Tradespersons who have taken tiling training courses might be needed to protect British homes against flooding.
According to the Environment Agency's chairman Lord Chris Smith, firms in Britain need to spend more time developing products to help homeowners weatherproof their properties.
He added that householders could upgrade their houses to cope with flooding, should it occur.
"We can also encourage people to make improvements so that even if flood water enters their home or business it causes less damage, meaning moving back in is quicker," Lord Smith remarked.
As an example, he suggested that Britons lay down tiles instead of having carpets and rugs in their houses.
Should the British public take heed of Lord Smith's advice, it could be that workers who have approved tiling qualifications find themselves inundated with offers to carry out jobs in UK homes.
The Environment Agency is an executive non-departmental public body, which aims to protect and improve the environment and promote sustainable development.
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