Are You Ready For The Monsoon?

It’s that time of year again - but to properly enjoy those blustery weeks and rain holidays, you need to spend a little time monsoon-proofing your home. Why? Because it’ll make things so much easier for you, and let you revel in the rain stress-free.

Water-proof your home: Fill any gaps in your windows with rubber lining and treat metal window frames with waterproofing spray (found in most hardware stores, or online). Fill in cracks in your walls with Plaster of Paris or white cement, so that they don’t widen or crumble during the rains.

Make your interiors cosy and bright: Bring out the warm colours - fill your home with reds, yellows, oranges and browns. Try translucent or lace curtains to let the natural light in even on dark, gloomy days.

Plants and garden: Put your indoor plants outside, to be watered naturally. If you live in a house, make sure you sweep up and dispose of leaves so that they don’t get washed into the drainage system and clog it - speaking of which, make sure your roof is well-drained, or water may collect on it and seep through your ceiling. Branches that are likely to fall and damage your home or car may need to be trimmed, as well. Any garden furniture that is likely to be damaged by heavy rain should be moved indoors!

Walls and ceiling: Check your home for seepage or wet spots, and fill them up with Plaster of Paris or white cement just as you would for cracks. If you are planning to paint your home, make sure you wait until after the monsoons have ended, or your paint will not dry properly and start peeling.

Carpets and drapes: Roll away thick, expensive carpets and heavy drapes and wrap them tightly in plastic sheets to seal out the moisture.

Prepare for an emergency: Remember the power outages that come with amazing weather? Yep, those. Make sure all UPS systems and backup generators are powered and charged, and keep some battery-powered portable lights, with a good stash of batteries, handy. Keep a good stock of non-perishable food, drinking water and anything else you might need on a daily basis, as well. You may not be able to get to the store for a few days.

So as you can see, with very little effort you could save yourself a lot of stress! Get set to enjoy the rains as they were meant to be enjoyed.