Pitter,Patter ,Splash and splush the rain cometh to our homes, while our hearts enjoy these sounds, our homes need more attention and care than the joy the monsoon brings. Lets look at what challenges it brings and how we can prevent them.
While monsoon brings the smell of wet mud and the serene greenery view everywhere. It reminds us that something good can happen just after some tough times like the scorching heat of summer, heatwave, water shortages etc However, it brings its own share of troubles especially indoors. Probable chances of mold, pests, bad odour due to wet furniture etc,could hamper the mood, health and interiors. Hence whereby suggest these tips to monsoon proof your homes
i) Furniture
Furniture especially wooden ones tends to swell up while retaining moisture in it , hence it would be recommended to give it a coat of sealant.Outdoor furniture need to be chosen accordingly as they have to weather through all conditions. Indoor ones need to be kept dry as it could cause mold and wet smell affecting the vibe of the house. More care and maintenance would be needed in houses with leather, linen and velvet furniture as they are difficult to dry once wet and can increase risk of mold and foul smell.The best thing to do is to use covers for these.Another solution is regular cleaning and vacuuming these furniture pieces.
Image of an wooden furniture with Mold
Image of moldy leather chair
Vacuuming delicate furniture keeps odor & mold at bay
ii) Walls : Chances of wet walls are seen in most houses where the walls were not treated with proper waterproofing.Hence suitable waterproof paints could be used while painting.Also as a preventive measure , one can seal the visible cracks on the wall. Maintaining a well – ventilated house can reduce the occurrences of dampness and further mold. To avoid the gloomy indoor atmosphere ,bright color paints can be used for the wall.
Water seepage: one of the common effects of Monsoon
iii) Windows and Balconies – Windows, Balconies and terraces are the most open spaces attracting lots of water and hence shades or mosquito nets could prevent huge amount of water slashing into the house. This solution could also help get rid of mosquitoes which cause illness such as Malaria, dengue etc. The frames of windows and balcony doors can be waterproofed to prevent any seepage of water. Use of anti-skid tiles for these open spaces are important owing to falls especially incase of toddlers and elderly people at home. Installation of PVC blinds especially any waterproof blinds helps reduce the rainwater entering the balcony. Transparent blinds help retain the lush green sight of the surrounding, even amidst heavy rains.
PVC blinds used in Balconies
v) Odour : Damp corners, furnitures, walls and mats could lead to bad odour in the season.Replacing these wet or damp items could keep the house smelling odour free.However use of room fresheners, essential oil aroma diffusers could help keep the room warmer and filled with pleasant fragrance.
vi) Indoor plants – Increasing number of houses are adopting indoor plants for oxygen and clean air. It is an interesting fact that there are certain indoor plants which keep odour at check and make the house look elegant. Plants such as Aloe vera, spider plant, snake plant, Areca Palm etc can help in this regard. Some of the plants also help keeping mosquitoes at bay i.e Marigold plant, Tulsi Plant etc. Keeping the adequate number of plants at required spaces or corners would add a lush look to the house as well as help maintain the air quality.
Some Indoor plants which purify air are shown