I'm not sure if this thread belongs in this section, so if there is a better place for it, please feel free to move it.
I was reading a prepping magazine this weekend. One of the articles focused on flooding, and how to protect yourself and your home. One of the items that always comes up in these articles is the use of sand bags. I am not saying it is a bad idea. I just want to put it in a realistic context.
First this is an enormous amount of work, and not for the faint of heart. It is backbreaking labor, and you need a lot of people, especially if you are under a time constraint with waters rising. I would not even conceive of doing this alone.
Second it is an enormous expense. The cheapest way would be to buy the bags empty; buy the sand in bulk; and fill them yourself. This will cost close to $2.00 a bag. Determine how many you need, and you can do the math. My guess is you will need at least 500 bags.
I can speak from first hand experience. We did not have the expense. The town delivered the bags and the sand. We had to provide sweat equity. We had dozens of people filling sand bags. Loading them in wheel barrows. Carrying them where needed and stacking in place. It was extremely hard labor for a lot of people, and when it was all said and done it was all for naught. We never got the sand bag wall high enough, and the home owner still had four feet of water in his basement. And we were only trying to protect one house.
You may not have a choice. That may be your only option. I just grind my teeth when I read some journalist saying use sand bags with no expansion or explanation of what that will entail. I would bet dollars to donuts they have no concept of what they are recommending. Does anyone else have any experience with this?
I was reading a prepping magazine this weekend. One of the articles focused on flooding, and how to protect yourself and your home. One of the items that always comes up in these articles is the use of sand bags. I am not saying it is a bad idea. I just want to put it in a realistic context.
First this is an enormous amount of work, and not for the faint of heart. It is backbreaking labor, and you need a lot of people, especially if you are under a time constraint with waters rising. I would not even conceive of doing this alone.
Second it is an enormous expense. The cheapest way would be to buy the bags empty; buy the sand in bulk; and fill them yourself. This will cost close to $2.00 a bag. Determine how many you need, and you can do the math. My guess is you will need at least 500 bags.
I can speak from first hand experience. We did not have the expense. The town delivered the bags and the sand. We had to provide sweat equity. We had dozens of people filling sand bags. Loading them in wheel barrows. Carrying them where needed and stacking in place. It was extremely hard labor for a lot of people, and when it was all said and done it was all for naught. We never got the sand bag wall high enough, and the home owner still had four feet of water in his basement. And we were only trying to protect one house.
You may not have a choice. That may be your only option. I just grind my teeth when I read some journalist saying use sand bags with no expansion or explanation of what that will entail. I would bet dollars to donuts they have no concept of what they are recommending. Does anyone else have any experience with this?