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How do i know if my house is under sea level or not.

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  • 15-02-2011 1:47pm
    #1
    The General.
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭


    Im from Dundalk and wondering is there any way of finding out if my house is under sea level or not. Im looking around for some house insurance and Aviva cant quote me as they say my house is under sea level.
    Is there any way to find out without going to the council just yet to get maps and the likes of that.
    Cheers in advance.


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    #2
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Where are you? I didn't think anywhere in Dundalk was under sea level. In Google Earth (the downloadable thing, not google maps) it shows the altitude of whereever you have the cursor, I've never seen it go into negative numbers around here.


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    #3
    Abelloid
    Registered Users Posts: 3,495 ✭✭✭Abelloid


    Try this, not sure how accurate it is though...

    http://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm


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    #4
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Just click on the spot on the map here and it will tell you:

    http://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm

    EDIT:Sorry Justin. Went for Lunch and didn't see your reply!


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    #5
    The General.
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭The General.


    amacachi wrote: »
    Where are you? I didn't think anywhere in Dundalk was under sea level. In Google Earth (the downloadable thing, not google maps) it shows the altitude of whereever you have the cursor, I've never seen it go into negative numbers around here.
    I'm from Oaklawns and Aviva reckon that our house is under sea level. I must that google earth to find out. I actually just downloaded the 2011 version of google earth last night. Cheers.


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    #6
    The General.
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭The General.


    JustinOval wrote: »
    Try this, not sure how accurate it is though...

    http://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm
    Cheers for that. Going by that,it says that our front and back garden is 10.7 feet above sea level.


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    #7
    Mr. Presentable
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,496 ✭✭✭Mr. Presentable


    The General. wrote: »
    Cheers for that. Going by that,it says that our front and back garden is 10.7 feet above sea level.

    Ouch, that's not much!


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    #8
    kyosushi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 51 ✭✭kyosushi


    Coastal measurement of sea level is impossible due to the two daily tides plus High- and low-pressure areas in the atmosphere which change the surface level of the ocean , ask any high school student . The house in question for insurances purposes must have been built along side or near a river in a flood prone area where heavy rain fall will be affected by a spring tide . That’s what the insurances people may...be talking about .

    However Insurance people are a bunch of trained idiots who can not calculate distance from a levy to a local area which has protection and are told to increase premiums by scaring gullible people into paying more . Check to make sure the insurance idiot has not located your house below a waterfall.


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    #9
    Lantus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,027 ✭✭✭Lantus


    http://flood.firetree.net/

    heres and interesting site that predicts what would happen IF sea levels rose by whatever you input them as. Dundalk does not fair well even with very small increases.

    Am I still right in thinking that after you have been refused 6 insurance quotes one company must insure you.

    Also, what data are they using. Can you get them to confirm in writing with proff you are below sea level (which I doubt.)


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    #10
    ronan45
    Registered Users Posts: 1,584 ✭✭✭ronan45


    might you have a garmin sat nav? that will give you your exact height above sea level. :)

    Press where am i button , nearest address. bobs your aunty

    (LOL if your above sea level) never tested below sea level now to be honest :)


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    #11
    cynder
    Registered Users Posts: 4,128 ✭✭✭cynder


    Lantus wrote: »
    http://flood.firetree.net/


    Also, what data are they using. Can you get them to confirm in writing with proff you are below sea level (which I doubt.)

    If that's the case im gonna own a beach house if the sea level rises. never thought i would live by the sea!


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    #12
    The General.
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭The General.


    It wasnt actually me that was in asking them about the house insurance. The woman went in today to pay her car insurance and decided to ask for a qiote as our current house insurer is far too dear. We got a quote from them the other day, well, lets just say they can go f**k a goat with the price they gave us.

    We tried Aviva as my woman already has a poilicy with them through her car so we thought they might of giving us a cheaper quote if we opened up another poilicy for our house.
    That is what she was told today, that they cant quote us as our housing estate is below sea level.

