Everyone loves the rainy season for its offerings of nature’s bounty and its earthy fragrance. However, homeowners usually worry about the onset of the monsoon because this season causes maximum damage to homes. This calls for some safety measures to ensure their dream house is untouched by dampness, pests, or water during this romantic season!
Monsoons, for most of us, symbolise the pit-pat of raindrops on the glass window; steaming hot beverages and fried snacks; and the fragrance of rain; wet, fresh, fertile earth soaked in green colour… all bring us a sense of peace and serenity.
However, for many, the season stands for damp interiors and leakages leading to malaises and afflictions; weakened foundations with fungi; seasonal pests; et al.
Well, Gharpedia brings to you some monsoon tips for home to follow before the onset of monsoon, so that your house is rain-proof, allowing you to soak up the beauty of the season.
Monsoon Tips for Home to Make Your Home Monsoon Ready
Table of Content:
- Pre-Monsoon Safety Checklist for Your Home
- Replace Heavy Carpets with Easy-to-Maintain Versions
- Clean is the BasicTip for Monsoon Ready Home
- Purge the Drains before the Rainy Season Starts
- Wiring Check for Electrical Safety Precautions during The Rainy Season
- Properly Ventilate Your House to Get Rid of Moisture and Dampness
- Protect Wooden Furniture
- Reposition Your Indoor Plants
- Water Leakage from Roof? Tackle with Waterproofing
- Additional Tips for Monsoon Ready Home
Follow these tips for a monsoon-ready home:
01. A Pre-Monsoon Safety Checklist for Your Home
Here is the pre-monsoon safety checklist for you to look for in your home just before the monsoon sets in.
A. Inspect and repair doors and windows with gaps and loose hinges. Also, check for wooden doors and windows, which may swell during the rainy season and have trouble shutting down properly. And if you face the problem of a swollen door, then go through our blog, How to fix Swollen Doors? Know the Causes and Remedies! To know how to fix it.
B. Re-paint metal framed doors and windows to save them from rust and water leakages.
C. Repair cracks or water leakages from the roof, walls, terrace, tiles, or other parts of the house. Seek professional help to tackle leaking cracks or roofs during the monsoons and to get everything in order with water-resistant items. If not repaired in a timely manner, water will seep into the walls and ceiling, causing dampness.
Know how moisture in the monsoon causes cracks in your house:
Cracks Due to the Change in Moisture Content of Building Materials!
D. Ensure that all water pipes and canals are flotsam and jetsam-free.
01. Replace Heavy Carpets with Easy-to-Maintain Versions
Monsoons are not the time to showcase your exquisite designer furnishing and tapestry, for the simple reason that this season’s trademark dampness may wreak havoc with your exclusive carpets and rugs.
Moreover, dirt on your feet, mould and mildew in the damp air can mess with designer carpets and rugs. So, the best solution is to roll them up in a plastic sheet to protect them from the adverse effects of this season.
The next step is to replace them with thinner, cheaper, and easier-to-dry rugs that suit the season better. Options include bamboo mats or dampness-safe acrylic rugs for the floors. Invest in mats made of bamboo or coir, and don’t forget to install door mats at the entrances to your home, as well as areas where you may access your garden or balcony. If you still want to dress up your floor, use rugs made of washable and dryable textiles. This is a must to prepare your house for the monsoon.
Before putting your rugs aside, do remember to clean and dry your rugs and carpets.
03. Cleaning is the Basic Tip for a Monsoon-Ready Home
A simple mantra or tip for a monsoon-ready home is ‘maintaining cleanliness’. Your house becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and germs during monsoons, so make sure you:
- Mop your floors daily with an anti-bacterial solution.
- Get pest control done prior to the monsoons.
04. Prepare Your House for Monsoon by Checking the Drains
Get the drainage system checked for a carefree monsoon season. Clogged drains can be a bigger issue during the monsoons. Choked drains and stagnant water are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other germs, posing a danger to your health. So, remember to book the local plumber to check and disgorge all your drains before the onset of the monsoon. This must find a place in your pre-monsoon safety checklist. Leaves, along with plastic and dirt, choke up the inlet of your house, causing rainwater drainage lines to flood the terrace or sometimes even overflow into your house. To avoid such untoward mishaps, do remember to have all inlets thoroughly cleaned not only before the onset of the monsoon but also during the monsoon.
