Drying flood damaged buildings

Tagg, A. and Proverbs, D. and Johnson, M. and Lamond, J. and Escarameia, M. and von Christierson, B. and Kidd, B. (2009) Drying flood damaged buildings. In: 44th Defra Flood and Coastal Management Conference, 30th June - 2nd July 2009, Telford, UK.

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Abstract

One of the issues highlighted in the Pitt Review of the summer 2007 floods was the time taken for flooded properties to be reoccupied due to the delay in drying and restoring them to their pre-flood condition. The problem was ascribed partly to the lack of definitive guidance on drying methods, and there was a recommendation for Government and other relevant organisations to investigate any improvements that could be made in the drying of flooded buildings. DCLG commissioned a project to review existing guidance and drying technologies, and to obtain the views from a stakeholder workshop. The study would seem to indicate that any perceived delay in the drying process per se does not on its own explain the long restoration times that have been experienced over the past decade. However, availability of equipment and experienced contractors during major flooding events is acknowledged to be an issue. There is also an institutional expectation that the restoration process will take many months. Feedback from the stakeholder workshop indicated that a lack of clarity in the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved in the restoration process can lead to confusion on the part of the householder regarding the series of restoration processes involved, of which drying is just one element. There would seem to be benefit in producing new guidance, making best use of that already available, but providing a clearer focus for linking different drying methods to the type of property and flood damage. Improvements can also be made in the way that such guidance is disseminated, particularly to assist homeowners in understanding the restoration process.

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