Monsoon care for your home-Tips to protect the walls of your home
Monsoons are a beautiful time of the year- the heavy rains, the cool breeze, the fresh smell of wet soil, the soothing sound of falling raindrops- they are enough to make anyone fall in love with the season.
It is a season to enjoy by sitting in your porch with a hot coffee and watching the rain pour down amongst the trees. But unfortunately, monsoons are a kill joy to our homes, and we often end up with stale, mold-infected, dripping and cracked walls with the paint peeling off.
Tips to protect the walls of your home during monsoon
The use of poor quality paint on the exterior walls leads to its surface deterioration, allowing the moisture and water to seep into the concrete. This moisture keeps accumulating and results in the damp patches and peeling paint.
Fear not, for there are ways to combat this tragedy and save your house.
Use good quality paints
In most cases, it is the use of substandard paints that leads to the damage in walls. Since concrete is porous in nature, it will absorb the water from the outside allowing it to spread into the inner walls.Even when you repaint over the damp patches, the problem is not resolved as the moisture is retained inside the wall. To avoid this issue, it is ideal to apply the paint well before the monsoons kick in.
Employ the use of good quality paints that have a high water repellency and are modified with silicon for extra strength so that the exterior walls do not peel out and allow water seepage.
Applying a coat of waterproof cement paint ensures that the wall suffers minimal absorption of water. On the outer walls of the house, along with the waterproof paint, applying a coat of damp proofer will help reduce the damage considerably. As for the interior walls, waterproofing them too is an option, but also take care to provide cross-ventilation in the rooms so that humidity levels are controlled and damp patches aren’t created.
Prevent Seepage
Sometimes it is too late to prevent the damage and you end up with damp walls. In such cases, find the cracks and crevices from which the water seeps through.
Fill the cracks with modified waterproof mortar and seal them. If structural cracks are present, open them in a ‘V‘ shape and fill the crack with putty and then paint over it. Before painting, all the loose plaster should be removed and re-applied with a new one. Adequate curing time after the re-plastering should be given so that the cracks get properly bridged and become smooth.
Ensure Proper Drainage
The absence of a proper drainage system can also lead to dampness in walls. Leaky pipes and water tanks can result in moisture accumulation in interior walls forming dark patches. If faced with such occurrences, check for the leaks and its source.
Use the same polymer that is used to fill the cracks and seal the joints in pipes that carry water. For rainwater drainage, ensure the pipes are sturdy and joints are well sealed. If you find any damaged wall tiles, replace them to prevent seepage. Employing professional help is better than doing it yourself.
Monsoons are a season to enjoy. Take proper measures to thwart the effects on your home and you can bask in the glory of downpours without any worries.
