Flood doors vs removable door barriers: which suits your home?

Both stop water coming in through a doorway. The big difference is who does the work on the night: a flood door is always shut and ready, and a barrier only helps once someone has put it up.

How each works

• Removable door barriers are boards or panels that slot into channels or brackets fixed either side of the doorway. You keep them stored and fit them when a flood is on its way. The Environment Agency's advice includes buying temporary, removable flood barriers for your doors.
• Flood doors replace your existing door and frame with one built to keep water out when it's closed. There's nothing to fit on the night. The same advice suggests a flood resistant front door, and GOV.UK lists flood doors among flood protection products.

Compared on: fitting, everyday use and upkeep

	Removable barrier	Flood door
Needs someone home before the flood	Yes	No, as long as the door is shut
Works if the warning comes late, or at night	Only if it's fitted in time	Yes
Fitting	Channels or brackets on the frame; the boards go in when needed	Replaces the door and frame
Everyday use	Your normal door; the barrier is stored	Used as your everyday door
Storage	Somewhere near the door you can reach in the dark	None
Upkeep	Check seals, practise fitting it	Check seals and that it closes and locks properly

An Environment Agency evidence report makes the same point: unless a measure closes automatically or doesn't need closing, as with flood resistant doors, it relies on a reliable flood warning reaching the household.

Which suits which home

• A barrier may suit you if someone is usually at home or nearby, you sign up for warnings, the doorway is a standard shape, and you can store the boards close by and lift them in place.
• A flood door may suit you if the house is often empty, nobody could lift or fit a barrier, warnings for your area tend to come with little notice, or the door needs replacing anyway.
• Either way, check the walls. A door that keeps water out won't help if water comes through the brickwork either side, up through the floor or in through air bricks. A property flood resilience survey looks at the whole house, and Natural Resources Wales suggests a chartered surveyor.

The Environment Agency's advice is to speak to a specialist about the best option for your property. The CIRIA Code of Practice for property flood resilience sets out how surveys, products and fitting should be done.

Certification

Natural Resources Wales advises choosing BSI Kitemark certified flood protection products, and SEPA says to look for the Kitemark or equivalent accreditation. Door boards and flood doors are both building products covered by BS 851188-1. Ask for the certificate, and check that it covers the size and type of door you need.

What it costs

Prices depend on the door, so get quotes. The only official per-item figures we found are old: a March 2015 Environment Agency report, citing a 2007 study, gives £250 to £750 per door guard and £875 to £2,500 per flood resistant door, and notes that guards may need extra work to fit. Treat these as a guide to how the two compare, not what you'll pay now, and compare like for like: a flood door is also a new front door. Put your quotes into the estimator above to see the total and how many floods it would need to keep out to pay for itself. Our guide to what flood protection costs has the other official cost figures, and how old they are.

FAQs

Can I fit a barrier on a flood door as well?

Some homes use both, for example a flood door at the front and barriers on the back and patio doors. A surveyor can tell you what each doorway needs.

Where do I find suppliers?

The National Flood Forum's Blue Pages lists suppliers and installers. It doesn't endorse them.