New Code of Practice for the Recovery of Flood Damaged Buildings available to Assist with Cumbria Restoration

Insurance executives, surveyors, loss adjusters and other property professionals involved in restoration projects in Cumbria can access a new code of practice for the recovery of flood damaged buildings.

Building preservation trade body The Property Care Association (PCA) has developed the new code of practice, available at www.property-care.org/flooding as a free download, after research from the trade body revealed a gap in technical information available to professionals on the subject.

The new document is designed to assist companies and agencies involved in all aspects of flood restoration and the recovery of flood affected buildings.

It covers a broad subject area, including information on the assessment of flooded buildings, drying, repair considerations and examples of failures where reinstatements are not carefully considered – as well as details on making a building more flood resilient.

Steve Hodgson, deputy director of the PCA, said: “After looking carefully at the range of technical documents that currently provide guidance to flood recovery practitioners, we found that although a great deal has been written about the drying process, little exists that gives advice and information about the job of putting what was or is a wet building back together.

“The new code highlights the importance of understanding the building. It considers the need for thorough investigation at the earliest possible opportunity, and the importance of identifying pre-existing defects.

“It also looks in general terms at the drying process, concentrating on the importance of monitoring and understanding what is going on within the structure at this critical time.

“Information is provided too on the techniques and materials that can be utilised in the reconstruction phase of the recovery project – and consideration given to the processes that reduce the likelihood of future problems.

“Finally, some of the failures that are encountered when reinstatements are undertaken without proper consideration are featured – and the means by which the building can be made resilient to future flooding.”

The Property Care Association has also recently introduced a CPD on flood restoration and created a dedicated microsite within its website on the subject at www.property-care.org/flooding where the new code of practice can be accessed.