FloodSax soaking up water from a leaking radiator until a plumber can get there to repair it FloodSax beneath a major pipe leading from the boiler at Christine Butler’s flat FloodSax alternative sandbags keeping filthy floodwater out of a rented home

A cheap way property landlords can save themselves a fortune from flooding both indoors and outside

Property landlords can save themselves a fortune by using FloodSax to deal with leaks and floods both inside and out.

Private and business landlords along with facilities managers have discovered that multi-purpose FloodSax can absorb drips, leaks, spills and floods inside and can also be transformed into alternative sandbags to prevent floodwater from getting in from the outside.

FloodSax are a British invention and almost 3 million have been sold worldwide since 2007. A box of 20 FloodSax in handy packs of 5 cost around £150 yet can save you having to make a claim on your flood insurance worth tens of thousands of pounds by stopping floods, leaks and spills. Just think how much your insurance premium would soar after a claim like that.

The damage caused by any kind of flood can be astronomical with insurance claims from floods typically 37 times greater than from burglaries. According to the Association of British Insurers, the typical average claim in the UK after a flood is £31,000 for homes and £70,000 for businesses.

Yet a lot of this huge financial cost – not to mention all the human misery and trauma of flooding – can be prevented by FloodSax.

In their dry state FloodSax’s super-absorbency, large surface area and thinness means they can be slipped under leaking pipes in the toughest-to-reach places to stop damage from internal floods until the problem can be fixed.

Plumbers now also use them to prevent any flood damage while making repairs.

When it comes to protecting homes from any kind of drip, leak, spill or flood, Christine Butler from Gloucestershire has ‘flood-proofed’ her flat with FloodSax after a leak from a neighbouring flat badly damaged her ceiling. She has slipped FloodSax beneath anywhere there are pipes or appliances that could cause a leak such as the bath, boiler and under the kitchen sink.

Christine said: “I’ve popped a FloodSax under any place in the flat where there could be a potential leak in the future. Once you have a leak which causes damage it’s such a hassle sorting out all the insurance which is why it’s best to prevent it in the first place.

“It also means that if water leaked into my flat from neighbouring flats the FloodSax would soak it up and minimise the damage.”

Lucy Bailey from FloodSax said: “This is great advice from Christine and if landlords put this kind of proactive flood prevention into the flats, homes and businesses they rent it could prevent an awful lot of damage and cost. After all, they are not around to keep a close eye on the property.

“If the tenant reports a drip or small leak then pop a FloodSax under it and it would quickly show if water was dripping on it from water stains or if the FloodSax was starting to expand. FloodSax are white which means they will show up any leakage problem immediately.”

FloodSax can also be vital outside too. Simply immerse them in water which they will absorb and retain up to 20 litres in their special gelling polymer and inflate to become instant sandbags … but without the sand.

They can then be made into barriers to keep floodwater out of homes and businesses.

Flooding is the greatest natural disaster risk in the UK, with an estimated 1 in 6 properties in England and Wales, 1 in 11 properties in Scotland and 1 in 34 properties in Northern Ireland now at risk of flooding. Six of the 10 wettest years on record have been since 1998 so climate change can be seen to be having a major impact on this. 

People still think local councils will provide sandbags if flooding is imminent but they have no responsibility to do so and the vast majority don’t. 

The Environment Agency states: “Don’t assume the authorities will provide you with sandbags in a flood emergency. It is the responsibility of property owners to take appropriate action to protect their property from flooding. Sandbags are relatively ineffective when compared to purpose-built flood protection products. We strongly encourage people to use these products.”