{"id":5256,"date":"2026-10-15T11:05:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/15\/tape-is-better-than-sandbags-as-flood-protection\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T11:05:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:05:12","slug":"tape-is-better-than-sandbags-as-flood-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/15\/tape-is-better-than-sandbags-as-flood-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Tape is better than sandbags as flood protection"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026-10-15 11:05:10<\/b>
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Forget piling up sandbags. Scientists say a roll of gaffer or duct tape could be a surprisingly effective weapon against rising floodwater.

\nResearchers at the University of Hull tested different tapes, sandbags and doors in a specialist flood resilience laboratory to see how well they could keep water out, and the results were striking.

\nFlexible synthetic rubber tape reduced water leakage by 99 per cent compared with an unprotected door, while duct tape cut leakage by between 97 and 98 per cent.

\nBy comparison, sandbags reduced leakage by around 70 per cent.

\nThe researchers also found that even the lowest-performing tape reduced leakage by 80 per cent, while outward-opening doors performed better when taped than inward-opening ones.

\nThe experiments were limited to water depths of 2ft (600mm), designed to replicate the type of low-level flooding experienced in Hull during the devastating 2007 floods.

\nAround 10,000 properties were badly flooded when roughly a month’s worth of rain fell in a single day.

\nJanet Bark, whose home was among those affected, said she was \u201cimpressed\u201d by the findings.

\nAs quoted by the BBC, she said: \u201cGaffer and duct tape is something that is cheap and readily available. You can just have it in your house, just in case.\u201d

\nHer husband John said tape could provide a \u201cconvenient alternative\u201d to sandbags.

\n\u201cYou need a lot of sandbags to protect your home in a flood and you need to store them somewhere. You then need to carry them and they can be heavy. It’s just not a very practical solution\u201d, he added.

\nHowever, the researchers stressed that tape should not replace permanent flood protection.

\nProfessor Stuart McLelland said the findings could provide \u201cimmediate benefits\u201d by helping households reduce the amount of water entering their homes, but tape was not a substitute for \u201cpermanent, professionally installed property flood resilience measures\u201d.

\nSarah Bouskill, whose mother’s home was flooded in Horncastle, said the findings were \u201chugely interesting\u201d, although she doubted tape could have stopped the water that entered through the floor and walls.

\nThe research was commissioned by Flood Re, with Jonathan Kassian saying the findings \u201cturn that assumption on its head\u201d.

\nSandbags can also be difficult to store, carry and dispose of, particularly after becoming contaminated with sewage.

\nThe simple solution may therefore be worth keeping in the cupboard, ready for when the water starts rising.
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