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<br />A wood frame wall with brick or masonry siding should not <br />be trusted against a flood depth of over 2 feet. <br /> <br />A brick wall backed by concrete block should not be trusted <br />against a flood depth of over 3 feet. <br /> <br />A concrete basement wall with reinforcing, subsurface drainage, <br />and supported by interior walls at least every 15 feet should <br />withstand flood depths of up to 8 feet. It should be noted <br />that much of the wall's strength comes from the weight of the <br />house on top (structural load). In the Chicago area and other <br />places with high water tables, many houses have been built with <br />concrete basements with some reinforcing rods and subsurface <br />drainage. <br /> <br />A wood frame wall will not be watertight. <br /> <br />A homeowner can take two important steps to support the lateral pressure <br />to be expected during a flood: <br /> <br />1. Reinforce the wall. <br /> <br />2. Subsurface drainage. <br /> <br />Reinforcing: A basement wall can be reinforced on the inside by con- <br />structing supporting walls or buttresses. Remember, a typical room <br />dividing wall made of studs and drywall offers no lateral support. <br />A block wall would. <br /> <br /> <br />~.:-'~ ~.:~.; <br />\ li!\I!!l! ;q;. " ;';, . <br />UIIU1!!iiiI ;...>:;:~ ;, <br />11\~1I:! :.;.~..:,.,: ,.' <br />~iii.::.::.""".,. <br />iiis .......'... <br />UlIsm'r. ' <br />jfi ';.'... fl.; <br />-1~ ". " <br />i/~~:: <br /> <br />I: .' <br />S; '(1.' '.' :., . <br />@r '. ~f ' . <br /> <br />111'.;.0,,'. ,'.' . <br /> <br />~:.~:~,' ~. <br />~:::::~< " . . <br />:-- .~: ,': :~:.~:.~.::.;:~~.~.t".~",~':::~:;' ~':;::) ,~~.,~"\;~ <br /> <br />"'J." g, ." '.f> '... <br /> <br />:i;;".~~::\::.~::i,0 <br /> <br /> <br />'\. BA-e>EMENT f'\.X'e <br /> <br />12 <br />