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Worried about flooding? A test found duct tape better than sandbags

University of Hull researchers found duct tape applied to the outside of a door reduces flood water leakage by 97 to 98 per cent, outperforming sandbags.

In controlled tests, correctly applied duct tape on the outside of a household door reduced water leakage by 97-98%.

The Long Sip
What happened

Researchers at the University of Hull tested duct tape as a flood barrier and found it reduced water leakage through household doors by 97 to 98 per cent.

The detail

In lab tests, unprotected doors leaked thousands of litres per hour at 60cm water depth, while duct tape applied to the outside cut that dramatically.

What it means

The study found duct tape outperformed sandbags, which are heavy, hard to deploy and difficult to dispose of safely after contact with contaminated floodwater.

For you

Researchers say it takes just 10 to 20 minutes to apply duct tape to a door, and it costs far less than sandbags, which are heavy and hard to dispose of safely.

Full story at 1News

What readers are saying

UncleRita
It is interesting that the tests found **specialist sealing tapes** worked even better than the standard rolls. Since it only takes about twenty minutes to apply, it seems like a much better use of time than lugging fifty heavy sandbags around in the rain.
CountryXander
Duct tape reducing leakage by 98 percent is a significant efficiency gain.
RetiredBanjo
Make sure you apply the tape to the outside of the door frame. The pressure of the water helps press the seal against the house rather than pushing it away.
Shebox
The lab tests measured leakage in 5 centimetre depth increments up to 60 centimetres. That controlled approach shows exactly how much water gets through at each stage which makes the 97 to 98 percent reduction figure far more credible for planning.
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