FloodSax make highly effective anti-flood barriers All these 20 FloodSax alternative sandbags came from this one easy-to-carry box FloodSax are incredibly space-saving to store yet quick and easy to deploy

FloodSax alternative sandbags stop floodwater getting into terraced house to prevent thousands of pounds floodwater damage

FloodSax alternative sandbags saved a pensioner’s home from flooding again after a previous flood caused thousands of pounds damage.

Janet Tipton lives in Syston in Leicestershire and suffered a serious flood in January 2024 when a brook burst its banks, sending water into nearby homes.

Janet lives in a terraced house and the water got in under her doors and airbricks to the point it was 3 inches deep downstairs.

This meant all her wooden floors needed to be replaced, including the kickboards in the kitchen and also a freezer. Specialists were needed to do a deep clean on her sofa after it became contaminated with the floodwater.

The brook burst its banks again on January 6, 2025 but this time Janet was prepared with FloodSax which had been given to her by her insurance company Lloyds.

After the first flood Janet was given £10,000 under the Build Back Better scheme to improve the flood defences at her home and so installed a new front door and specialist airbricks. The scheme allows people to claim up to £10,000 for flood resilience from their insurance company over and above the cost of work to repair damage caused by a flood. The insurance companies that take part in the scheme are NFU Mutual, Lloyds Bank, Ageas, LV= and Aviva.

It's administered by Cheshire-based flooding experts Watertight on behalf of the Flood Re scheme, a joint initiative between the Government and insurers which aims to make the flood cover part of household insurance policies more affordable.

After the flood Janet also received a Preparedness Pack which included FloodSax and a water pump, among other essentials.

Janet said: “Some work has been done on the brook so the flooding from it wasn’t as fierce the second time which gave me enough warning to get the FloodSax out and energise them to become sandless sandbags.

“I was just so relieved I had them and no water got in this time. I was amazed at how compact they were before they expanded in the water. Several of my neighbours now have them too.’’

Flooding causes horrendous damage, leaving insurance companies to face huge claims.

The average cost per claim for a flooded house is £32,000 and £83,000 for small and medium businesses, with 40% of businesses never opening again following a flood.

FloodSax are way better than sandbags because they are so multi-use and flexible. In their dry state they are very flat with a large surface area so are ideal to soak up leaks, drips, spills and floods such as beneath sinks, below boilers and even underneath pipes under floorboards. FloodSax will also absorb water leaking in through roofs and windows.

To transform FloodSax into instant sandbags, simply immerse them fully in water and the gelling polymer inside the FloodSax absorbs and retains the water, transforming the FloodSax into an instant sandless sandbag which is a uniform shape so they are easy to handle and stack.

For more information on the Build Back Better Scheme go to https://watertightinternational.com/build-back-better