What are flood barriers?
Flood barriers are removable walls that fit across a garage, doorway or slider to help keep floodwater on the outside. Rubicon’s flood barriers are made of aluminum planks that drop between two side posts fixed to the building. EPDM seals press against the floor and against each other, and the planks come out again after the storm.
Rubicon builds each barrier for the opening it protects, rather than selling a one-size kit. The planks are labeled and stack into the side posts one on top of another until the barrier reaches the height the opening needs.
Advanced Hurricane Protection is a family-owned company based in Stuart, and we have served the Treasure Coast for over 20 years. We offer Rubicon flood barriers alongside our hurricane protection, so you can talk through wind and water at the same free in-home estimate.
Which openings need a flood barrier?
The openings that usually need a flood barrier are the low ones: garage doors, entry doors, sliding glass doors and lanai openings. Rubicon notes that garages are often the first place water gets in, because the driveway slopes toward the door, the threshold is low and the span is wide.
Rubicon also points out that sliders sit low and have tracks and weep holes that water can follow, and that lanai runs are long and often turn corners. At the estimate, we look at each low opening with you and talk through which ones a barrier makes sense for.
- Garage doors
- Entry doors
- Sliding glass doors
- Lanais and wide openings
How do Rubicon flood barriers go up?
Rubicon flood barriers go up by stacking aluminum planks into side posts that stay fixed at the opening. Rubicon says the planks stack in 8 inches at a time, and the seals press against the floor and each other as the stack builds. When the storm passes, the planks come out, get rinsed and go back into storage.
Rubicon compares this with sandbags, which have to be filled, hauled and stacked before every storm and leave gaps between the bags. With a barrier, the posts are already in place, so getting ready means setting the planks in rather than building a wall from scratch.
What can a flood barrier not do?
A flood barrier protects one opening. It does not make a whole building waterproof. Rubicon is clear that a barrier does not fix water seeping up through the slab, drains backing up or water deeper than the top of the stack. It is one part of a flood plan, alongside your own preparations and local guidance.
At the estimate, we will talk through where a barrier can help on your property and where it cannot, so you know what you are getting before you decide.
What do flood barriers cost?
Flood barrier cost depends on the width and height of each opening, the surfaces the side posts mount to, the number of openings and what the installation needs. A wide garage door takes more material than a single entry door, so the price follows the openings you choose to protect.
The simplest way to get a real number is a free in-home estimate. We look at each opening, explain your options and give you a detailed written estimate at no cost.