Category Archive: Flood Vents

When you’re researching flood vents, you’ll see that some manufacturers (many, in fact) advertise their flood vents as “FEMA approved” or “FEMA certified.” The truth is that no company can really make those claims. In fact, FEMA does not “approve, endorse, certify or recommend any products.”

Here’s exactly what FEMA states on their website under FAQs – Building Science:

While a product may be in compliance with FEMA design guidance, any language from manufacturers stating their product is ‘FEMA approved’ or ‘FEMA certified’ is incorrect.

What FEMA does provide is guidance on interpreting NFIP requirements for foundation wall openings. This guidance is written up in FEMA’s Technical Bulletin 1 – August 2008.

Therefore, while no company can claim that its flood vents are FEMA approved or certified, a company could state that its flood vents are compliant with NFIP regulations and FEMA’s guidelines for those regulations.

At Flood Solutions, we’re proud to state that all Flood Solutions flood vents are FEMA compliant. Every flood vent we manufacture and sell has an engineered opening that complies with FEMA Technical Bulletin 1-08.

To prove it, when you install a Flood Solutions flood vent, we’ll provide you with an “engineered certificate” for your state. We have 26 of these certificates online. If you need a certificate for a state not listed, simply contact us.

You want to protect your home from flooding, but how should you do it exactly? In FEMA’s Homeowners Guide to Retrofitting, FEMA outlines six different ways of mitigating flood damage:

1. Demolition
2. Relocation
3. Levee and floodwall protection
4. Elevation
5. Dry flood proofing
6. Wet flood proofing

Let’s examine each of these options briefly, moving (more or less) from most to least substantial.

Demolition

Demolition is razing your home and rebuilding on the same property or buying a home elsewhere.

Relocation

Relocation is moving your home to higher ground to protect it from flooding.

Levee and floodwall protection

Levee and floodwall protection is constructing barriers to prevent floodwaters from entering your home. A levee is usually made of compacted earth while a floodwall is build of concrete or masonry. While most of us are familiar with the use of these to protect large areas (such as cities), they can also be used to protect a single home. See FEMA’s Barriers for more information.

Elevation

Elevation is raising your home so that the lowest floor is above flood level. Common elevation methods are lifting the house and building a new foundation below or adding an elevated floor or new upper story. More information on elevating your home is available in FEMA’s Elevating Your House.

Dry flood proofing

Dry flood proofing is sealing your home’s exterior walls to protect it from flooding. This usually involved sealing the walls with waterproof coatings, impermeable membranes or an additional layer of masonry or concrete. It will also include installing watertight shields over windows and doors, and implementing means to prevent sewer backup. For more details, see FEMA’s Dry FloodProofing.

Wet flood proofing

Wet flood proofing is making uninhabitable parts of your home resistant to flood damage when water is allowed to enter during flooding. This generally includes using flood resistant materials, protecting mechanical and utility equipment and using openings such as flood vents.

One of the key benefits of wet flood proofing is that it can reduce the effect of hydrostatic pressure, which, if not controlled, can structurally damage your home.

For more details on wet flood proofing, read FEMA’s Wet Floodproofing.

For more information about our FEMA compliant flood vents, contact Flood Solutions.

While it’s important for everyone to prepare for disasters, individuals living with a disability, or other access or functional needs, may need to take additional steps.

In “Prepare for Emergencies Now: Information for People with Disabilities,” FEMA outlines the following emergency preparation steps for people with disabilities:

1. Be informed – Know what types of emergencies are likely to affect your region.
2. Make a communications plan – Have a plan for keeping in touch with your network. Let them know where you will shelter or evacuate.
3. Build an emergency kit – Stock your kit with basic supplies as well as additional resources you may need, such as medical equipment, assistive technology, food for special diets, medicines, etc.
4. Get involved – Consider assisting emergency planners and others with community disaster preparation.

For individuals dependent on assistive technology devices, loss of electrical power can be a serious threat. Plan in advance for alternative ways of charging assistive devices before disaster strikes.

For more information on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities, watch FEMA’s video, “Preparing Makes Sense for People with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs.”

Whether you have a disability or not, it’s important to do what you can to limit damage to your home from disasters. If your home is in an area susceptible to severe weather-related events, such as hurricanes or rapid snowmelt, consider installing flood vents in your home. Our FEMA compliant flood vents can make the difference between a home you can save, and a home you must tear down.

All our flood vents are made here in the U.S.A. For more information about our flood vents, contact Flood Solutions.

A number of systems exist to alert people to natural or man-made disasters, such as the NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System (which broadcasts over TV and radio). One system you may be less familiar with is the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system, which allows local, state and federal authorities to send text messages to WEA-enabled cell phones within range of a severe weather event or other emergency.

You don’t need to register to receive WEA notifications, but your phone does have to be WEA capable and your wireless carrier must participate in the program. To learn if your mobile device can receive WEA alerts, contact your carrier or visit the CTIA website.

