FloodSax sandless sandbags stopping water seeping into John's home in Slaithwaite near Huddersfield The FloodSax alternative sandbags preventing water getting through the stone

FloodSax protect rural house after torrential rain sent water seeping into lounge

FloodSax alternative sandbags are protecting a house in a rural part of Yorkshire after water had previously seeped in and wrecked a carpet.

John’s home in Slaithwaite near Huddersfield has fields at the back and during a series of storms in February 2022 water came off the fields, across the patio flagstones and then under the patio door before soaking and ruining the carpet in the lounge.

The room dried out during the summer and John replaced the carpet but torrential rain in November made him worry so much the same thing would happen again he pushed old blankets against the bottom of the patio door on the outside to try to stop any water getting in.

He then Googled ‘sandbags’ and discovered FloodSax alternative sandbags. He was amazed to find the company which devised and manufactures them, Environmental Defence Systems, is based just 5 miles away in another village near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

John phoned at 9am and within an hour Lucy Bailey from FloodSax was at his home deploying the sandless sandbags to protect it from the water.

He said: “The water comes off the field and beneath a wall we have at the edge of the patio and then across the patio itself before seeping under the patio door and into the lounge.

“We needed to stop any risk of that happening while we look to come up with a more permanent solution with some new drainage in the field. The water that came in was a slow seepage but it absolutely saturated the carpet and underlay.”

FloodSax are multi-purpose so in their dry state can soak up water, but once immersed fully in water the gelling polymer inside absorbs the water and retains it, transforming the FloodSax into an instant sandbag but without any sand.

The FloodSax put across the wall and patio door at John’s house are half-inflated so will stay in position but will also soak up any water that comes their way.

John said: “The cost of the FloodSax is around a quarter of what our insurance excess is so using them is a no-brainer. The FloodSax have bought us some time until we can get the flooding issue sorted permanently.

“I’d been dreading looking at the weather forecast as there has been so much rain lately and it just seems to rain more than it ever used to do. I feel far more confident now the house is protected by the FloodSax and they are way easier and cleaner to use than traditional sandbags.”