    Our house is no were near any river at all, not for a few miles anyway.

    I can get a lend of a garmin sat nav this evening and see what it says on it about see level.

    I'll be going back into them to see were they are getting this info from, just out of curiousity and it'll give me something to do when i finish work early on Friday.

    I'll be pricing around and see if any other companies reckon our house is under sea level.


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    #13
    Lantus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,027 ✭✭✭Lantus


    Had a look into this and as far as I can see there is nowhere in Ireland with a land area that is below sea level i.e. -1m or greater with respect to mean sea levels.

    It would be a great point of geographical interest and wiki list all the points in Europe and indeed the world where this occurs. Ireland is not listed.

    Either your insurance compnay have made a startling discover that could boost tourism in Dundalk (these places seem to attract tourists, dead sea, death valley etc....) or they are talking out of their a****s.


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    #14
    Fursttimer
    Registered Users Posts: 510 ✭✭✭Fursttimer


    EarthTools is the best software to use to determine your query.


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    #15
    darrenw5094
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,126 ✭✭✭darrenw5094


    The General. wrote: »
    It wasnt actually me that was in asking them about the house insurance. The woman went in today to pay her car insurance and decided to ask for a qiote as our current house insurer is far too dear. We got a quote from them the other day, well, lets just say they can go f**k a goat with the price they gave us.

    We tried Aviva as my woman already has a poilicy with them through her car so we thought they might of giving us a cheaper quote if we opened up another poilicy for our house.
    That is what she was told today, that they cant quote us as our housing estate is below sea level.

    Our house is no were near any river at all, not for a few miles anyway.

    I can get a lend of a garmin sat nav this evening and see what it says on it about see level.

    I'll be going back into them to see were they are getting this info from, just out of curiousity and it'll give me something to do when i finish work early on Friday.

    I'll be pricing around and see if any other companies reckon our house is under sea level.

    Was it this guy that you spoke to you about the quote?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJL9A7C2QPs


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    #16
    skipz
    Registered Users Posts: 671 ✭✭✭skipz


    There is no way in hell your house is bellow sea level, that is a bonkers excuse if i ever heard one.

    If you were below sea level being so close to the sea you'd know about it, unless Dundalk has dykes now?? :D


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    #17
    gizmo555
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭gizmo555


    Lantus wrote: »
    Am I still right in thinking that after you have been refused 6 insurance quotes one company must insure you.

    No, that's motor insurance. Don't know how many refusals you need, but the reason is 3rd party insurance is a legal requirement to drive. If no-one would quote you, you could go into court and justify driving uninsured because you couldn't get cover.

    There is no similar legal requirement to have house insurance (though there may be a contractual requirement with your mortgage lender).


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    #18
    Lantus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,027 ✭✭✭Lantus


    gizmo555 wrote: »
    No, that's motor insurance. Don't know how many refusals you need, but the reason is 3rd party insurance is a legal requirement to drive. If no-one would quote you, you could go into court and justify driving uninsured because you couldn't get cover.

    There is no similar legal requirement to have house insurance (though there may be a contractual requirement with your mortgage lender).

    yeah thats right. although if an insuance company makes a claim like this about sea level then I'd force it to back it up or challenge it legally. Maybe she meant flood plain and was just having a blonde day?


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    #19
    omen80
    Registered Users Posts: 639 ✭✭✭omen80


    You would know if it's under sea level if you have to swim to get to the kitchen


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    #20
    Mr. Presentable
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,496 ✭✭✭Mr. Presentable


    The General. wrote: »
    I'm from Oaklawns and Aviva reckon that our house is under sea level. I must that google earth to find out. I actually just downloaded the 2011 version of google earth last night. Cheers.

    Ask your neighbours who insures them.


