How to Make a Door Flood Barrier

Most people don't have to worry about water entering through the front door as a result of some kind of flood. But if a recent experience with flooding or weather changes have you rethinking your home's flood security, you may want to consider a door flood barrier.

Not only can it help prevent water from coming through the front door and ruining your floors, walls and the items inside, it can also give you peace of mind the next time a storm rolls in so you can focus on the safety of you and your family. Aside from the time and cost of preparing for each storm, it's just plain annoying to spring into action from scratch each time the weather turns, and a flood door barrier helps you avoid all of that.

Even if you don't live in an area that is subject to floods, it's not like you can ever completely avoid the potential of flooding -- rivers and lakes sometimes overflow and a water main can always burst nearby. But if you're not ready to purchase one, you may be interested in how to make a door flood barrier on your own. It's a common DIY project for homeowners, and it's easier than you may think.

Prepare Your Home and Yourself

Before you can think about making a door flood barrier, you'll need to prepare your home. If there's water heading for your home and you have reason to believe that it may come inside, you'll want to turn off the gas, electricity and water that feeds your home. That's because water, gas and electricity don't mix, and it could represent a serious hazard if a situation presents itself. The same goes if you're caught by surprise -- the first order of business is to turn off the gas, electricity and water.

Beyond preparing your home, you'll also want to prepare some kind of emergency kit for yourself and your family, as well as for your pets. That way, if extreme weather does hit, you'll have everything you need to make the best decisions for you and your family without having to scramble for a solution at the last minute.

Use Water Barriers to Prevent Flooding

Once you're out of the home with your emergency kits and all the supplies you'll need to weather the storm, it's time to turn your attention back to your home. Water barriers to prevent flooding come in many different shapes and sizes, but the most common is the simple sandbag. 

They're typically made from woven hessian and feature sand inside to help them absorb moisture and to create a water-tight barrier against the rising tide out front. They're also cheap and relatively easy to obtain or to create, as long as you prepare ahead of time -- trying to locate sandbags with a pending storm on the way can prove challenging, to say the least.

If sandbags don't quite check the door flood barrier need for your home -- after all, they are heavy, bulky and difficult to work with -- you can try flood bags. They're lighter and smaller, enabling them to be stuffed more tightly into small crevices and spaces where sandbags can't go -- and they store more easily. They work by using crystals instead of sand to absorb the water, but, unfortunately, once water hits, they'll puff up and stay that way for months, so they can't be reused or tested in advance.

See our most popular Dam Easy HydroSack Sandless Flood Bag.

Another option is known as a Flood Barrier, which features pods that connect together and provide a physically larger barrier than would be possible with freestanding bags alone. At the bottom is a watertight gasket base that seals the ground under the weight of the barrier and the water it's retaining, requiring no tie-downs or bolts; the barriers will even allow you to create 90-degree, water-tight angles. The best part is that once the water recedes and evaporates from the barrier, you can store them away for the next use.

That said, it's not like water can only enter your home through your front or back doors -- windows, garages and any other openings that are low to the ground can represent a potential water breach in the face of a flood. But one thing that many homeowners may forget are vents, grates and air bricks. Luckily, you can find specialty covers that go on top of grates and other ventilation areas. They'll temporarily seal the area with an adjustable cover, which is easily installed and removed whenever the need arises.

As for the things inside your home, you may want to give your home a once-over to ensure that important items and electronics are not sitting on the ground. That way, if water does enter your home, you'll be able to minimize the damage by ensuring that your valuables aren't in harm's way.

Install a Door Flood Barrier

As you can likely see with our temporary and DIY solutions, they're finicky at best and a huge time and storage commitment for a majority of the year. Additionally, if a storm sneaks up on you in the middle of the night, you likely won't have the ability to run outside and lay down dozens of sandbags around your property to avoid having the water work its way in.

Indeed, you don't need to know how to make a door flood barrier -- you need a legit door flood barrier that can give you the protection you need at a moment's notice. Sometimes called flood gates, these flood door barriers give you real protection for any door or entryway into your home. They're specially designed water barriers that sit in front of your doors against the door jamb to provide an air-tight seal that is easily installed and removed in just minutes. 

And with a flood barrier at home, it's easy to be ready for any storm. Simply grab the flood door barrier and affix it in front of your door so that no water can get by. Once the storm passes and the flood risk has subsided, remove the panel and put it away for safe keeping. With just a few panels for your front, back and side door, you'll be protecting your entire home from flooding with a system that can be setup and taken down in a fraction of the time of sandbags and other solutions. To further increase the protection, consider adding silicone sealant in areas that may need it. 

Check out our Custom Flood Barrier.

If you're ready to protect your home against flooding, get started today with flood barriers for your home from Trademark Hardware.