??? Sandbags ???

While i sympathise with anyone affected by today's storms and floods it again raised a question in my mind that i've been thinking about for years everytime i see such scenes on the TV, why do people think that by placing a few sandbags in front of their doors water won't get in ? maybe it's more of a psychological thing to give people the impression that they can do something but i've never seen any evidence that it makes the slightest bit of difference, water just pisses under, over and through the gaps. Does anybody have any proof or experience of this working ? it's doin me swede in bheys  

I see what you mean. Maybe better off sticking some of that stuff most builders use under there - that foamy stuff that swells up and goes rock hard  

They're like bricks... It's how you lay them.

mannameadbabe wrote:

I see what you mean.  Maybe better off sticking some of that stuff most builders use under there - that foamy stuff that swells up and goes rock hard  

Ooooh matron.  

They do a job but only if there are enough of them, generally the water does the whole overwhelming thing.

Most houses are connected to pipes full of shit that are underground anyway, they work both ways and air vents.

BUMP !!!

Get your valuables upstairs, make sure you're praaaaperly insured, and let the b*stard flood, sorry people but the sandbags are no more effective than an ashtray on a motorbike.

Rain, rain and more piggin' rain, never known this much rain over such a long period of time, sympathies to those affected.

You would need an awful lot of sandbags to stop the water getting in. The idea is to stop the crap and all the junk from washing in, not the water.

If it's a flood over several days then you just as well forget trying to protect it because water will get in even if it has to rise up through the floors, but if it's a temporary tidal flood or something then a simply board nailed to a door frame with a few beads of silicone will be far more effective then a sandbag.

I helped to build a house in a flood area a few years ago, we built it so that the whole ground floor was designed to take in water and then release it again. Amazingly it hasn't flooded yet, but if it did there would be little or no damage.

The Marsh Arabs of the Thames Valley. Amazing how the army turned up almost before it happened. Not so down in Somerset of course. Can't think why.
Maybe that's the answer, build houses on sticks and build more canals.

Who would have thought awhile back...that people would be stealing sandbags from each other.... it isn't as if you can discreetly slip half a dozen in your pocket......you've got to turn up with your car/boat to get your moneys worth...unbelievable.

GOB wrote:

You would need an awful lot of sandbags to stop the water getting in. The idea is to stop the crap and all the junk from washing in, not the water.

If it's a flood over several days then you just as well forget trying to protect it because water will get in even if it has to rise up through the floors, but if it's a temporary tidal flood or something then a simply board nailed to a door frame with a few beads of silicone will be far more effective then a sandbag.

I helped to build a house in a flood area a few years ago, we built it so that the whole ground floor was designed to take in water and then release it again. Amazingly it hasn't flooded yet, but if it did there would be little or no damage.

Yes i suppose they do help to keep floating crap out, plastic bottles, soiled nappies, plastic bags, fast food boxes and numerous other things people seem to think it's ok to discard willy nilly these days.
I agree that boarding up doors and windows and sealing with silicone would be much more effective but as you say, with the type of floods we're experiencing at the moment it rises through the floors so you probably couldn't do anything about that.

i liked the egits that thought piling up bits of smashed up wooden furniture infront of their doors would stop the water entering!

sympathies for anyone affected, but, theres a saying about wise men and building on rocks

Winter Green wrote:

The Marsh Arabs of the Thames Valley. Amazing how the army turned up almost before it happened. Not so down in Somerset of course. Can't think why.
Maybe that's the answer, build houses on sticks and build more canals.

Money is no object in that part of the world, you just as well draw a line from Weston super Mare to Weymouth and give everyone west of that the Scotland treatment and allow it a form of devolution.

where would the londoners have their 3rd homes?

Mapperley, darling wrote:

where would the londoners have their 3rd homes?

Swansea?

in that case - lets do it! i might be able to live in my own country then...

Jack Sheppard wrote:

sorry people but the sandbags are no more effective than an ashtray on a motorbike.

Well, let's ask ATD's resident motorbike expert.
Gob, how effective is such an ashtray ?  Does it solve the resilience problem ? Is it worth giving Pickles a ring ?

It would be more effective piling government ministers in your doorway, there's more of them around than sand bags. The army delivered 5 tonnes of sandbags to the Thames area last night for a photo opportunity and fooked off, lol, surprised glam cam didn't get in on the act, tie off, shirt unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up! We're all in it together honest gov.

I would say that it's easier on a motorcycle to aim a pee into a thimble balancing on the headlamp whilst remaining dry.

If only they could clone Eric Pickles and then distribute numerous Pickles to each household, place one in front of each entrance and your property would be completely watertight !!

Yeh feck off Hairy!
Sorry wrong thread.