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Applications

Flood Barriers for Garage Doors

A garage door has little to stop water at its base, and it often faces straight down the driveway that carries runoff toward the house. These are the barriers we propose for single and double garage doors.

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Aluminum flood barrier between brick piers across the driveway in front of a house garage in the rain

Where water gets in

The openings to plan for

  • The gap under the garage door, where the door meets the slab
  • Driveways that slope toward the garage and carry runoff to it
  • Side and personnel doors into the garage
  • The edges of the opening, where the door frame meets the wall

Barriers that suit this site

Products to consider

Aluminum Flood Barriers

Aluminum Flood Barriers

Panels slot into side channels fixed either side of the opening and are made to the door's width, in 200 mm (about 8 in) increments up to 2,000 mm (about 6.5 ft) high. A spanner-tightened clamp at the top of each channel presses the rubber seals against the frame and floor.

Best for: Garages that flood repeatedly

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ABS Portable Flood Barriers

ABS Portable Flood Barriers

The panels stand freely across the front of the door with nothing anchored or drilled, and lock together by hand to the width needed. They hold back and divert water, and some seepage can occur.

Best for: Rented homes and double doors

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Oxford Barriers

Oxford Barriers

Each unit adjusts from 15 cm to 130 cm (about 6 to 51 in) wide, and units connect to cover a wider door. It folds flat for storage and works best on a flat, smooth driveway, where water pressure presses its base down; minor seepage can occur on uneven ones.

Best for: Single garages with little storage

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Water-Activated Sandbags

Water-Activated Sandbags

They store flat at 270 g (about 9.5 oz) each and swell to 18–22 kg (about 40–49 lb) in 2–3 minutes on contact with fresh water. They are reusable, and after the first activation they can stay in place outdoors.

Best for: Side doors and gaps at the edges

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Choosing between them

If the garage floods often, aluminum panels give the closest fit, because the set is made for that door and the seals are clamped down. The side channels have to be fixed at the opening, so this suits owners who can make a permanent change.

ABS and Oxford barriers need no installation. ABS panels are rigid and come in 750 mm, 1,000 mm and 1,200 mm heights; Oxford units fold flat and adjust in width. Both hold back and divert water, and some seepage can occur.

Water-activated sandbags cover what the main barrier leaves open, such as a side door or the ends of a barrier against an uneven wall.

What we need to quote

  • Width and height of each opening
  • Photos of each opening and the ground on both sides
  • How high the water has reached before, or the flood height to plan for
  • Whether power is available at the opening, and what traffic crosses it
  • The city and country of the site
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FAQ

Questions we hear about garage doors

Do I need to change the garage door to fit a barrier?
No. The barrier goes in front of or just inside the door opening. Aluminum channels are fixed either side of the opening, while ABS and Oxford barriers stand on the driveway or the garage floor.
Can I still use the garage with the barrier in place?
Not while it is fitted across the door. Aluminum panels lift straight out once the water has gone, and ABS and Oxford barriers are picked up and stored, so the door is back in use as soon as they are removed.
How high should a garage door barrier be?
That depends on how deep water has reached in past events or what local flood information shows for the property. Oxford barriers protect up to 900 mm (about 35 in), ABS panels come in heights up to 1,200 mm (about 47 in), and aluminum sets go up to 2,000 mm (about 6.5 ft).

Related applications

Doors and doorways

At ground level, a home's doors are where floodwater usually finds its way in, under the door and around the frame. These are the barriers we suggest for front doors, back doors and patio openings.

Basements

Basements hold the parking, plant rooms, storage and lift pits a building depends on, and they are the first spaces to take water once it reaches street level. These are the barriers we suggest for the openings that lead down to them.

Loading docks and warehouses

Warehouses have wide roller doors and level loading bays that trucks and forklifts cross all day, and stock often sits on the floor just inside. These are the barriers we suggest for those openings.

Send the opening sizes and a few photos.

We reply within 1 business day with a recommendation for each opening and a quote for the whole site.

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