Smart Vent - Foundation Flood Vents

Deco Truss supplies Smart Vents to South Florida and the Carribean. SMART VENT® automatic foundation flood vents protect homes from the devastation and destruction caused by a hurricane, flood or other natural disaster.

SMART VENTS foundation flood vent is uniquely designed to provide both flood protection and ventilation in these instances and is the only vent certified to meet the requirements as set forth by FEMA and the NFIP for all homes or buildings located in a flood area.

How it works:

Flood Protection:

The Smart VENT® door is latched closed until flood water enters. Entering flood water lifts the patented internal floats which unlatches and rotates the door open. This allows the flood water to automatically enter and exit through the frame opening, relieving the pressure from your foundation walls.

Rapidly rising floodwater can put extreme pressure on the foundation walls
causing improperly vented structures to buckle and collapse. Smart Vents®
quickly and efficiently equalize the pressure and minimize damage.

Ventilation:

A bimetal coil (like a thermostat, no electricity is needed) automatically opens and closes the ventilation louvers as temperature changes. They will be closed when it is freezing outside and open when it is warm outside to provide natural ventilation.

Important note:

SmartVENT® does not rely on the louvers to let flood water in and out. Regardless of the louvers' position, opened or closed, when flood water flows into the door, the internal floats release the door to rotate open to relieve the hydrostatic pressure. The louvers and pest screen are rotated out of the path of the flood water. The temperature controlled louvers are for ventilation purposes only.

Code Summary

FEMA NFIP Regulations: Section 44 CFR 60.3(c)(5)
International Code Council:
IRC: Chapter 3 Flood-Resistant Construction and Chapter 4 Under-Floor Space
IBC: Section 1612 Flood Loads
American Society of Civil Engineers: ASCE 24-05 and ASCE 24-98 Flood Resistant Design and Construction.
BOCA: Section 1210.0 Ventilation of Special Places; Section 3107.0 Flood Resistant Construction.