Even in areas where flood waters are less than 2 feet deep, a house can be severely damaged if water reaches the interior. The damage to walls and floors can be expensive to repair, and the house may be uninhabitable while repairs are underway.
One way to protect a house from shallow flooding is to add a waterproof veneer to the exterior walls and seal all openings, including doors, to prevent the entry of water. The veneer can consist of a layer of brick backed by a waterproof membrane. Before the veneer is applied, the siding is removed and replaced with exterior grade plywood sheathing. If necessary, the existing foundation footing is extended to support the brick. Also, because the wall will be exposed to flood water, changes are made to the interior walls as well so that they will resist moisture damage. In the area below the flood level, standard batt insulation is replaced with washable closed-cell foam insulation, and any wood blocking added inside the wall cavity is made of exterior grade lumber.
Keep these points in mind when you have a waterproof veneer added to the exterior walls of your house:
If you have a contractor add a waterproof brick veneer to your house, you can expect to pay about $10 per square foot of exterior wall. For example, a 3-foot-high brick veneer on a house measuring 60 feet by 30 feet would cover about 540 square feet and would cost about $5,400. This figure does not include the cost of sealing doors and other openings or extending the foundation.