Sandbags are difficult to stack and quickly deteriorate, spilling sand all over the place and harming the environment FloodSax alternative sandbags are a far more uniform shape and size and highly effective at stopping floodwater FloodSax sandless sandbags are incredibly space-saving to store. Here are 20 in four packs each containing 5 FloodSax. All these 20 FloodSax came from this one easy-to-carry box

Can I get hold of prefilled sandbags in an emergency and are they expensive?

When people think of flooding they automatically think of sandbags … but many don’t realise they are now expensive, difficult to get hold of and don’t actually work to keep floodwater out.

Anyone thinking their local councils will provide sandbags when flooding is forecast is also in for a nasty shock as local authorities have no responsibility to provide sandbags or any other flooding measures.

The far better option – and one which several councils now recommend – are alternative sandbags called FloodSax which are way more environmentally friendly than sandbags, are space saving to store, quick and easy to deploy and far more effective and reliable at keeping floodwater out of homes and businesses.

They cost around £140 for 20 – that price can even include next day delivery - which is good value for money compared to sandbags which cost up to £370 for 70 prefilled with sand and delivery can often take between 7 and 10 days.

One company which sells them even warns: “Hessian sandbags should be used within four weeks of purchase due to biodegrading as soon as they get wet.”

FloodSax are exceptionally robust and will keep their shape for two or three months. They have a guaranteed shelf-life of at least 5 years before they are used due to the high quality of their vacuum-packing.

Unlike sandbags, FloodSax are multi-use and multi-purpose. They are vacuum-packed and in their dry state are ultra-flat with a large surface area which makes them ideal to soak up drips, leaks and spills indoors, especially in hard-to-reach places such as beneath boilers, below radiators and underneath pipes.

But immerse them in water and the gelling polymer inside absorbs the water and then retains it, making the FloodSax miraculously inflate to become an instant sandbag but without any sand.

And that’s yet another problem with sandbags because as they deteriorate the sand spills out, harming the environment and blocking drains, causing even more flooding.

FloodSax stay fully contained and are 96% biodegradable by weight.

People can buy sandbag covers and the sand separately and then fill the sandbags themselves but it’s a terrible hassle, they need to make sure they have bought the right kind of sand and then there is still the problem of storage with the sandbags quickly deteriorating, especially when wet.

Also be aware that a lot of the pre-filled sandbags are way smaller than Floodsax, weighing just 15kg so you need a lot more to build them into a flood barrier and they are more difficult to stack.

FloodSax are larger at 20kg with a uniform shape and size so are far easier to hold, carry and build into a protective wall that will stand the test of water … and time.

FloodSax can also be immersed in water right where you need them which means you can quickly get them in action at the scene of a flooding emergency.

FloodSax were devised and are manufactured by Yorkshire company Environmental Defence Systems Ltd and managing director Richard Bailey said: “We’ve seen a big rise in the number of people coming to us who started off looking for traditional sandbags and realised it was such a struggle to get hold of any.

“Once they’ve found us and used FloodSax they are more than happy to give us testimonials when they realise just how effective they are compared to out-dated sandbags.”

Read the testimonials at http://www.floodsax.co.uk/testimonials/

If you’re still not convinced, bear in mind that flooding causes horrendous damage. The average claim for a flooded home is more than £30,000 and over £70,000 for a flooded business. Also be aware that the excess for flooding on all insurance policies is more than your usual excess - £350 is an average – which would pay for 40 FloodSax with £70 to spare. This would be enough to protect all your doors from flooding – front door, back door, patio door and garage door – along with airbricks.

In short, FloodSax beat sandbags on every count in terms of cost, convenience, storage, handling, size, effectiveness and disposal.

The Environment Agency estimates one in 6 homes in the UK is now at risk of flooding – that’s 6 million.

So be prepared as you have very little time to act if flooding is imminent and your chances of getting hold of sandbags in such a flooding crisis is virtually nil.

Those people who have FloodSax can have their homes or businesses fully protected in under 30 minutes.

For more information on FloodSax go to www.floodsax.co.uk