Battling Mother Nature: How We Made Our House Flood-Proof

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[@YusssoM]

My dad's number one advice when buying/renting a house is to avoid houses that are positioned lower than the road, as water will always flow downward and it's only a matter of time until the rain gets hard enough so then the water will flow through your house.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

He is totally right. But our house isn’t that low. It could just flow around and to the lower side of the property where the trash train is.

[@sie4431]

I would say always consider the risk of flood. I grew up in a house that was built in a hilly area and the drive sloped up but it never flooded because any rain would just run down the hill past us.

[@BrokenCurtain]

That's a good advice... until the city decides to renew the road and raises it.

[@thomasquall8476]

I'm not really sure if that is realistic depending on where you're looking to buy. You could be drastically reducing the number of available houses for you to purchase. You're basically limiting yourself to a house built on a hill.

[@TRPGpilot]

@@thomasquall8476 in the Caribbean we never have the floor at the same level as the ground outside. You ALWAYS have to step up to the ground floor. If we built like this house we would be flooded every time a tropical storm or hurricane passed closeby . . .

[@p-san]

This is the most German renovation project I have seen lol "it is Sunday, so I cannot cut today" and also those welds look way better then I can do! Everything looks phenomenal.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@k3ramb083]

in germany its actually illegal on most residential areas, nobody wants to get trouble with police on a sunday lol

[@herrtichy]

@@k3ramb083 Or even worse - with the neighbours.

[@sleekitwan]

Oh Jeez. Considerate or what. When here in the UK they say ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’ what they really mean is that interfering with the racket of ongoing works is as welcome as kicking his dog up the backside or smacking his children. It is an unfortunate fact of life here, that many householders upgrading their properties treat the task as if it is sacrosanct. Nothing should interfere with our obsession with property. We can have 5 days a week of a tradesperson slicing block paving, then the entire weekend with the DIY continuing the job or something else - and don’t get me started on the cheap Chinese chainsaws etc. It’s an almost incessant drone in the background of suburban life in the UK. Go electric already! Take care.

[@info-on-scubadiving]

There is nothing worse than flood water coming in to the house. Nice work and sympathetically done to match the area.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

At least it was just rain water!

[@quanchyplimp]

Sewerage.

[@truthteller99999]

Fire burning it down ?

[@louiscrasher]

I would say fire

[@jstadman]

Lava?

[@user-ny3bx1bs1n]

I don’t have a basement or a flood risk but loved watching this. Fascinating.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

If you ever build one, don’t add a single opening or outdoor staircase.

[@samuelellenhorn5394]

shut up

[@rodolfoo3015]

I don't even have a house

[@philtucker1224]

If you buy a house close to a pretty river these extras are thrown in.

[@philtucker1224]

@@rodolfoo3015some of us might envy you..

[@mststgt]

"Grinder and Paint make me the Welder I ain't." 😁😁

[@elliots4370]

Genius approach! I would have clumsily created a tripping hazard but your approach to a dam is much better thought out.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Events like get you thinking! This kept me occupied for 3 weeks.

[@captainevenslower4400]

A step would probably no be feasible due to accessibility reasons

[@BamaGard291]

Who else is here Bc of the algorithm rabbit hole?

[@SuperbGluemight]

I started from a video about Africa’s $5BN dam, to history about how Hoover dam was built now to this day

[@eformance]

I strongly suggest that you get a bunch of sand bags and have them ready for the next major storm, your dam is only as good as the last storm, and the gentle slope will make it easier for the water the crest.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

I think this is high enough now. But a few sand bags would be good indeed. I might also add a flood barrier that slots in at the front door. They are rebuilding our entire street this winter. I will see if the levels change at all.

[@eformance]

@@MaxMakerChannel yeah, the grade is all wrong, they kept paving the street until your curb didn't exist anymore -- that curb is there to divert water.