FEMA recently launched a public service advertising campaign to raise awareness of the service. The WEA system has only been in place for two years and has never been publicized through advertising before. To learn more about the WEA system, visit the Ready.gov website. This New York Times article also provides a good overview.

While alert systems are an important way to notify people of imminent disasters, they probably won’t give you enough time to get home and take steps to limit damage. In severe cases, you may be advised to leave the area immediately. That’s why it’s important to do what you can to mitigate damage from floods and other disasters well before they occur.

Flood Solutions FEMA compliant flood vents are a proven way to help prevent structural damage to your home from flooding. In addition, Flood Solutions flood vents are always in the open position, so you don’t have to put yourself at risk by rushing home to open them as flood waters rise. To learn more about Flood Solutions flood vents, contact us.

We’re please to announce our flood vents recently won an Architectural Record award in the “openings” category.Adjudicated by an eight-member jury of designers, architects and product specialists, the jury was charged with identifying the most outstanding products. They looked for modularity and flexibility while dismissing products that were too expensive, heavy or unrefined.

What makes our flood vents award winning? We believe it’s our perfect mix of design and construction. Our flood vents are aesthetically pleasing and made of heavy-duty aluminum that will never rust or rot.

So if you’re looking for well-designed and built flood vents to help protect your home from serious flood damage, contact us.

Flood Solutions was recently featured as a “success story” in Sweets. As many of you know, Sweets is a premier source of information on building materials, products and manufacturers for those in the design and construction industries. It’s more formally known as the McGraw-Hill Construction Sweets Network and informally as the architects and engineers’ Bible.

The story details our company’s humble beginnings, and how we’ve grown our business 30-fold over the past 30 years. How did we do it? We make our flood vents readily available and competitively priced, while always providing outstanding personal service to our customers. We also use the Sweets network to market our products. Download Sweets Flood Solutions success story.

You can also see our founder and CEO, Lori Malitsky, in this Sweets promotional video:

Are you looking for flood vents to protect your home from serious flood damage? Our FEMA compliant flood vents have been installed in homes and businesses across the U.S.A. For more information, contact us.

Hurricane coverage on local news programs can sometimes leave children feeling vulnerable and afraid. Sometimes the best way to overcome these fears is to empower children with information and ways to help.

To that end, FEMA recently introduced a new blog category specifically for children. Two FEMA mascots, “Flat Stanley” and “Flat Stella,” blog about disaster preparation and recovery for a younger audience.

The two mascots recently visited the American Red Cross, and they describe how people are working together to help those in need. They also suggest ways for children to get involved, such as volunteering or raising money for volunteer groups.

Another blog post covers the importance of emergency supply kits and suggests items to include in their family’s kit, such as food, water, a flashlight, first aid supplies, a weather radio and games.

If you have younger children at home, this can be a great way for them to learn about disaster preparation and response in a positive way.

When you take a look at the Stanley and Stella blog, be sure to consider including flood vents in your flood mitigation plans. Our FEMA compliant flood vents can help maintain the structural integrity of your home should floods occur. For more information about our many flood vent sizes and styles, contact us.

As if flooding isn’t enough to deal with, disaster-area residents also have to protect themselves against those who would take advantage of their situation. FEMA recently issued a press release warning Louisianans of scam artists operating in the wake of Hurricane Isaac.

According to the press release, phony housing inspectors and fraudulent building contractors have descended on Louisiana’s disaster areas to get banking information from susceptible homeowners. The area has also seen bogus pleas for post-disaster donations and fake offers of state and federal aid. FEMA reminds residents to ask for identification badges, check references and never give banking or other sensitive information to anyone over the phone, email, letter or in-person.

It pays to be cautious, even when you’re in a disaster zone. The same is also true of preparing your home before disaster strikes. When you’re looking for a reputable source for flood vents, it pays to find a manufacturer with experience and a solid reputation.

At Flood Solutions, our family-owned business has been designing, testing and manufacturing vents for over 50 years. All our flood vents are FEMA compliant and manufactured in the U.S.A. We make all our flood vents from heavy duty extruded aluminum, so they’ll never rust or rot. They’re rodent resistant and should last you a lifetime.

To learn more about our flood vents, contact Flood Solutions.

Most of you probably know that flood vents can mitigate flood damage to the foundation of your home. But did you know that flood vents can also help protect your home from other problems, such as pests, rot, mold and mildew?

A common cause of these problems is moisture. When basements and crawl spaces remain damp for prolonged periods of time, they can attract termites and promote the growth of fungi and rot as well as offensive smells and unhealthy air.

Because foundation vents ventilate basement areas, they can help reduce moisture levels and prevent mold and termite problems.

Not sure if termites have already invaded your home? Consider bringing in a professional inspector to examine your property. Here’s a quick overview of how they might proceed:

Do you have dampness or limited air flow in other areas of your home? Our parent company Sunvent Industries provides a complete line of air vents and accessories.

To learn more about our FEMA compliant flood vents, contact Flood Solutions.