The rain Gods has started their shower of kindness setting the mood for the most beautiful season-the monsoons. Rains bring out the best out of all, the cool breeze, the fresh smell of wet soil, the soothing sound of falling raindrops- they are enough to cheer you up after the scorching heat. As the outside temperature soothes, all you would want to do is sit by the window with a steaming cuppa and some munchies.
While you would want to relax and enjoy the weather, unfortunately, monsoons can also be a homeowner’s worst nightmare. During rainy days, the dampness and moisture together could prove to be disastrous for interiors. The most common concerns are damp patches on the wall, leakages, moulds, wall cracks and fungi.
These casualties can be the cause of major concern and require immediate attention. There are plenty of solutions that can come to one’s rescue to protect one’s house before a deluge of rain that might lead to irreparable damage.
To begin with, one should thoroughly check your walls, windows and ceilings for any leakages or cracks. A burgeoning crack in the wall could be the result of compromising on the quality of the paint that does not offer any protection against water, consequently leading to leakages.A simple way to escape this, is to guard your house from the ill-effects of rain by choosing paints with water-proof technologies. It is advisable to go for a paint with fungal guard technology for exterior walls infected with patched as it gives the walls the much-needed resistance from fungal and algal attacks. It is also important to invest in a good quality sealant to apply on the walls to manage the damage.
Primer paints are also a good investment during this time as they prevent alkali and efflorescence attacks. Primers also prohibit the formation of salt (white) patches on walls. Monsoon also brings with it a lot of dust, which can be inhibited by using clear paints for exterior. Clear paints with silicone technologies serve the dual purpose of preventing the accumulation of dust along with curbing water absorption by making the surface non-porous.
Roof tiles get the most affected during the season and should be treated with a solution to close gaps and prevent leaks. Tiles can also be protected with a coat of active water repellent technology. Such agents form a thin but continuous layer that does not allow water to permeate the paint film. Water repellence with anti-fungal and anti-algal formula must be used to resist black spots on tiles. A good idea would be to use a repellence with latex-enriched formula to give a long-lasting glow to tiles and resist shade-fading.
These small steps can go a long way and help you sail through monsoons with ease. So, now just enjoy the exhilarating joy the rain brings with it.
by David Teng, General Manager, Decorative Paints, South Asia Cluster, AkzoNobel India
@EPC World Media