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    #21
    bad mongo
    Registered Users Posts: 17 ✭bad mongo


    skipz wrote: »
    There is no way in hell your house is bellow sea level, that is a bonkers excuse if i ever heard one.

    If you were below sea level being so close to the sea you'd know about it, unless Dundalk has dykes now?? :D

    Dundalk actually does have sea defences dating back to the late 18th century and a tidal surge over or through these ,combined with a torrential rain event has the potential to see a very large part of the Town under significant amounts of water.

    The standard floor level finish for new buildings in Dundalk is now 4.5M O.D., fears of flooding in the town are actually well founded. I'm not surprised insurance is getting problematic.

    The Town council and the OPW should have some information. I recall a flood risk study for Dundalk and Blackrock being out to tender a while back but I don't know if this was completed or is in the public domain.


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    #22
    Lantus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,027 ✭✭✭Lantus


    Based on Google earth Oaklawns is around 3 to 5m above sea level. Agree with last poster that a risk of flooding is a concern that any ins. company can take. BUT, to state that your house is below sea level is both outrageous and incorrect.

    Based on the site I posted up earlier Dundalk is at tremdous risk of flooding. I suppose it's called 'the marshes' for a reason!

    We really need to stop building so low down and apply some intelligence and long term thinking to our future.

    Quite happy about living in drogheda and being 22m above sea level. In fact a rise of 14m in sea level would still leave around 95% of the town above water. phew.....


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    #23
    trad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,696 ✭✭✭trad


    The wife is from Lisdoo area. I remember in the 80's it had been snowing, it rained overnight and there was an ebb tide. Maxwells Terrace was under about 3 foot of water as were all the fields inland of the Dublin Road for a good distance.


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    #24
    qc3
    Registered Users Posts: 844 ✭✭✭qc3


    On any planning application, A developer has to have every F/F/L , finish floor level on the drawings. visit the council if your that worried about it.
    There are markers all over the town in which engineers gat the tide level from. They are on sodid structures and look like birds feet.
    Dundalk has a flood defence system all along the coast.
    If you drive into sea crest on the point road when the full tide is in, You'll see how much higher the tide actually is compared to the fields on the other side of the gate.
    It is scary to think what would happen if the flood gate was to malfunction some day, as i live close by. My f/f/l is 3.3 above see level.
    I know of some houses on the rock road which are 3.9m A/S/L and have watched the tide come over the road.
    Heard a story once about local farmers having to jump in and fix the gate when it came off it's hindgesy


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    #25
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    ronan45 wrote: »
    might you have a garmin sat nav? that will give you your exact height above sea level. :)

    Garmin (and I assume other brands too) SatNavs aren't very accurate in the z axis (altitude).
    I've been on the deck of a small boat at sea and had a SatNav telling me I was at 80m above sea level.
    Even in the x- and y- axes, SatNav isn't accurate enough to answer the OP's question. On a good day, with clear weather and line of sight to more than 4 satellites, it doesn't get better than about 10m of accuracy.


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    #26
    irish pavee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭irish pavee


    The General. wrote: »
    Im from Dundalk and wondering is there any way of finding out if my house is under sea level or not. Im looking around for some house insurance and Aviva cant quote me as they say my house is under sea level.
    Is there any way to find out without going to the council just yet to get maps and the likes of that.
    Cheers in advance.

    find out how old your house is if it didnt flood yet den your ok


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    #27
    meathstevie
    Registered Users Posts: 4,772 ✭✭✭meathstevie


    Folks, I don't understand the conversation about all sorts of software packages in here. Go to your local newsagent and buy an OS Ireland map of the area and mark the exact location of your house. You should see lines on the map marking the hight above or below sea level on the map ( in relatively flat areas they can be a little distance away from eachother ) usually marked in 5m increments. If the numbers on the lines aren't negative your house is above sea level. Send the map to your insurance company and tell them to stuff it. They won't be as thick as to argue with the Ordnance Survey Ireland crowd.


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