Commonly, sandbags have been used to block drains, doorways and other openings into properties and to weigh-down garden furniture, manhole covers and to block toilet, bath and sink drains to prevent water backing up. Sandbags can keep out the water for short period of time which can be improved by using them in combination with plastic sheeting. Also, they can filter out some sediments found in flood waters. These solutions is cheap as well as easy to obtain. Sandbags are relatively useless when compared to other flood protection products. Some of the risks are:
Using sand bagging machine to fill sandbags and building a wall is a physically activity so it's essential that all people involved in the job are fit enough to carry out the work. Remember that sandbags can get heavy very quickly, so be careful when operating with sand bagging machine and try not to overfill the bags or fill them less than from needed. Also, it's important that every person involved in building sandbag wall is equipped with right protective equipment, including steel toecap footwear and gloves. If sand is dry, safety glasses for eye protections are also required.
Sandbags aren't useful if your property is already flooded – concentrate on protecting yourself and your belongings while moving your precious items out of harms way. Think about all entry points that water could get through. You will need at least six sandbags to keep out 20 centimeters depth of water. Each sandbag will need nearly 15 kilograms of sand. As we said above, filling the sandbags is a two-person job: one to hold the bag and one to fill. But if you have sand bagging machine this job can be done more quickly and easily. All you need is to have person who will operate the machine and make sure the sandbags are not overfill. When it comes to placing the bags in order to prevent you from flood, here are few steps that need to be fallowed:
- It usually takes two people to fill them (unless you have a sand bagging machine).
- It takes nearly one hour to fill twelve sandbags.
- They can be very difficult to handle.
- Laying sandbags can be time-consuming.
- It is difficult to place them in water.
Using sand bagging machine to fill sandbags and building a wall is a physically activity so it's essential that all people involved in the job are fit enough to carry out the work. Remember that sandbags can get heavy very quickly, so be careful when operating with sand bagging machine and try not to overfill the bags or fill them less than from needed. Also, it's important that every person involved in building sandbag wall is equipped with right protective equipment, including steel toecap footwear and gloves. If sand is dry, safety glasses for eye protections are also required.
Sandbags aren't useful if your property is already flooded – concentrate on protecting yourself and your belongings while moving your precious items out of harms way. Think about all entry points that water could get through. You will need at least six sandbags to keep out 20 centimeters depth of water. Each sandbag will need nearly 15 kilograms of sand. As we said above, filling the sandbags is a two-person job: one to hold the bag and one to fill. But if you have sand bagging machine this job can be done more quickly and easily. All you need is to have person who will operate the machine and make sure the sandbags are not overfill. When it comes to placing the bags in order to prevent you from flood, here are few steps that need to be fallowed:
- Clear the area where the sandbags will be placed.
- Put a large sheet of heavy-duty plastic between the wall and the sandbags.
- Place the sandbags length ways and in layers.
- Stamp sandbags firmly into place to create a tight seal and eliminate gaps.
- To lay bags in a doorway, it may be needed to shape the sandbags or empty some of the contents to achieve a good fit.