3 Ways Sandbags Are Used For Hurricanes
When hurricane season approaches, you need to take all the steps necessary to protect you, your family, your home, and your business. One of the best ways to do that is by stocking up on sandbags. Sandbags can help protect your property and belongings. Here are three ways sandbags can be used for hurricanes.
1. Stop Water From Entering Buildings
When you’re preparing for a hurricane, you need to do everything you can to prevent water from entering your building. There are two popular methods for keeping buildings safe during a flood. These two methods are called dry floodproofing and wet floodproofing.
Dry Floodproofing
The goal of dry floodproofing is in the name, to prevent water from entering the home or building at all costs. This can be achieved by sandbag walls or coating the foundation in waterproof sealants or plastic sheeting. Only houses built on a concrete slab without basements or cellars are appropriate for dry floodproofing.
Wet Floodproofing
The wet floodproofing method allows some surface water to enter the house. While this seems counterintuitive, it can actually decrease the amount of overall damage. The method achieves this by balancing the hydrostatic pressure inside and outside of the house. This method is recommended for homes with basements.
2. Sandbags Are Used as Levees, Berms, and Barricades
Sandbags are commonly used to create levees, berms, and barricades when preparing for a storm. A well-built levee can reduce and even prevent flood damage altogether. Keep in mind, you should only use sandbag levees when a very low and relatively short barrier is required.
Keep in mind, sandbag levees can be very labor-intensive, creating more opportunity for human error during construction. Even though they may require some labor, they do not require heavy equipment and can be constructed by a small group of individuals. To get the best results possible, stagger, and stairstep the sandbags, this will provide added protection.
3. Hold Tarps and Furniture Down
The best practice when it comes to hurricanes is moving all of your outdoor furniture into a secure place. Otherwise, you will more than likely find out your favorite piece of outdoor furniture blew away in the storm. However, there are certain circumstances where a homeowner doesn’t have the time to move their outdoor furniture.
In these instances, a sandbag can serve as the last line of protection between your furniture and the storm. Sandbags are heavy enough that they can hold down some furniture in the event of strong wind. You can also use sandbags to help hold down tarp you may be using to protect furniture, your vehicle, or anything else that may be exposed.
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