[@DerKatzeSonne]

@@MaxMakerChannel I think a permanent solution like this is great, having some flood barrier slots is optional, but nice to have. At the end we all know what happens when you don't have something proper and permanent like this - then the next flood comes while you are sleeping or when you are on holidays.

[@DerKatzeSonne]

@@eformance I don't think this is because of repaving the street again and again. More like cars parking and driving over the curb all the time.

[@murpml]

@@MaxMakerChannelGrew up in hurricane country and this is solid advice. The beauty of sand bags is that they’re portable and can be used to plug holes wherever they crop up. Landscape can change quickly during a flash flood. Downside of them is that you usually need a bunch.

[@olven7142]

pls never stop making videos like this, cuz I love them

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching! I have been posting for 8 years now. I will continue.

[@KevwePatani]

I love how thorough you are with fixing the flooding issue, you not only made sure that the original ingress point was blocked, you beefed up all the other entry ways I would have called it a day at the dam

[@MaxMakerChannel]

I had to. Water is the absolute worst. In Germany we have a concrete building. Then we put 15cm of insulation on the concrete and on top of that we do a floating concrete slab. That concrete slap is not connected to the walls. That gets rid of noise transfer and also contains floor heating pipes. The problem with flooding is that the water gets into the insulation and to get it out again you need to vacuum the floor for a month straight. Hoses every 3m and holes drilled in the floating slab. Costs about €5000,-.

[@g.p.3844]

@@MaxMakerChannel Wenn die NYM Kabel im Leerrohr voller Wasser stehen, kann es auch noch nach Monaten zu Korrosionsschäden kommen. Am besten nach 6 Monaten einen Funktionstest an jeder Steckdose und Klemmstelle machen. Es kann bspw. der PE durchkorrodieren, und die Schutzwirkung des FIs aufgehoben sein.

[@KevwePatani]

@@MaxMakerChannel I always thought German building codes where exhaustive, but this is amazing😅 I guess it's nice to have sound insulation from the earth😅 I'd imagine you'd already have this problem if it wasn't for the sump pump

[@StuartWoodwardJP]

Really interesting. Catching videos of the water flow during the storm really helps to understand the problem. I hope you can do another follow up where we see the flood defense in action.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Yes I will do that! But the next heavy rain will be in summer.

[@TravisRayLive]

Really great work, and not just on the anti-flooding measures, but everything. The driveway, the garbage cans. Just a blast to watch these videos and get ideas for my own house/yard. Keep up the great work!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@bruce-le-smith]

Yeah the rubbish bin train was very fun. MVP for a backyard rollercoaster...

[@Clan501-Scotland]

Bro your demeanour when encountering this is admirable. I wish i could be as stoic

[@MaxMakerChannel]

You would probably do the same in this situation. Its not like you can ignore flooding.

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

Tip on mixing concrete - there is usually a required quantity of water per bag on the bag. I have poured a couple concrete projects around the house that uses 20-50 bags. I first go into the kitchen with a bucket and fill it with a measuring cup to the appropriate level. Then mark the bucket with a sharpie at the water level. Very easy, repeatable, consistent method.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Very good idea! Its small things like that that speed up the process.

[@IQzminus2]

Or to speed it up even more. If you are using the metric system, just use a scale and not a measuring cup. Put the bucket on a scale, zero out the scale (or just subtract the weight of the bucket). 1 ml of water = 1 gram 1 kg water = 1 litre Use the shower nozzle to fill up the water on the scale. And then do like the other commentator said, mark with a pen. To make it even faster in the future. Very fast way to measure water, if it’s half a litre or 10 litres or 100 litres.

[@eliontheinternet3298]

I do this for our mop bucket and multipurpose spray! I figured out how much product to put in, marked with sharpie on the outside, then fill the rest with water every time.

