Floating Homes

you mean like this

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/business-news/tm_headline=floods-boost-flotation-device-sales&method=full&objectid=19700416&siteid=50142-name_page.html

I have a vision of people buying up the narrow boats and putting then together like doublewides and triplewides.

Already developed and in (small still) series construction in the Netherlands.

Their called house boats. I don't think everyone would be able to afford a home built like one on the chance there is a flood. Why do you think many of these people bought homes in a probable flood zone to begin with.

Due to the situation in the Netherlands they are OBLIGED to think about solutions in the case of see level growth. It is NOT a choice it is an imposed solution.

as well as cost another problem is if there is fast flowing water you would need some really substantial anchors to stop it moving.

it would be cheaper to mount the properties on stilts. above the last known high water line,

In many parts of the U.S. people live in houseboats which are nothing more than a steel or concrete barge with a house built on it. It is permanently moored and is pretty much safe from flooding. Some of these houseboats cost in the millions of dollars and rival any land based house. It's stil a good idea. Just wish I had thought of it before. If the waters rise over the earth, we will be forced to a houseboat solution or move to higher ground.

oh i dont deny its a good idea, but as some one else has said most of the propertys tha get damaged are accomadation for poor people and to fit floatation devices may be expensive.

My parents had a holiday home at the side of a reiver here in the uk that got flooded a lot.

I suggested floatation then, but again most people think of the cost,

when i said floods i meant the sort that washed normal buildings away recently in use.

if it wash away fixed structures then boats would be easier

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2006/11/floods_468x305.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-415276/Homes-swept-away-flash-floods-hit-US.html&h=305&w=468&sz=52&tbnid=r19hKspzFwcSAM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfloods%2Bin%2Bus&usg=__WHReCRbncGEncxWXTQZ6Br0n4Sw=&ei=QATJS-PQKof40wScuLXbDA&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=6&ct=image&ved=0CBUQ9QEwBQ

If the waters rise over the earth, we will be forced to a houseboat solution or move to higher ground.

Don't worry! God said He would never destroy the world by flood again!

I would ask you to consider what the cost of maintenance of a typical house built on a raft/barge. At some stage it would have to be lifted up out of the ground and the "hull" inspected to ensure its still sound or sea (flood?) worthy.

Not impossible but at an interval of every five years I can see a new growth industry..

The logistics of connecting the services in a suburban environment, taking into consideration that the water may rise several meters for a period of days. Expensive.

Not to mention what if just one house slipped its moorings during aflood, and crashed into some more houses, with the force of flood waters combined with the flotsam and debris that accompanies it. Could lead to some serious carnage. A typical house, on its attendant barge would weigh around 25-30 tonnes and it can't manoeuvre on its own.

Considering the way most (not all) boat owners treat (neglect) their pleasure boats, I wouldn't think this a candle worth lighting.

As much as i would love to live aboard a houseboat on a lake or yacht on the harbour, not much appeal to it in suburbia..

You have essentially described a typical marina. You may also want to have a look at Hong Kong, which has a whole section of town full of people that have never set foot on dry land...

"Hoklo and Tanka are 'boat people' who live in junks floating on the waters off Aberdeen, Yau Ma Tei, and other typhoon shelters. Although most of them have come ashore to dwell, there are still the older generations who continue to carry on their traditional way of life on their narrow junks".

Not many if any these days, quite sad really, but a lot less sh*t in the water.

I live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where we have--or had, I should say--a marina full of houseboats. When the great flood of 2008 happened, 60 of those houseboats were ripped from their moorings, carried downstream, and destroyed.

Based on that experience, I suggest that you build a houseboat for the joy of living on the water, but don't expect it to survive a major flood.

You might be interested in this. MOMA put some teams of architects to work on solutions to a rising sea level.

Slideshow

In a flood prone area I think it would make more sense to just build a 8 -10 foot high concrete basement underneath the house. Concrete steps or ramps would be added to get up to the house. If experts think water will ever get higher than that, then you shouldn't be allowed to build a conventional house in that area anyway, and if you do, you do it knowing that you are not covered by any Insurance or Government help should a flood take place. Or simply, people are not allowed to build in flood prone area's in the first place,,,,,,,,,,,,,, period.

Assuming that your barge was sunk into the ground and assuming that your barge was water tight and stayed in position and assuming that the water went back down, what do you suppose the chances are that there would be a clean spot for the barge to settle back into? Every flood I have seen leaves a lot of crap behind. A dead tree wedged against the barge would likely cause your morning hard boiled egg to roll off the plate after the water receded!

Great Point....