Flood Guard Flood guard is a common name for a door or window guard that protects property openings from flash floods. There are many types, covering everything from leaky, sometimes homemade, sheets of wood or plastic to specially manufactured products. Almost all of this type of flood guard is stored elsewhere until needed, which has many disadvantages. The guard may get damaged or covered up by other stored items and be difficult to find quickly, parts may go astray, and so on. Worst of all separate storage means most flood guards are carried and fixed in pouring rain, icy winds and pitch darkness. It means that most stand-alone flood guards are not really suitable unless there is a guarantee that a strong, fit able-bodied person will always be available at any time of day or night to find them, carry them to the door and fit them in position in accordance with often complex manufacturers' recommendations. Last but not least, a flood guard is largely aimed at handling flash flooding, which occurs with little warning and is over very soon. By the time the guard is found, transported to the door and fixed the property can already be flooded. There is only one manufacturer ­ Flodef ­ that overcomes all these disadvantages with a flood guard that is tested by British Standards Institution to a much higher level than any other. Flodef s guards are fitted either in the ground or doorstep, directly outside the door (or window), are always immediately available in situ and very light. They are lifted, with minimum effort, by practically anyone not physically disabled. Using a Flodef flood guard can make the difference between being flooded and being protected from flash floods ­ and the guards are the only ones that can be specially made to fit any size opening. Flodef's airbrick protection is also unique ­ airbricks are replaced with special airbrick-sized vented units exclusive to Flodef that close off automatically when water reaches them and need no intervention. Although Flodef considers its flood guards the best available, it also makes clear to clients that any aperture guard - door, window or airbrick - gives only partial protection. Floodwater can come through walls ­ brick is porous and lets water through in a very short time, usually less than a couple of hours. Floodwater can come up through floors. Floodwater - and foul water - can come through ground floor showers and even through toilets and kitchen drains. And there may be special features of the property that need to be considered. Flodef handles all of these problems and will recommend a total solution for all flooding. Flodef recommends, before any money is spent, that a property flood risk survey be carried out to identify all probable floodwater entry points and design solutions to them all within an overall scheme. The solutions property owners take up is their individual choice, but Flodef considers it important to be fully aware of issues. Flodef has qualified staff that will carry out a survey for a property owner. It will go to install all the measures that a property owner decides to adopt and will undertake to service them all. This can often result in more favourable insurance terms ­ indeed, Flodef is in contact with insurers who will always insure a property fully protected by Flodef's recommended measures. Flodef often offers free flood risk surveys and at the very least will always take costs of a survey off its installation costs when the installation of a flood guard proceeds.