[@quiet1686]

Weighing the water works for inch/pound, too. In US (and I think the old UK/Imperial units too) the units are defined such that, FOR WATER, 1 fluid ounce (volume) = 1 ounce weight. So "a pint (16 fl oz) is a pound (16 oz wt) the world around". Other substances have different densities, so the exchange only really works with water. You could look up densities for different substances, or just do what the other commenter said and calibrate a bucket (same thing, really, but without the math).

[@MarkAngelbuer]

Ive been waiting for the driveway update! looks FANTASTIC!!

[@tnaxpw]

It's the first time I really thought about securing my parents house from water in that way, I wasn't there in a long time, but we had an event like that many years ago. Good work as always and thanks for some ideas.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Its fun as well and peace of mind.

[@TheDavidMetcalfe]

As always, your neighbours are lucky to have you. Well done!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

They don’t know it : )

[@brandyeverett7778]

Well done, I wouldn't have thought of raising the entire walkway or putting a gutter inside but now I am. Are you going to post an small update on the driveway when it blooms next year? I'd really love to see it.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Will do for sure! It bloomed very early but it started at the front and then moved backwards over about 1 month. The lavender bloomed late in July. Next year must be much better. Its all covered now.

[@chrisbeaney-smith6358]

@@MaxMakerChannelI hi uuiu

[@bedri1]

und ein video beim nächsten regen :) @@MaxMakerChannel

[@fizzedupslade4082]

Great job, would love to have seen another rain episode to see the dam working. I admire how you get jobs done and have the ability to see the positive in all you do. That's a great skill in itself.

[@ct5625]

These sudden weather events are certainly increasing in frequency and severity, so you're right to get on this now and start mitigation measures wherever you can. That's a very elegant and practical solution to the problem and it looks like you've added extra in expectation that the next time it could be a little worse. I don't think most people would have had the rationality to study the flow dynamics while this was happening, but there's not much else a person can do until it's over. I'm sure this is going to protect your home for a good few years.

[@tjones666]

Great video! I had some flooding in my garage & home entrance way, so this has given me some ideas. Flood proofing existing homes will probably become a full time occupation in the future :)

[@bruce-le-smith]

Great video, the writing and editing were great. Impressed with your good cheer in the face of disaster, and the pragmatic solutions you constructed to manage the risks. Thanks for sharing, final fixes look great!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

This didn’t bother me very much. Luckily the damage was minor. We just had costs for the painter and the concrete drying process.

[@RyanJ_]

Amazing attention to detail, what a brilliant job!

[@michaeldegroot7550]

The problem is that they made the base of your house to low. Normally a house is placed higher than street level to prevent something like this.

[@edg42]

Normally!

[@jjw95sc]

Well done! I'd like to see a follow-up video showing how well all your changes worked!

[@davecoz4227]

Great video, my only concern would be the edge of the steel dams. If anyone tripped and fell they would be very unforgiving. Perhaps a rubber/plastic rounded top on them? Maybe a thin pipe, cut so you can slide it on the top edge of the dam?

[@eliontheinternet3298]

Maybe some rubber hose? Bouncy but small.

[@Legaleze]

I really enjoy your pragmatic approach to issues. Great work!

[@GoodGuyBiker]

Love the mitigation techniques you used, simple straight forward and effective

[@Hoch134]

This is actually a good tip. You don't need huge dams, you only have to be higher than your surroundings. I am planning some dams in my garden as well (being located next to a small river) and this helps me a lot.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Good luck!

[@Sam-dn7jk]

I love your attention to detail with not only the functionality but the aesthetics too. Awesome stuff :))

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@mickymidnight1]

I agree....good video and great solutions.....just a bit surprised that he didn't apply any paint on the 2 long metal strips that were put into the ground in the garden

[@twodogsandtheirfamily]

Amazing and creative job on fixing all those problems.

