How monsoon ready are you?

The one place that makes one feel secure and free is your home. During the monsoon, it is prudent to take special care of your home and protect it against uncontrollable weather risks. Home maintenance during the monsoon can be planned in smart ways.

Arun Advani, Joint Managing Director, Vaswani Group, offers some tips on how to maintain your home during the rainy season.

Repair leaks and cracks
Monsoons are the time when we see seepages and cracks in walls. As it is the most common problem during the season, it is wise to repair the building and ensures that there are no leakages and cracks, beforehand, during summer. Severe water penetration usually occurs during periods of extended or heavy rain. Rain penetration can be caused by the wall not being weathertight enough to withstand local conditions. Often weathertightness can be improved using external render, cladding or weatherproof paints.

Clean the rain gutter
Cleaning the rain gutter helps to avoid costly repairs and roof damage. Water collected by a rain gutter is fed, usually via a downspout from the roof edge to the base of the building , where it is either discharged or collected. There are several companies that provide gutter cleaning and maintenance at a low cost.

Wet basement walls, the proliferation of mold and fungi, signs of rot, and pooling water inside a structure are some of the common problems during the rainy season.  Swimming pools need to be cleared of floating debris, living organisms and other organic matter.

Clean the pool periodically and test the quality of water regularly. One should provide safety measures during the monsoon to avoid slips or falls. Children need to be given more care when playing in or around the swimming pool.

During the monsoon, there is likelihood of water entering the living room or other spaces. Close the windows and doors and if water enters your room or bedroom even after closing doors and windows, cover your balcony and windows with tarpaulin sheets. This can be done before the monsoon begins.

This season can also be particularly bad when it comes to electrical appliances.  Properly cover the joints and ensure quality wires for your household items.

Use of proper earthing and a separate fuse for each power board is essential. Any renovation work to your home should be postponed till the monsoon is over.

Maintaining the interiors
Use of curtains: During the monsoons, as the sunlight is less, lighter lacy curtains will allow maximum sunlight, which in turn will remove the damp feeling indoors. Furniture needs extra care, especially the wooden ones. A coat of polish will help them retain their lustre for long.

Get your furniture polished and apply a coat of touchwood on all your wooden furniture to protect from molds and mildew infestation. Swelling of wooden doors due to moisture in the atmosphere is very common. It may be because of loose hinges or improper installation of the door. Changing the doors and fixing the same is an option. Varnishing, painting or sandpapering the part of the door that gets stuck with the frame can solve this problem as well.

Carpets, especially wall-to-wall carpets can be vacuumed with cleaners. This will take away not only the dirt, but also the moisture that may leak into the fibres. Getting a carpet cleaned well will let go of the musty smell. Rugs should be rolled up during the rainy season, as they just get dirty if you use them.

Ideally, you should wrap them properly in polyethylene sheets and save them from water damage and insect infestation as well. It will be a good idea to put washable foot mats on entrances during the rainy season.

Use of a tumble dryer will ensure that our clothes do not smell because of moisture trapped in the fibres, but hanging clothes inside the house to dry is one of the reasons why the moisture content in so many homes is so high. While it’s wet outside, you must think of every conceivable way to keep the inside of your home dry.

If you have indoor plants at home, you can keep them outdoor so that they get watered naturally. Plants draw a lot of bugs, especially during the rains, it’s better to keep them at a distance.