Close-up of the PREFA flood protection made of aluminium, which always withstands flood disasters and protects the detached house in the background.

Flood protection solutions

Remain deeply relaxed when the flood comes: PREFA’s flood protection system keeps bad weather outside.

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Optimum protection with PREFA mobile flood protection!

Steadily mounting average temperatures are increasingly creating extreme weather conditions. The unpredictable threat Floods can always occur very suddenly and cause enormous damage. Due to climate change, streams and rivers are increasingly overflowing their banks. In addition to more general flooding, regionally-occurring heavy rainfall and melting snow are tending to cause more and more problems for home owners, even in areas that are located away from rivers. Therefore, it is particularly important in regions at risk to protect yourself from these forces of nature ahead of time.

With the mobile PREFA flood protection system made of lightweight, robust aluminium profiles, you can offer your home maximum security. The special aluminium profiles are ideally suited for effectively closing windows, doors or gates as well as protecting landscaped areas close to the shore or adjacent areas.

The advantages of PREFA flood protection

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complete system

customisable adaptation and extension possible

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ready to use at all times

customisable adaptation and extension possible

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can be used as property and perimeter protection

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suitable for private individuals and companies

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complete system

customisable adaptation and extension possible

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ready to use at all times

customisable adaptation and extension possible

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can be used as property and perimeter protection

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suitable for private individuals and companies

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system made from strong aluminium

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quick and easy to install

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easy to store

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lightweight

Icon for advantages

system made from strong aluminium

Icon for advantages

quick and easy to install

Icon for advantages

easy to store

Icon for advantages

lightweight

Checklist: Are you at risk of flooding?

You can use the following checklist to see whether you live in a region at risk of flooding. The more questions that you answer “yes” to, the more you should think about taking protective measures:

  • Is your property located near a body of water (river, stream, lake, etc.)?
  • Is your house in a valley? 
  • Can water penetrate into your house through doors, windows or other openings?
  • Can water penetrate via other low-lying openings in the basement or garage?
  • Does your property have a ground-level entrance or patio through which water can penetrate into the house?
  • Do any driveways, car parks or paths slope down towards your house?
The picture shows a detached house with a balcony. The PREFA flood protection system protects the house from the already rising flood waters.

Colours

The barrier panels and the permanently installed mounting profiles can be individually colour-matched to the roof or façade.

Barrier panels with a length of up to 3 metres are available in your desired colour. Larger barrier panels are excluded from the colour scheme.

Detailed view of the PREFA flood protection system on a gate frame, consisting of aluminium barrier panels that are fastened with a robust, red clamp (the compression clamp) to ensure reliable protection against flooding.

Possible uses

PREFA’s flood protection system offers individual solutions in two areas which can be used both for private use and for company buildings: property protection and perimeter protection

Property protection

With the special aluminium barrier panels, you can quickly seal off the following areas of your house through which water can penetrate:

  • Various openings (e.g. garage entrances and garage doors)
  • Various doors (e.g. front doors, entrance doors, basement doors, patio doors, balcony doors, lift & slide doors)
  • Windows (e.g. basement windows)

By individually adjusting the length of the barrier panels, it is possible to protect a wide variety of windows, doors and gates from penetrating water. PREFA property protection is suitable both for private use, for example, on a detached house, and for larger company buildings. The barrier panels and permanently installed mounting profiles can be colour-coordinated to match the design of your façade.

Assembling and using PREFA property protection:
when first installed, the mounting profiles are permanently mounted in, behind or in front of, the reveal. Alternatively, the mounting profiles can also be fitted flush with the reveal. When used in the event of flooding, the barrier panels are pushed into the fastener on both sides, and fixed at the top with a compression clamp mounted in place. The lightweight and extremely robust system can be quickly set up in an emergency by just one person, if necessary, as you can see in the following video.

Luisa Buck stands in front of the entrance gate of a detached house where the mobile flood protection wall has already been installed.

Perimeter protection

If you wish to protect larger properties or flood-prone areas (e.g. drives, roads or paths) from flooding, you can use PREFA’s flood protection system for perimeters. The protection is provided by aluminium walls which are set up in open areas using ground sleeves. This system is ideal if you wish to protect your house or land, for example, from a stream flowing past which could possibly significantly exceed the normal water level during severe storms.

Assembling and using the PREFA perimeter protection:
when setting the PREFA perimeter protection up for the first time, ground sleeves are mounted in advance. If required, the flood protection walls can be extended or raised following a static test. In individual cases, the mounting uprights (supports) are anchored in the sunken ground sleeve and the aluminium barrier panels are then inserted. The panels and mounting uprights are easy to remove again after use, and the ground sleeves can be sealed with cover plates.

A man installs the PREFA flood protection system.

