Saving on the cost of repair work: Tips on preparation for building a flood-free house

But an overriding concern of many people for now is the downpours that have caused flooding in many provinces as reported recently in the local media. The flood aftermath is another disaster – house, furniture and other properties being ruined by the flood waters.

So wouldn’t it be a better idea to start preparing for the worst from Day 1, that is, to build a house that can guard against flood damage?

Factors to be considered are the following:

1. Structure: strong and secure pillars. Luckily building strong pillars is a prerequisite of home-building in Thailand. A strong foundation helps prevent a house from crumbling down when flood currents rip through it.

2. Interior and exterior: A house’s design plays an important role in guarding against damage such as the following:

a. Elevated house like a traditional Thai home: It is a design ideally suited to the nature and climate here because the water will not reach the contents inside. Present-day homes are built on the ground. When a flood comes, all belongings have to be carried up to the second floor. Therefore, to build a house these days, one may need to look back at the old wisdom, that is, to lift the ground floor 1.5 metres above ground and use the ground level as parking or storage space. No barrier should be erected to block the waterway. Since the 2011 flood, several houses have been raised to save them from flood waters or the land has been raised before house construction to a safe level.

b. Placement and installation of house equipment: Electric utilities, power cables and power outlets are to be placed at eye level or high above the flood level. There are houses that place these fixtures lower to the floor for artistic reasons, but this could cause a short circuit if waters reach that spot.

3. Good drainage system: Construction technology should be brought in to do the following:

a. Adjust the inclination of water pipelines to a level at which water can flow fast. Sewage and wastewater systems must be designed to accommodate high water and eventually to be prepared for flooding.

b. Use new technology such as a wall system that can cushion the water’s impact by releasing the force to the sides to save the house from collapsing or cracking, or using solar cells or solar-activated water heaters in case flooding causes a power outage.

c. Build a strong ground floor to cushion the water’s impact by using steel to support the basement diagonally.

4. Choose strong and water-resistant materials especially for the ground floor such as bricks, concrete or tiles. Try to avoid water-absorbent materials such as particle board, wallpaper or gypsum walls. Instead use any innovative product that provides water-resistant benefits such as Portland cement products, cellulose fibres and sand that has been highly vapour-pressed, which allows the material to last longer in water without disintegrating and dry up more quickly than cement.

5. Bear in mind all these tips when building a house because we do not know how long in advance we will be warned of a flood.

6. It is better to be prepared. You will definitely find the cost of preparation is much less than the post-flood solution and repair work.

Credit: Reference to

n The Engineering Institute of Thailand Under HM The King’s Patronage

n community.akanek.com