Industry News
Simple Retrofitting Can Save Money...and Your Home
Hurricane
Katrina drove 4 feet of water into Bruce Colby's Slidell,
Louisiana, garage and 1 foot of water into his home. Colby's
neighbors' garage doors will have to be replaced due to
structural damage. But Colby's garage doors are intact and
his home is structurally sound.
Colby wasn't just lucky. He installed three
International Code Council (ICC)-certified flood vents before
Katrina. But protecting his home was not the main reason Colby
installed the flood vents. Saving on flood insurance was. 'My
agent told me to get flood vents and so I did an Internet
search.' Colby found an ICC-certified flood vent. ICC
certification means the vent was rigorously tested for
performance under flood conditions, including debris-filled
flood waters that could clog ordinary vents.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
policyholders in special flood hazard areas (SFHA) may qualify
for reduced premium rates by installing FEMA-approved flood
vents for residential basements, crawl spaces, garages, and
other enclosed structures that are below the base flood
elevation (BFE). Unlike air vents, flood vents are designed to
open during flooding to allow water flow and pressure to
equalize. Normally these vents are closed to keep out animals
and moisture. Some models are sealed, allowing for air
conditioned space on the interior. Other models are temperature
sensitive, opening during hot weather to allow air circulation.
The key feature is that the vent will open during a flood to
allow the free flow of water through the structure.
This is important because, if the
floodwater cannot equalize quickly enough, its pressure can blow
out doors and windows, increasing flood damages. Pressure from
flood waters in enclosures that are not properly vented may
compromise the entire structure, resulting in the home being
condemned. Proper flood venting will prevent this kind of loss.
Colby paid $600 for his three flood vents
and saves $700 every year in flood insurance premiums because of
them. That is a $2,900 net savings over 5 years, a tidy return
on his $600 outlay for the flood vents. The fact that his garage
survived and his home is structurally sound despite Katrina's
wrath underscores the real value of proper flood venting. A ride
through his devastated community illustrates what happened to
many and could have happened to him.
Says Colby: 'I don't know anyone who has a
flood vent. No one around here knew what they were. I guess it
will all change now.'
Reprinted with the permission of Janice
Roper-Graham, Managing Partner of Outreach Process Partners.