Waking up to little drizzles cooling off the summer heat? Well, it pretty much goes without saying monsoon’s knocking on the door. While that drops in a token of relief, monsoon does have vagaries of its own. Undoubtedly, monsoon is the most debatable as a season. While many find it incredibly romantic, others complain and hate it for the inconvenience it brings. While one can’t afford to look past the essence of the rain, there’s no ignoring the odd side as well. In its trail follows a host of issues like humidity, sewage blocks, seepage and a lot of other things which can take a heavy toll on your home and leave you feeling annoyed and disgusted all the way. So, before this drizzle gains momentum, here’s a quick help yourself guide to make life easy.
Check your Roof & Walls
The single most significant thing that easily gets affected during the torrents is the roof of your building. Seepages are a common thing to occur. So, before the monsoon sets in, make sure to sweep check every corner of your roof and ensure there is no crack of any sort to let the water in easily. Similar to the roof, walls are also prone to cracks, which is never a good idea when the monsoon sets in. Such cracks need to be filled with waterproof mortar and sealed for good. The same treatment is applicable across the joints of rainwater pies to safeguard against any leakage. Additionally, one should also get a professional to check and clear clogging due to leaves and dust that usually reside within rainwater pipes. In case you live in an area that experiences heavy rainfall, waterproofing both insides and outsides of the living walls would probably be a good idea.
Pro Tip: If you have wooden furniture in your house, make sure to move them a little away from the walls during the monsoons, to keep the passive moisture away. Also, always keep a blower ready by your side.
Time to roll those carpets away
People generally like to mop their floors nice and wet, which also makes them stay damp for quite some time. Now, if you have carpets covering the hallway or a large dining area, make sure to pick them up and roll them over to the sides. With monsoons, there’s a good chance of humidity to accumulate on the carpet which in turn can stay damp for a long time. It not only affects the environ of your living space, but also the carpet itself. However, ensure to vacuum and dry air them before you store them away during the monsoons to help prevent the growth of bacteria in them. Another good thing to do just before the monsoons is to get pest control done in your place to take care of all hidden bugs and worms.
Pro tip: Make use of camphor balls inside your carpet before you roll them for storage as this prevents bacterial growth of any kind.
Drainage systems
One of the worst nightmares of monsoons is a blocked drainage system. Excess water passage, food particles tuck in, dry leaves are usually common causes of clogging. With monsoons around the corner, it would be a good idea to get your drainage system cleaned every week. A clogged drainage system not only emits foul smell but is also a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects which is never a good idea for your household. Even, excess pressure build-up can break through cracks letting the water seep inside your house. To make sure there isn’t any loophole in the drainage area, ask for professional help and have them run a check see to get everything in place before the heavy downpour.
Pro Tip: Instead of waiting for the monsoons to set in, set up a routine check every month for a professional to run a check and get your drainage clogs removed.
Fix those nasty wires
Water and electricity do not gel well. So, if you live in an apartment or a building where unattended wires catch your eyes, make amends to fix them right before the monsoon sets in. As such, any faulty wire in the building can be dangerous and needs to be fixed immediately. Make this a priority call if you have children running in the house as this might lead to mishaps in no time. Also, unattended or bad wires have often been the source of short circuits and major power failures, which are pretty common occurrences, especially in monsoons.
Pro Tip: When it rains, stay away from walking past a fuse box that shows unattended wires hanging out of it.
Shift your indoor plants
Indoor plants are a thing of passion for all those who love gardening. To keep their passion alive, they often take to indoor gardening, even in small apartments. However, maintaining indoor plants during monsoons can be quite a troublesome affair. Due to high humidity in the environment, these plants tend to retain more moisture and add to the already humid condition within your apartment. As such, little insects are drawn to your plants quickly and frequent your living space. Hence, a good thing would be to shift all your indoor plants from inside the hallway or living room to your balcony or any area outside. Doing so not only prevents the in-house moisture level but also keep your plants healthy as they get to breathe in an open atmosphere during the rainy season.
Pro Tip: Try using a disinfectant spray in your house covering the areas where your indoor plants stand. To keep up with your decor, you might as well use some artificial plants for the season.
Slippery walkways
Pathways often get slippery owing to overgrowth of moss and algae. Make sure you clean them out thoroughly before the monsoon sets in. Start by scraping and cleaning all growth that has already dried up and then follow-up to new growth if any.
Pro Tip: Add a little vinegar or chlorine to the water to facilitate easy cleaning of the pathways. It will keep the mosses and algae from growing back fast.