you can get submersible ones), though you should not connect these to your plumbing, instead it should direct any flood water downhill away from your (and other’s) properties.

Live in an area that experiences flooding regularly?
Taking the above precautions will certainly help to keep your home and your pipes in tack, however, that’s not all you can do.

You can arrange to install flap valves and back water non return valves that will allow used water to flow away naturally but will prevent sewage or flood water re-entering through the system.

Checking your property regularly, to see if there are any signs of flooding, water egress or ground saturation, and taking appropriate action to fix these problems immediately, will save difficulties in the long run.

Whilst we can’t guarantee that you won’t be flooded, with these top tips, we hope it will help prevent some (if not all of) the damage and devastation caused by the increase in the volume of water we are all experiencing.

Need any advice and assistance?

At Bradley Plumbing and Heating we offer advice, support and assistance for both commercial and domestic property owner / occupiers across Barnsley, Chesterfield, Doncaster, Dronfield, Mansfield, Sheffield, Rotherham and Wath-upon-Dearne

We also provide handy hints and tips via our blogs: https://bradleyplumbing.co.uk/blog/

Want to know more: https://bradleyplumbing.co.uk/ or you can call us on: T. 07917 776549

Bradley Plumbing and Heating, always putting the customer first and getting great results every time.