Important

Mounting profiles (for barrier panels) or ground sleeves (for safety barriers) must be attached in advance for both types of PREFA flood protection system. This installation step must be carried out in advance so that, at a later stage, you can react at lightning speed in a severe storm, and you only need to insert the aluminium barrier panels, or for the perimeter protection, you only need to insert the mounting uprights into the already set-up device.

Questions and answers: PREFA flood protection

PREFA’s mobile flood protection in the aluminium barrier panel system is used to protect buildings and land. It is a reliable water and mud barrier even in extreme situations – from the Danube to the North Sea. Lightweight, robust and easy to assemble, aluminium barrier panels are stacked on top of each other in a tongue and groove system and inserted between two fastening profiles or uprights – in an emergency, they can even be installed by just one person.

PREFA flood protection is supplied by a regional PREFA partner company and is also professionally assembled straight away.

The length is determined according to structural calculations and depends on the water level.

A flood protection system does not have to be 100% watertight. Minimal water ingress is acceptable. With the PREFA system, the aluminium profiles are stacked on top of each other in a tongue and groove system and inserted into fastening profiles or uprights on both sides.

The system requires a load-bearing assembly substrate such as concrete or brick and should be checked in advance by a structural engineer if necessary.

The PREFA flood protection system has been tested and certified by the European Flood Protection Association. It complies with the basic principles for planning and use of the guidelines of the Association of Engineers for Water Management, Waste Management and Land Improvement (BWK). 

Yes, delivery is possible in the standard RAL colours. The barrier panels and the permanently installed fastening profiles can be individually colour-matched to the roof, doors and windows or the façade.

The low weight of the aluminium profiles allows for quick and easy assembly – if necessary, even by just one person! For example, it takes around seven to ten minutes to assemble a flood barrier if it is the size of a garage door (approx. 3 m wide and 1 m high).

PREFA flood protection consists of a total of 10 components. 

Technical information

  • 1. wall profile: Permanently built into the masonry or installed in front of, in or fitted flush in the reveal
  • 2. barrier panels: Illustrated here: the lowest barrier panel is connected to point 3.
  • 3. ground seal: Ensures sealing between the lowest barrier panel and the ground
  • 4. centre column: In larger areas, these uprights can be used as intermediate columns.
  • 5. compression clamp (with hex-head screw or with star-shaped handle): For clamping the barrier panels in place
  • 6. retainer: Prevents vertical deflection of the barrier panels and increases pressure on the ground seal.
  • 7. ground sleeve: Sleeve fixed permanently in the foundations with concrete for inserting the centre column
  • 8. wall bracket: For stacking the barrier panels during storage when not in use
  • 9. angular cover: For covering the wall profiles when not in use.
  • 10. storage casing: The individual sections (length: 445 mm) are screwed together.
  • 11. base profile seal
  • 12. barrier panel seal
  • 13. seal for cover and ground sleeve
Bestandteile des PREFA Hochwasserschutzsystems

Barrier panels (property and perimeter protection)

The profile is made from a robust aluminium alloy and, as it requires very little maintenance, it can be stored for long periods without rusting. The profiles are available in three thicknesses (25 mm, 50 mm and 80 mm). Taller designs and wider span widths are possible with the 80-mm system. The aluminium profiles can be easily stacked together via the tongue and groove system. The insertion barrier panels ensure a high level of stability and maximum safety. Both sides of the profiles are inserted into the mounting profiles and fixed at the top by compression clamps. The profiles are available up to a length of 6 m and can be stacked up to a height of 3 metres. Calculating the static load is strongly recommended. The inserted system seal is made of EPDM foam rubber and can easily be replaced if necessary. After use, it is essential to clean and inspect the profile and seals to make sure that they can be used again in the future.

The PREFA flood protection system is available in three different thicknesses:

Dam beams of the PREFA flood protection system

System 25

  • Barrier panel thickness: 25 mm 
  • Barrier panel weight/metre: 2,99 kg 
  • Barrier panel height: 200 mm 
  • Barrier panel joint: 15 mm

System 50

  • Barrier panel thickness: 50 mm 
  • Barrier panel weight/metre: 5,62 kg/4,12 kg
  • Barrier panel height: 150 mm/200 mm 
  • Barrier panel joint: 15 mm

System 80

  • Barrier panel thickness: 80 mm 
  • Barrier panel weight/metre: 7,78 kg 
  • Barrier panel height: 200 mm 
  • Barrier panel joint: 15 mm 

Mounting profile (for property protection)

The permanent mounting profiles can be installed in three ways: in the reveal, behind the reveal, or in front of the reveal. The fastener dimensions are calculated on a case-by-case basis according to static requirements to suit the overall system. Inserted system seals made of EPDM foam rubber prevent water from penetrating.

Fastening profiles for the PREFA flood protection system

Mounting upright (for perimeter protection)

The 50-mm system weighs only 9.4 kg, and the 80-mm system weighs 11.3 kg per metre. When installing the system for the first time, a ground sleeve should be mounted in advance on a suitable supporting structure. The uprights are easily anchored to the ground sleeve by means of a bayonet locking device without the need for any special tools. Additional supports can be provided if necessary.

