Work towards a rain-friendly home
The clouds start hovering heralding a season that will have skies pouring down. It is monsoon time and goodbye to the summer that leaves one sighing in relief. Remember its not you alone, even your dwelling too would have had its share of woes. Thus, if you are cheerful at the sight of clouds, then the structure too is rapturous at rains washing away its summer travails.
But then, like you prepare for monsoon and pull out raincoats and umbrellas, a certain seasonal care is needed for the dwelling. Start from the top.
Take a closer look at the roof and see if there is any seepage that could end up posing threat to the structure itself in the longer run. When it rains, dampness seeping in and turning into wet patches not only gives an ugly look but also irritates with drops trickling down. But the worst damage is that it could over a period of time end up affecting the structure itself.
Sloping roofs
Filling cracks with appropriate advice from a trained professionals and water-proofing with right material can help solve the problem to a large extent. While on the roof itself, having an inspection of the slope will be of great help.
Many a roof has this problem, mainly a result of carelessness, of not having a proper sloping towards the rain water pipes. If maintained properly, when it rains, instead of accumulating at odd places and forming small pools, the water flows down comfortably. Understand that those small ponds on the roof do no good to the structure.
In case of tiles in use for the roof, then their realignment and replacing the fractured ones will ensure that the rain does not keep dripping down forcing you to run with utensils to prevent it from spilling all over. Handling cracks, whether they are hairline or tremor hit type, with appropriate sealant will be of immense help. Do get a couple of workers to assist you to get the roof cleaned, unclog sewer lines and remove all of unused material and furniture pieces that have gathered around. Less cluttered is easier to manage is the thumb rule.
Also, step out into the garden and have it thoroughly cleared of all foliage. If there are trees with branches spreading out around the place then it is the right time to go for a trimming lest they end up snapping the cables during winds. Take adequate care to avoid water forming pools and stagnating to turn into breeding ground for mosquitoes. Timber also plays along with the season and have its whims attended to with the help of a carpenter. And for those starting construction work, this could be the real tough time in planning the schedule since sudden downpours usually end up disrupting the pace. Then, there is the problem of storing the construction material such as cement and sand comfortably.
T. LALITH SINGH
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