[@SA-76234]

Fantastic work friend. The dam matches very well and almost not even noticeable unless you where looking

[@DerKatzeSonne]

Great video! I especially love that you show how to actually do the stuff. I learned a lot about paving and whatever. It certainly looks a lot more professional than what my father did when he paved some parts of the garden - and probably also holds up way better 🙈

[@MaxMakerChannel]

I did a little bit of paving with my dad when I was 9 years old. Back then he couldn’t just google it or watch a KZbin video. That was so much harder!

[@FurtivePenguin]

Thanks now I want a house just to build some anti flood systems like you did ! Super cool video btw !!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

One day you will if you want to! (And get super lucky)

[@McArg_]

I saw your garbage train a while ago and never really thought about it again. But I just today it got recommended to me again which led to me watching your most recent videos which were very good and I will now watch your back-catalogue.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching! No idea why the algorithm does things, but I would say the quality of the videos is constant.

[@Smiler7]

Really enjoyed your video Max. It is important to keep the water out permanently, as this effects the value and desirability of your house. You don't really want temporary things like sand bags or clip in flood barriers. I would love to hear how you get on at the next big flood.

[@Dorabada]

you are simply a wizard. can't wait to see the next video

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching! Glad you find them interesting.

[@bolesawdenk897]

Hope you won't get so heavy rain that causes rivers to appear on your street. But if it does aby chances you upload a video of how well your upgrades are handling? :) I am having constant floods of my basement so I might use some of your ideas 😂

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Sure, I want to know myself!

[@Tokaisho1]

I LOVE seeing the videos on how you improve your house, these are really fun to watch. Nice work.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Next up I am building a large industrial workshop.

[@eleven8948]

Something simple turns into a huge project. Great work with great results.

[@TomsBackyardWorkshop]

I experience my first tropical storm a few weeks ago. 5 inches of rain in a day. I only had to worry about the water running off my house because my house is several feet above street level.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thats how it should be done! But we aren’t even allowed to drain any water onto the street.

[@TomsBackyardWorkshop]

@@MaxMakerChannel Where do you drain the water to then?

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

​@@TomsBackyardWorkshopyou have to have soakaways on your property. Any water that falls onto your property you are responsible for getting it into the ground. This is the rule in the UK. Drains in the road are only for rain that falls on the road. Sewers are only for wastewater, not rainwater.

[@JaredHoy]

Amazing, but i'm kind of confused about the building, it may be my American showing but is the house one unit or several?

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Oh there are 3 levels with 3 apartments. One is for my wife and I one for family and one for a tenant. We are privileged with that living situation.

[@atina197796]

I love all the updates at the end, it was the nice surprise I didn't expect. Also nice to see the progress in all the projects, like oh I remember that video, oh and that one too. Thank you for sharing

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@MrBranch69]

Sorry you had that flood to deal with and yes good job it was only rain water. Also much respect to you for your positive attitude in tackling the problem - great job - well done!!! I wish you well for the future and a dry safe home.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thank you for your nice message!

[@richards7909]

Flooding is the next worse thing after a fire imo. In some places in the UK now its that bad people can't easily get insurance for it. Glad you got yours sorted. One question. At the bottom of the window outside, would it be better to go a little deeper and then install either a drain or gravel to allow the water to drain away? :)

[@MaxMakerChannel]

That was puzzling to us. We dug as deep as we could and we never found a bottom. It seems as if its just open ended which doesn’t make any sense. But there is probably a drainage pipe somewhere down there.

[@WH0oo...]

Would a clear plastic window well covering with a rubber gasket seal be more effective in keeping rain water out in the first place? Then have proper drainage around the well?

[@Dustmadeout]

The steel will rust, should have painted it or bought feuerverzinkt.

[@haphazard1342]

He said that was the point: "eventually it will also turn red and match the bricks".

[@Dustmadeout]

​@@haphazard1342Oops I have no idea how I missed it. Gotta watch again I guess 😂

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thats part of the plan. The alternative is grey concrete. But 10mm thick should last a while.

