Flood Vents Protect Shore House in Seaside Park, NJ

Tuesday, October 20th, 2015 by Sarah Gozick

Challenge

The owner of this Seaside Park, NJ home called in to Quality 1st Basement Systems for an estimate on flood vents. Inspector Collin Peare went out to the property and spoke to the owner. Upon his inspection, the homeowner told Collin that he felt like he was paying a lot of money for flood insurance on his second home. He had a 2 to 3 foot tall crawl space, with a dirt floor and no vents that would help reduce the cost of flood insurance. Collin Peare suggested Smart Vents.

Solution

Smart Vents allow for the automatic entry and exit of flood waters, they are the most advanced flood protection on the market. Smart Vents bring buildings (both commercial and residential) into full flood compliance and have the potential to dramatically reduce Flood Insurance Premiums. Flood vents are required when a residential building is constructed in a Flood Zone Type-A. When the lowest floor, including the basement, is below the Base Flood Elevation, the house needs flood vents to keep it safe. Especially in areas on the New Jersey shore, flood vents are essential.

During Superstorm Sandy many houses were destroyed because the pressure of the flood waters had nowhere to go. The extreme pressure on foundation walls can cause destruction, sometimes irreparably. Smart Vents work by equalizing the pressure and allowing a space for strong flood waters to pass through the foundation. They are made with stainless steel that will not rust or corrode, and meet FEMA requirements. Quality 1st Basement Systems installed eleven Smart Vents into the home owner’s crawl space, lowering his flood insurance to only $600 a year. This is a savings of up to 75% from what he was originally paying, just by having Smart Vents installed!