Flood Divert launch new flood-proof door

Steve Barnard, who owns gates and fencing business Sandalwood Gates, based on Elvington Industrial Estate, developed the new product after being contacted about making a bespoke flood-proof gate for a customer.

He said that given the increasingly poor weather, they saw the need to develop a product for everybody.

Steve said: “We were initially asked to design a timber flood gate but soon realised that not all proerties have a wall surrounding their property.

“We discovered that what was actually required was a timber flood-proof door that would not require an external flood barrier attached to the property.”

Working with the Environment Agency and fire brigade, and another business based in Penrith, Steve developed the double-sealed timber door, the Flood Divert Door, and is applying for a patent.

The door has been tested to withstand 2ft of water and is a stable door style to enable emergency access or exit without opening the whole door.

He has now set up Flood Divert as a new business to sell the product.

Flood Divert will initially use the expertise of Sandalwood Gates’ three employees, but Steve said he hoped to employ more people to fit the doors as more orders came in.

The family-run business has already installed 11 of the doors as part of a flood protection scheme in Ribchester carried out by Ribble Valley Council in Lancashire.

It will also sell other flood protection products including bespoke hardwood flood doors, proprietary flood barriers and other flood mitigation services for commercial and private clients.

He said the insurance industry was responding to the increase in flash floods and reassessing its involvement, and he said he hoped that if people showed they were trying to prevent damage, they may be viewed more favourably.

“People do fit these sort of products all the time and as the weather gets worse and more unpredictable, flash floods are going to happen more often,” he said.