Look how neatly FloodSax alternative sandbags stack into effective flood barriers Sandbags can quickly deteriorate, letting water through and sand spilling out to cause environmental harm Flood expert Mary Dhonau is a big advocate of FloodSax sandless sandbags A FloodSax sorting out another domestic plumbing drama

Question: When is a sandbag not a sand bag?

Answer: When it’s a FloodSax

FloodSax alternative sandbags are way better value for money than traditional sandbags … and you can do far more with them too.

Sandbags may seem a cheap option but they have just one use (which they’re not that good at) whereas FloodSax have several uses (which they’re all very good at).

You can only use sandbags outside as flood barriers, they take up lots of space to store, are incredibly heavy to move anywhere and the sand often comes out of them adding to the horrendous environmental damage a flood can cause.

FloodSax have many uses both outdoors and indoors (yes, a sandless sandbag you can use inside), are space-saving to store, are incredibly lightweight to move to the scene of a flood, just use water to activate them and then they make highly-efficient flood barriers that are easy to build into an anti-flood wall so are ideal for flood protection and flood mitigation.

Yes, they are a thing of beauty but the really clever thing about FloodSax is that the absorbent technology in them means they are incredibly useful in their ‘dry’ state to soak up leaks, spills, drips and floods indoors.

When dry they have a large and very flat surface area which means they can be slipped into the most inaccessible places around homes and businesses to soak up water leaks such as beneath floorboards and below boilers and sinks.

Drips and leaks fall onto the material which then absorbs it, stopping the water from getting any further and causing damage that will be expensive to repair.

Flood expert Mary Dhonau – affectionately known as Mary Queen of Floods - is a big advocate of FloodSax sandless sandbags and click here to read what she has to say about them.

Facilities managers use them in commercial buildings to deal with leaking roofs, pipes and radiators and many plumbers now carry them as an essential part of their kit.

FloodSax are also an early warning system for drips and leaks that could worsen to become a major flooding problem causing potentially tens of thousands of pounds damage. If you suspect a leak or drip then pop a FloodSax underneath it and leave it for a day or two.

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.

This helped a plumber stop thousands of pounds damage at a house he was working on. Plumber James Lucks from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire was called to a house where a toilet was leaking from a corroded old lead pipe. He put FloodSax around the toilet and across the bathroom floor just in case the leak worsened … and it did in a massive way.

For the seal suddenly gave way, sending gallons of water gushing across the bathroom floor.

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 been a ceiling breaker for sure.”

For more on how FloodSax can prevent internal damage caused by plumbing problems click here. 

FloodSax are now used by facilities management companies worldwide and several were deployed to stop a major flood inside a hospital in the USA which saved thousands of dollars in damage.

In Belgium, a row of FloodSax were placed around a faulty air conditioning system on the roof of a radio station’s building which prevented water getting in and seeping through ceilings which would have caused colossal damage.

When it comes to protecting homes, Christine Butler from Gloucestershire has ‘flood-proofed’ her flat with FloodSax after a leak from a neighbouring flat badly damaged her ceiling. She has slipped FloodSax beneath anywhere there are pipes or appliances that could cause a leak such as the bath, boiler and under the kitchen sink.

Christine said: “I’ve popped a FloodSax under any place in the flat where there could be a potential leak in the future. Once you have a leak which causes damage it’s such a hassle sorting out all the insurance which is why it’s best to prevent it in the first place.

“It also means that if water leaked into my flat from neighbouring flats the FloodSax would soak it up and minimise the damage.”

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.”

An 80-year lady in Wales, Anne, uses FloodSax both outside and inside to sort out her complex flooding problems. Inside, she uses FloodSax to soak up water bubbling into her cottage from a spring running beneath it … and she also uses FloodSax as sandless sandbags outside to stop water getting in from a river that overflows next to her home along with water that cascades down a mountain.

Anne said: “I just couldn’t lift sandbags as they are way too heavy. I put FloodSax against the steps in the hallway and by the door to soak up any floodwater so they don’t usually fully expand before I move them which makes them so manageable. I even pop one over the drain in the downstairs shower room in case water backs up through there.”

* If you have used FloodSax inside your home or business then please let us know what you used them for and how well they worked for you. Email andy@edslimited.co.uk