Ground sleeve for PREFA flood protection fastening posts

Centre column

  • diameter: 140 mm/186 mm 
  • height: 750-2.150 mm 
  • thicknesses: 50 mm/80 mm 

Ground sleeve

  • diameter: 170 mm/230 mm 
  • depth: 420 mm 

Compression clamp (property and perimeter protection)

The panels are fixed at the top by two compression clamps. The compression clamp screws are gently tightened using an Allen key (alternatively: screws with a cross handle can be used). The compression clamps prevent the profile from rising until the panels fill with water, increasing the contact pressure of the seals. The compression clamps can be removed during use to allow the system to be extended, if required.

Tensioning piece on PREFA flood protection

Compression clamp

  • length: 160 mm 
  • weight: 0,45 kg

Detailed mounting instructions for the PREFA flood protection system

You can find detailed mounting instructions for the PREFA flood protection system below:

PREFA Hochwasserschutz Montage des ersten Dammbalkens mit Bodendichtung

Inserting the lowest barrier panel

Start by inserting the barrier panel with the ground seal into the base profile from the top. Press down firmly on the barrier panel until the ground seal rests flush on the ground.

PREFA Hochwasserschutz Einführung von weiteren Dammbalken in die Führung der Grundprofile

Inserting additional barrier panels

Once the lowest barrier panel is firmly in place and lying flush, continue by inserting the other barrier panels. To do this, fit the panels from above diagonally into the base profile guide as shown in step 1, and press them down until the tongue slots into the groove and the seal fits flush.

Anbringen der Spannstücke an den Aluminium-Dammbalken des PREFA Hochwasserschutzsystem

Installing the compression clamps

Push the compression clamps with the adjustable foot down into the base profile guide, and press them down until the adjustable foot comes into contact with the top profile. Then use an Allen key to gently tighten the screw on the compression clamp.

Freilegen der Bodenhülsen, falls Zwischensteher beim PREFA Landschaftsschutz eingesetzt werden

Open the ground sleeve

If you wish to use intermediate uprights for perimeter protection, you must first also follow steps 4–6. Unscrew the countersunk screw on the ground sleeve cover plate by approx. one centimetre, pull the cover plate out and remove.

PREFA Hochwasserschutz Montage der Mittelsäulen beim Landschaftsschutz

Mounting the centre column

Next, fit the centre column into the open ground sleeve by rotating it. When doing so, make sure that the sealing ring fully seals off the lower end of the column.

Montage des Hochwasserschutzsystem von PREFA und Anbringen von Abstützungen

Possible mounting of an additional support

If the safety barrier exceeds a surface area of 2 × 2 metres, you need to clarify whether or not an additional support is required.

Photo of a fully assembled PREFA flood protection system

Video: Assembly and disassembly of the mobile PREFA flood protection system

The aluminium flood protection system from PREFA can be assembled in just a few minutes in an emergency. The video shows the correct assembly and disassembly.

The barrier panels fill up as the level of water rises, further preventing them from floating and increasing the stability of the wall.

This is how to store and maintain your PREFA flood protection system correctly!: Tip from the PREFA experts

For optimum storage of the flood protection system, we recommend using PREFA’s aluminium wall brackets. The barrier panels can be stacked on the wall brackets with the bottom barrier panel at the top of the stack to ensure quick mounting of the system in the event of a flood.

Never allow aluminium to come into contact with aluminium. Use cardboard, plastic or chipboard separating strips to protect the barrier panels from cold welding caused by moisture ingress. The compression clamps can be stored in an additional compartment or on top of the barrier panels.

Regularly maintain your flood protection system by assembling and disassembling it at least once a year. This will allow you to make sure that you remember how to set it up while also checking that the system is complete and in good working order. After use, clean all seals and treat with a non-oily silicone spray. Replace any damaged seals.

Aluminium wall bracket for PREFA flood protection

PREFA’s aluminium wall brackets are ideal for optimum storage of PREFA flood protection. The barrier panels can thus be stored easily and set up quickly in an emergency.

Planning & contact

Are you interested in acquiring a PREFA flood protection system? If so, contact our highly skilled staff who will be delighted to help you. You can contact them using the contact form.

Our staff will get in contact with you to discuss all the details of your project with you. It is only by individually adapting the height and length of the PREFA flood protection system, that an effective solution can be provided.

The mobile flood protection system from PREFA has been awarded the "Safety in Flood Protection" quality mark. The system was tested by the quality committee of the European Flood Protection Association.

You can request our free flood protection brochure here and now, online.

Floodwater doesn’t stand a chance — demountable flood protection by PREFA. Wait no further — protect your home!

Quality mark "Safety in flood protection" for the mobile PREFA flood protection system made of aluminium