Home Flood Protection Barriers: Is Your Home Protected For the Next 100 Years?
Have you ever thought about global warming? Also, called the greenhouse effect, it is the increase in global temperatures due to the growing concentration of greenhouse gases. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and CFCs.
Industries, deforestation, use of fertilizers, and motor vehicles, all contribute to the increase in the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere. They form a blanket over the earth’s surface preventing the escape of the suns radiation; thereby increasing the global temperatures.
Global Warming and Climate Change
The year with the highest annual temperature was 2016, according to the temperature graph from NASA. And, for the last 136 years, since the year 1880, annual global temperatures have been rising. This increase according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, will lead to an intensification of the hydrological cycle.
There will be added water-vapor in the atmosphere, which will result in more precipitation. Increased rainfall will cause flooding, landslides, and more damage to property. If global temperatures continue to increase in the coming years, we can conclusively expect more flooding.
Flooding in the US is becoming more frequent, due to high precipitation. We are not guaranteed of stable climatic conditions in the future.
The Next 100 Years for the Home and Business Owners
Extreme weather, unfortunately, is here to stay and it is an increasing event in our country. Just because, two hurricanes happened this year alone, with the last being Katia in 2011, we are not sure that next year things will be different. Storms are not cyclical – they are unpredictable.
While political debates may continue, about climate change, one fact cannot be disputed, floods have become more frequent. As a homeowner or business person, how are you prepared for the inevitable coming floods? Have you made any investment in home flood protection barriers?
These are hard questions that need quick, lasting answers to mitigate the impact of adverse weather.
Flood Preparedness Solutions
As a homeowner or business owner, you’re responsible for the protection of your property against the risk of flood damage.
The impact of flooding can be very costly regarding the destruction of personal property and structures. It also results in lost productivity, seeking alternative housing and physiological torture to your family. After the destruction of assets, it is hard for normalcy to return.
When people think about home flood protection barriers, they immediately think about sandbags and flood insurance. Both of these methods don’t mitigate the flood damage since they have many limitations.
Limitations of Flood Insurance
The National Flood Insurance Program, created by Congress in 1968, allows homeowners, business owners, and renters to purchase a federally backed insurance program.
While the efforts are commendable, you cannot rely on flood insurance exclusively. There is a limit on the value, the flood insurance covers. You can only insure up to $250,000 and personal contents of $100,000. Renters can insure personal belongings of up to $100,000. For business owners, it is $500,000 for the building and commercial assets.
For properties above this evaluation, owners have to seek alternative flood protection. The flood insurance provided by the federal government won’t cover all personal property. You are not compensated for finding alternative housing, lost income, and damage to vehicles and assets located outside the building, like the decking.
In any flood insurance, you have to pay premiums, each year, which will be expensive. Complications are also bound to arise when claiming for compensation.
Limitations of Sandbags
Sandbags currently available in the market are no match for the increasing severity of flood waters. They don’t guarantee a watertight seal; they only minimally reduce the damage to your property.
When using sandbags continuous monitoring is a must. Besides, deployment is labor-intensive and time-consuming. They also soak up flood waters, which may have toxins in them.
Most people think sandbags are affordable home flood protection barriers, which is not the case since you will buy them and dispose of them continuously.
Limitations of Earth Home Flood Protection Barriers
Floodwalls are structures built using concrete or wood for flood protection. They are 1-4 feet in height and can surround a home. They are cost-prohibitive, periodic maintenance to fix cracks is required, and can affect your community drainage system causing problems to others.
Levees consist of compacted earth matter such as clay and rocks. They need the excavation of trenches around your property and filling it with clay to form a raised barrier. Creating levees is cost-prohibitive since you require heavy machinery, engineers, and you can disrupt utility lines underground.
Cofferdams the Solution for the Next Hundred Years
Most people don’t know of the home flood protection barrier by Dam-it Dams. It is a practical, cost-effective solution for the modern era. Easy to set up with a limited workforce, the cofferdam is suitable for emergency situations.
The Dam-it Dams cofferdam is portable and easily transported. You can own one, and share it with your family members living across the country. It is a durable lifetime investment and a security for the hard years ahead. After the flood, you just wash it and store it for the future.
This home flood protection barrier can protect against high water levels and does not soak water. It is also impermeable and the geo-textile material which can withstand tremendous pressures. It will form a home flood barrier around your home keeping the contents safe and secure.
When deployed it can improve the effectiveness of other physical home flood protection barriers such as wood and stone floodwalls. The cofferdam has been used in large construction projects, but the demand by homeowners all over the country has increased.
Why Should I Invest In a Cofferdam?
The cofferdam is simple tube you fill with water to guard against water. It doesn’t get better than that, plus it is highly useful.
Grand Blanc-based Dam-It Dams, Inc., the manufacture of the home flood protection barriers, has won innovated product awards for their portable water filled dams. When you buy the dam, you are investing in the future. Though we are optimistic about the future of climate change, the worst has yet to come.