05. Wiring Check for Electrical Safety Precautions during Rainy Season
Many electricity-related incidents occur during the monsoon season. As a result, homeowners should ensure that electricity connections do not come into contact with water. Mitigate electrical malfunctions like short circuits by having all the electrical wiring checked, installing a voltage regulator, and plugging electrical sockets. In cases of water leakage from the roof, the water easily travels along the concealed electrical conduits, so if there is a history of leakage near any switchboard, repair the same, thereby reducing the chances of any such leakages. Prioritise electrical safety precautions during the rainy season in your pre-monsoon safety checklist.
Make your home monsoon-ready by repairing all the faulty electrical sockets and equipment on schedule. Circuit breakers, fuses, socket outlets, plugs, and switches fail when exposed to water or moisture. Try not to fix things yourself and hire a professional to check the wiring.
06. Properly Ventilate Your House to Get Rid of Moisture and Dampness
One of the most overlooked tips for a monsoon-ready home is to keep your home well-ventilated. Fresh air is an absolute must if one wishes to avoid infections. The passage of fresh air will help to eliminate moisture, preventing you and your family from developing viral fever and other disorders such as allergic responses, asthma, and so on. So, do remember to keep your house completely ventilated during monsoons. Below are some of the best monsoon tips for home:
- Allow fresh air to enter your home. This helps reduce the moisture.
- Make the most of the sun when it shines by leaving your doors and windows open.
- Switch on the fan in case you dry wet or moist clothes inside the house.
07. Protect Wooden Furniture For Monsoon Ready Home
Protect your trendy and vintage wooden furniture, floor, and furnishings from wet artefacts or fabric. All wooden items in the house respond negatively to humidity and moisture, which are typical of the rainy season. These conditions will not only cause your valuable furniture to lose shape and form but will also leave it prone to termites and vermin.
Never polish your wooden furniture during the rainy season because the dampness will prevent the varnish from drying, causing damage. Instead, do it before the monsoon season begins. During the rainy season, keep the furniture dry by wiping it down every day so that it does not absorb moisture. Clean wooden furniture using a dry cloth to remove any moisture. This is one of the most neglected monsoon tips for home.
We have a detailed guide on how to take care of furniture in monsoon:
How To Take Care Of Furniture During Rains?
08. Reposition Your Plants To Make Your Home Monsoon Ready
Green-fingered souls need to move their indoor plants out to cut down on moisture content and insect breeding inside the house. This is one important tip for a monsoon-ready home.
While some of your garden’s plants may be able to withstand the monsoon wind and rain, others may perish. Check your plants and, if necessary, transfer them to areas where they will thrive.
09. Water Leakage from Roof? Tackle with Waterproofing
Waterproofing your house is crucial; therefore, the smart pre-monsoon safety checklist should mention waterproofing for your house walls, both from the inside and outside. Check vulnerable points like the window overhangs, window sills, etc. If the life of the waterproofing is overdue (say you did it 10-15 years ago), then it would be advisable to opt for the second round of waterproofing. Another excellent approach to avoiding seepage of water is to apply water-resistant paint to the outer walls.
Here are some tips to stop water leakage from the roof:
How To Stop Water Leakage From Roof? 8 Proven Ways
Additional Tips for Monsoon Ready Home
Some more practical tips for a monsoon-ready home, to keep your home warm, clean, and safe during monsoons are:
(I) Ensure that entrants to your house wipe their footwear on the coir mat at the entrance, thereby keeping your indoors clean.
(II) The major collateral damage from monsoons is caused by drying laundry on chairs and window sills! Avoid this by fixing extra clotheslines in regular places like passages, foyers, lesser-used rooms, etc.
(III) Offer a plastic chair or stool to guests who come home drenched in rain.
(IV) Decide on a spot near the entrance to fix hooks for family members and guests to keep their wet raincoats and umbrellas. Keep the room/area where you store your raincoat, shoes, umbrellas, etc clean at all times to prevent moisture and dirt collection.
(V) Vanquish the musty smell of the monsoon with incense sticks, scented candles, and room fresheners.
