New research released by Flood Re during Flood Action Week has found that simple, low-cost tapes can significantly outperform traditional sandbags at stopping floodwater entering homes – challenging one of the most familiar assumptions about how households should protect themselves from flooding.
Tests commissioned by Flood Re and carried out by the University of Hull found that all types of tape studied – flood putty tape, duct tape, aluminium tape, and yellow plastic tape – all outperformed traditional sandbags when applied to the outside of a doorway to protect a standard front door from flooding. Flood putty tape, akin to butyl type tape, was the strongest performer, proving up to 10 times more effective than traditional sandbags under test conditions.
The research was carried out in the University of Hull’s PFRlab, a purpose-built facility developed with support from Flood Re and the Environment Agency. Researchers tested measures to protect doors at flood depths of up to 600mm, with the work focused on replicating the type of low-level flooding experienced in Hull in 2007, when more than 8,600 residential properties and 1,300 businesses were damaged.
High-quality wide duct tape reduced water leakage by 97-98% compared with an unprotected door and provided a particularly strong combination of performance, affordability, durability and ease of installation. Even the lowest-performing tape reduced leakage by 80%, compared to 70% for sandbags. Tape was cheaper, lighter, easier to store and keep ready to hand, and does not disintegrate or rot in the same way as sandbags.
A range of temporary flood barriers produced more mixed results, ranging from full protection to a failure of protection, and depended on the skill of the installer and fit to the doorway.
The tests, undertaken on 6 commonly-used door types, also showed that the direction a front door opens can make a difference. Under the test conditions, a standard outward-opening door reduced leakage by 74% compared with an inward-opening door, even before any additional flood protection was installed. Applying tape to the outside of the door achieved significantly better results than taping the inside.
The Environment Agency estimates that 4.6 million people are at risk of surface water flooding, whilst the National Flood Risk Assessment identifies low-depth surface water flooding as the fastest-growing flood risk facing households. Helping people understand the steps that they can take to protect their homes is therefore becoming increasingly important.
The testing forms part of Flood Re’s wider focus on helping households become more resilient to flooding, including its work to develop Flood Performance Certificates, which are designed to help homeowners better understand their flood risk and the measures that they can take to reduce it.
Temporary measures such as tape are not a substitute for permanent, professionally specified property flood resilience measures where these are needed. However, the findings show that relatively simple and affordable products can provide households with an additional line of defence when flooding threatens.
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Jonathan Kassian, Head of Flood Resilience at Flood Re, said:
“Sandbags remain a symbol of flood protection, but these tests turn that assumption on its head. What we have found is that some relatively simple and affordable products can do a much better job of keeping water out.
“Flooding can be incredibly distressing and, when bad weather is on the way, people may have very little time to act. During Flood Action Week, we want people to understand their own flood risk and know what they can do before that moment comes. Having the right products ready, knowing how to use them and making your home more resilient can make a real difference.”
Professor Stuart McLelland, Professor of Water Science at the University of Hull, added:
“The University of Hull has longstanding expertise in flood research. Through state-of-the art facilities at our PFRlab, we’re helping to design and develop practical solutions to better safeguard homes and properties.
“Through challenging established assumptions our research can deliver immediate benefits to householders, showing that something as cheap and readily available as tape can significantly reduce the damage that flooding can cause.
“By translating these results into clear, practical guidance, we can help households make better-informed choices, reduce the amount of floodwater entering their homes and strengthen people’s resilience to future flooding.”
Flood Minister Emma Hardy said:
"We know we constantly need to work on new approaches to respond to the increasing risk of flooding, and this research from the University of Hull and Flood Re is a promising step forward.
"Using simple and affordable products like tape could make a real difference for communities, offering a cheap and easy way to protect themselves in times of need.
"Flooding can devastate lives but we are better prepared than ever, investing £4.2 billion over the next three years in new defences. This Flood Action Week, I'm urging everyone to check their flood risk, prepare a flood plan, and sign up for flood warnings to protect their home and family.”
[Main image credit: Zhuravlev Andrey / shutterstock.com]