Nasty watermark on a ceiling caused by a leaking shower above. Is it just us, or does the watermark resemble a particularly angry skinhead? FloodSax stopping water damage from a leaking toilet FloodSax as alternative sandbags stopping filthy floodwater getting into a house Bags of 5 FloodSax are incredibly space-saving to store

How just one inch of floodwater can cause £20,000 damage to your home … but here’s an inexpensive yet highly effective way to prevent it

There’s nothing like the destructive power of water … and it doesn’t have to be a raging torrent to cause serious damage to your home or business.

A leaking pipe can send gallons of water quickly flowing across your floor or, if it’s upstairs, through the ceiling.

All it takes is an inch of water across your floor and the damage will unleash months of misery and expensive bills.

For the leaking water will wreck you floor and carpets. If you have a hardwood or laminate floor just think of all the hassle ripping it up, allowing it to dry out and then buying replacement flooring and getting experts to lay it.

But that’s not all. It may be the water has damaged the electrics if your sockets are low down and if it’s in the kitchen the base of your cabinets may be badly damaged.

Then there are the bottom of chairs and furniture which will also be spoiled by the water.

This is why a flood is known as “the thief who takes everything” and, although the average insurance claim after a flood in a house is £31,000, just an inch of water can quickly rack up a £20,000 repair bill.

This was worked out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the USA which is responsible for protecting against and responding to emergencies such as flooding. It runs the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in the USA as flooding over there is not covered by usual house insurance. 

The FEMA website states: “Floods can happen anywhere — just one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage.”

People often just think of flooding happening outside but homes and businesses are badly damaged by internal floods, leaks and spills every day, yet very few have an action plan in place so they are prepared for these kinds of emergencies.

Here are just a few causes of internal flooding. In businesses, toilets get clogged and overflow, people leave taps on, sprinkler systems can be activated by accident, water can pour through ceilings from damaged roofs or faulty air conditioning systems.

In homes, washers may give way on pipes, frozen pipes could burst, hoses to washing machines and dishwashers may split, clogged drains caused by a build-up of hair and grease from toiletries in showers and sinks can send water flowing across the bathroom floor and through the ceiling, baths are accidentally left switched on. Even clogged gutters can send water flowing down the side of your house, damaging the ceiling, walls and floors. Water always finds the weakest spot on your property to get in.

Many councils, facilities managers, business and homeowners now use FloodSax as they are an inexpensive and highly efficient way to stop floodwater getting in from the outside and to soak up spills, leaks and floods inside.

In their dry state FloodSax resemble large pillowcases but are vacuum-packed so they take up very little storage space.

This means they can be quickly taken to the scene of a major flood and, after being immersed in water, the gelling polymer inside the FloodSax absorbs the water and retains it so the FloodSax expands to resemble a traditional sandbag but their uniform size means they can be quickly and neatly stacked into a highly effective flood barrier.

Indoors, simply leave them in their dry state to deal with leaks, drips and floods. A standard FloodSax measures 500mm by 450mm by 20mm FloodSax and this large, flat and ultra-thin surface area means they can be slipped into the most inaccessible places to catch dripping or leaking water. FloodSax will absorb up to 20 litres of water, saving an awful lot of damage.

People searching for FloodSax online call them floodsacks, floodbags, flood_bags, sandbags other, alternative sandbags, sandless sandbags, gelbags and polymer bags but there is only one multi-use FloodSax.

They are white so if there is a slight leak the tell-tale signs of a watermark on the FloodSax or the FloodSax itself slightly rising would indicate there is a problem that needs sorting before it gets any worse.

FloodSax are trusted by plumbers and helped to save countless thousands of pounds when a flooding disaster hit a house in West Yorkshire. The toilet upstairs was leaking from a corroded old lead pipe and quick-thinking plumber James Lucks from Huddersfield quickly surrounded the toilet with FloodSax which he also put across the bathroom floor.

It was lucky he did as seal on the old lead pipe suddenly gave way, sending gallons of water gushing across the bathroom flood. Most of it was soaked up by the FloodSax.

James said: “The FloodSax not only saved the day but the customer an awful lot of money in damage. The FloodSax soaked the water up which meant it didn’t penetrate the floor and leak through to the ceiling below. If the water had gone straight onto the floor it would have brought the ceiling down for sure.”

Homeowner Christine Butler from Gloucestershire has ‘flood-proofed’ her flat with FloodSax after a leak from a neighbouring flat badly damaged her ceiling. She has placed FloodSax underneath anywhere there are pipes or appliances that could cause a leak such as the bath, boiler and beneath the kitchen sink.

Christine added: “The FloodSax is like an early warning system which gives people valuable time to sort a plumber out before it deteriorates and that’s why I have them under anywhere which could cause a flooding problem.”

FloodSax come in handy packs of 5 and there are 4 packs in each box which retails for around £150 – a small price to pay when you think just how much damage a flood will cause to your home or business. It’s probably way under what you’d pay as your insurance premium excess when making a flooding claim.

For testimonials about FloodSax and how they have averted flooding disasters time and time again please go to http://www.floodsax.co.uk/testimonials/