[@ua420]

Amazing video! Thanks for sharing.

[@luckyluc8890]

I really like your videos! You allways tell these stories with so much passion!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@Locane256]

I love your videos of home improvement projects - please update us when it floods again! PS: The phrase is "WHAT it looks like" not "how it looks like" :)

[@DavidTwibell]

Interesting that your basement window is not also an emergency exit. Seemed a little scary when you were under there worried about getting out! At least here in our county in the US we have to have an emergency exit window or a walk out door for basement emergencies.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

We have a second staircase exit but that is much higher than the street. This window is totally unnecessary. I think it is only there if there was a fire, then the firemen could push or pull smoke through there. No quite sure.

[@TheLemonadedrinker]

Beautiful work and really enterprising of you and your mates!!

[@cd8628]

Your solutions are brilliant!

[@ortusdux]

"A grinder and paint makes me the welder i ain't"

[@daylen577]

You have an elevator in your house??

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Yes. Its part of future proofing for the elderly. You get a government bonus for building it that way. Not standard by any means.

[@daylen577]

@@MaxMakerChannel That's neat, here in the Netherlands you just have to pay for everything yourself and any choices you make to be able to live in the same house when you're older don't really add any value. Much better for the economy when stuff like that is subsidized!

[@dynamotightstar3472]

That Bin train is amazing! 👏👏

[@gopherfan118]

When sparks happen when welding it means that the surface is too hot or your welder is too hot. It basically means air pockets form in the welding rod.

[@bastian-to3dc]

I just noticed when he says subscribe the subscribe button lights up THAT IS SO AWESOME!!

[@MegaDeansy]

Love this guy's cheerful and can-do attitude !

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thats me : )

[@MatthewTaylorAu]

Nice work. I’m a big fan of redundancy and safety factors. You did a very neat job.

[@dantheman6168]

I love watching videos like this. This is amazing keep it up!!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching! More videos are in the pipeline.

[@Jasonoid]

Great upgrades! Keep us updated on how it works down the road :)

[@miqotelover]

Great progress!

[@Ghost-bk6hs]

Excellent job on that path.. It looks amazing.

[@rmp5s]

The polymer sand brick path looks great!!

[@markwarburton8563]

Nice! Responding to calamity productively.

[@wollywotsit]

Very interesting. Smart work. Cheers

[@holdurhorse9149]

Everything looks awesome !

[@williampowhida572]

Good thinking, excellent results!!

[@jozefkovac6858]

Well done! Great idea.

[@James25809]

First video I’ve watched of yours. Cool stuff. Great work. Excellent problem solving.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@anothercomment-]

Good work. For some reason I liked your last step the best with the rain gutter to your sump pump. Also that trash train was cool lol.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thansk for watchin!

[@kyledowning3578]

amazing work!

[@remog38]

Excellent Max

[@alfilkemper9240]

Nice work on the outside. In Minnesota, we use clear plastic hoods for our basement windows to keep the snow out. We also put a 3"x4' board sideways so the any reptile or mouse can use it as a ladder to climb back out.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Good idea!

[@GottaBeAHero]

Awesome easy way to keep the castle dry ❤

[@goodtimeswerehad]

Thank you Max, this was a really interesting video. Great job to you and your willing helpers!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeffkukkee]

Great video!! Good on you for learning new skills, and for doing it yourself instead of waiting on the city to come do it (probably why the last people moved out.)

[@Adones09]

Bravo, sir, good job on all of it. The only thing that I will add and it really is for a once in a 100 year storm, is to get an extra pump and long hose, to place in the front yard, to get rid of the water, hopefully before getting into the home.

[@aarondavidson6409]

Great job! I live in a small town called Lismore in Australia. Our floods last year peaked at 14.4 metres. Many people have decided to redesign their houses to be flood ready... not so much flood proof. Given the current climate situation I think videos and content like this is very important. Many thanks for sharing. Big ups from down under!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Wow! That must be higher than most houses! What do they do to be flood ready?