(VI) Replace those heavy, dark window drapes with pastel organza ones to let some light in. Not only will it add a dash of brightness to your dull space, but it will also absorb moisture inside the space.
(VII) Cover all your documents, such as books, loose papers, or magazines, with plastic and store them in a place where they are least expected to get wet.
(VIII) Store door locks and other iron essentials in areas where they are not exposed to water.
(IX) Keep your clothes safe during monsoons by placing camphor balls and neem leaves between the folds of your clothes to protect them from silverfish and other intruders. Sprinkle a couple of cloves between the clothes to keep bugs under control. Store expensive clothes in a metal storeroom.
(X) Increase the number of light appliances to replace the vacuum caused by missing sunlight. Opt for white rather than coloured lights.
(XI) Dry wipe your furniture every day to keep it dampness-free.
(XII) Clean and service your AC regularly to avert electrical mishaps and steep billing.
(XIII) Prune trees in your vicinity to reduce the risk of them crashing during the storm and damaging your house. Many tree branches fall off and cut the power lines too. Hence, branch cutting is also an important electrical safety precaution during the rainy season.
(XIV) Clear out the debris and make your yard squeaky clean.
(XV) Add extra colourful cushions in bright hues like red, green, yellow, and pastels to give a bright and cosy tinge to your interiors.
(XVI) Put up wind chimes near the window and enjoy their light tingling and chiming.
(XVII) Replace your sombre crockery with vibrantly coloured chinaware to add a dash of colour to your dreary dining table.
(XVIII) Store enough water in the overhead tank, as you may face water scarcity in the event of a long power cut or power failure.
(XIX) Ensure that the sump pump in your basement is working properly.
(XX) Be prepared for power cuts. In the absence of a backup inverter or generator, always keep candles, a lantern, and a torch handy, and ensure that the lantern and torch are in working condition too!
(XXI) If you live in a low-lying or flood-prone area, park your vehicle in a safe. You cannot run from pillar to post, looking for a safe place when it’s raining cats and dogs!
(XXII) Those blessed with a basement need to double-check it for leakage. In the event of the slightest possibility of leakage, remove all those items that are likely to get damaged.
Conclusion
So, go ahead and bid adieu to the scorching summer and welcome the green and fresh tint that appears when the monsoons ring in. Just follow the above-given monsoon tips for home and ensure that your home stays safe, sterile, and serene during the season of the rains. In case we’ve missed out on something that you think must make it to the pre-monsoon safety checklist, do write in to us.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
01. How can we reduce humidity in house in monsoon?
During the rainy season, utilize dehumidifiers to reduce humidity in house. Ensuring proper ventilation helps to reduce humidity. To remove steam and moisture from bathrooms and kitchens, use exhaust fans. Allow sunlight to naturally decrease humidity. Use ceiling or portable fans to keep the air moving. To avoid moisture buildup, dry items outside rather than on an interior drying rack. These techniques help to lower indoor humidity levels, making your house more pleasant.
02. How to keep a room dry in rainy season?
To keep a room dry during the rainy season, control humidity and moisture levels effectively. Allow sunlight in the house whenever possible. Use a dehumidifier in the room and make sure there is adequate ventilation to reduce the humidity. Fix leaks right away, waterproof walls and ceilings to prevent any moisture penetration. These procedures help to keep the room dry and pleasant during the rainy season.
03. How to avoid fungus during monsoon?
To prevent fungal growth during the monsoon season, keep things clean, guarantee good ventilation, use dehumidifiers, dry wet areas, use fungus-resistant products, control indoor plants, check for leaks, store items properly, sun-dry objects, and inspect for mold or fungus on a regular basis. Regularly clean and dust surfaces, use disinfectants, and keep items in well-ventilated closets. To reduce humidity, use dehumidifiers and dry mats in the bathroom and kitchen. Inspect concealed or difficult-to-access areas on a regular basis for symptoms of mold or fungus.
The monsoon brings new lushness and vibes; make sure to decorate your home accordingly. For that, simply follow our guide:
Drench Your Home in Style With These Monsoon Home Décor Ideas
Here’s a video to sum up all the points mentioned above:
Image Courtesy : Image 19
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.