foundation flood vents

Flood Vents protect houses and buildings in floodplains by preventing hydrostatic pressure buildup that can destroy walls and foundations. This mitigation technique is referred to as Wet Floodproofing.

Smart Vent Products, Inc. was born in 1997 out of the idea to create a flood vent to comply with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and all National and State Construction Codes. Since 1986, flood vents have been a requirement for enclosed spaces below the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) but no one had stepped up to evaluate what was available to meet the requirements. At the time, the only available solution to relieve hydrostatic pressure was a foundation air vent. These air vent devices had some issues, including louvers, grills, screens, and other covers that impede the flow of floodwater and most importantly they would clog with debris yielding the vent useless during a flood event.

Fast-forward 11 years - a draftsman in Avalon, NJ is examining all the regulations and codes tied to relieving hydrostatic pressure. He knew that: a) A truly passive solution was required; the flood vent must work automatically without human intervention. b) The flood vent must be bi-directional, it must allow for the automatic entry and exit of flood water. c) The flood vent must allow debris to pass through and not get clogged in a screen or grill.

As we began to bring the pieces together, a design started to take shape. Further research showed that our design must also be rodent resistant and must be constructed out of a proven flood resistant material. We choose to use reliable 316L Marine Grade Stainless Steel in our designs, and we were off and running coming up with a solution. Many designs were performance tested until we came up with the perfect recipe for success. Along the way to producing the first ever line of Engineered Flood Vents the industry would see, we also developed the performance testing standards that are utilized in the flood venting industry today. This ensures that owners of homes and buildings in the floodplain have piece of mind that their foundations are properly protected.

We take our responsibility of protecting your largest investment to heart and very seriously. From performance testing through the ICC-ES to constant analyzation of product performance through 15-plus years of floods and hurricanes with remarkable results, our team has always been committed to outstanding engineering. We are proud to be manufactured, operated, and owned in the United States of America. From our humble beginnings in Avalon, NJ to our worldwide success today, our principles to provide the best products and customer service by knowledgeable and caring employees has never wavered.

Our knowledge and expertise, through our team of Certified Floodplain Managers and Engineers, has led us to our next chapter in floodplain problem solving. Rising flood insurance rates across the country are causing many financial hardships. A new division of Smart Vent Products called the Flood Risk Evaluator, was recently born to evaluate and provide a detailed report on what can be done to reduce these rising flood insurance premiums. Call us at (877) 441-8368 or email info@smartvent.com.

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