[@aarondavidson6409]

Yeah it went over some two storey houses! People have rebuilt their houses with materials that can be easily cleaned and dried. No gyprock! Wood, steel and rubber only. Emergency exists are pretty important, eg a mini deck outside a window where a boat can pick you up from. Many people were stuck in their roof cavities as the flood water rose... so now they have exists in the roof also. A few people just put a little boat in their backyard to be sure. Google Lismore flood if you want to see some photos, it was insane! @@MaxMakerChannel

[@Geordo1960]

Thank you for posting this. It was very interesting and I was curious to know how this turned out. You have a beautiful home!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watchin!

[@Smajtastic]

I was so captivated by this!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@WilfriedSDV]

Just discovered your channel, it increased how much i want to buy a house and customize it myself too ! I'm happy i've stumbled upon it and i'm happy that you seem to enjoy yourself upgrading your house ! I'll check your other videos because the trashcans rolling outside made me curious i have to admit

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@donnerruebe]

Great Idea, we never had this kind of issue with our house, because the windows are all at least 10cm above the ground. Just in case I used the garden in front of the house as a water barrier, by planting a hill of Roses, Blackberries and Rasberries. So even if ther will come some flood from the street, it will happily continue to flow down the street. As we have some interesting kind of rain in this part of northern lower saxony, which means either a little dribbling rain or very rarely flood rain like in your video, i think there is a need to prepare. Please do more like this Projects and post them and when you like to see a real garbage railway, i'll show you my project some time. Thanks a lot and best wishes to Lübeck and the river Wakenitz

[@metabo]

Great results from not so great events... Keep building amazing stuff! Best regards, Mike (Team Metabo)

[@andrew1717xx]

I would be pleased to see a quick follow up for your next flood. :) Nothing is more satisfying then seeing it work in practice.

[@ingela_injeela]

Ingenious solutions - and very well done. Everything looks great!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks!

[@fenrir7525]

This channel is amazing, building things that genuinely make your life easier all while subsidising the cost through youtube. I’ve been a fan for a while and will continue to be for a very long time 👍👍

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for your support! KZbin really only pays peanuts, but its better than nothing. I do it for fun.

[@fenrir7525]

That's unfortunate, Well we're all enjoying it so i hope it continues to be enjoyable for you.

[@twowheelvalle]

Tolle Updates. Das Haus sieht sehr schön aus, vorallem die Backsteine. 😍

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Dankeschön 🤗

[@realDesertRat]

Man your yard is beautiful. Great job!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks!

[@marksapollo]

What a fascinating video. I’ll watch some more of yours. Great work to fix the problem, and recognising all you can do is divert the water, nature will do what it does no point trying to stop it.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@alcha93]

NIce build! One thing I noticed was the grate over the basement window. when you were cleaning it out, it got me thinking about a screen or maybe a grate with smaller holes. wouldn't want that pump in there getting clogged

[@fieberification]

Very nice work ! Well done

[@PhillipParr]

Beautiful job!

[@SeanHodgins]

Great fix! Scary when things start to flood and there is nothing you can do.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Not much in that moment. Thats why I like to prepare.

[@annwithaplan9766]

Good job! Funny, I recognized your trash can train earlier in the video and it gave me a smile (I watched you build it before). : )

[@YotoBoto]

Really interesting video. Very create. Also I Love that you try and do it all on your own instead of getting a company to do the job!

[@erezklein5769]

Well done Max, it looks really natural, like it was by design.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

When we pulled up the original path we found pebbles as a underlayment. I think the very last bit of the brickwork, so just the path was made in a rush. There were large gaps and the rounded path didn’t fit at all. Probably the last thing that was finished at the house.

[@casterkills]

Wow that’s a wild transformation.

[@gaveintothedarkness]

Congrats on 100K subs!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thank you very much!