Waterproof Your Facility this Rainy Season

Heading into the end of the year, the rainy season is upon us. Preparation now can prevent or at least lessen problems ahead of possible stormy days. Monsoon safety awareness can reduce the number of injuries and property damage caused by weather-related dangers that occur during the monsoon. Property damage from rain can add both repairing cost and safety issues. The conventional wisdom that should be applied to water damage is that it’s best to fix things before they actually happen (Stepan Altounian, 2016).

It’s important to follow all of the best practices that will help keep your building waterproof. Here are some simple tips on water damage prevention and maintenance list.

Check Your Roof

As the first line of defence against heavy rains, you should inspect your roof at least twice a year. Do this and you will avoid costly problems that could escalate into a much greater expense. Here’s the checklist as your guidance:

• Inspect the roof from the ground to look for signs of damage, sagging, and ageing.
• Check for skew, loose or missing tiles and any cracks in the chimney. Missing roof tiles means your roof is directly exposed to adverse weather conditions.
• Look for cracks along the ridge of your roof and along parapet walls.
• Inspect the valleys of your roof (the area of your roof with a downward slope). Make sure that any flashing does not have any holes or rusty spots.
• Make sure that you do not have any missing, loose or curled shingles. Replace damaged mortar joints on ridge capping tiles that you find immediately to avoid moisture leaks inside your building that can weaken your walls and/or ceilings.
• Take notes of any possible problem areas or areas in need of closer inspection.

Clean Your Gutters and Downspouts

Gutters are an essential part of your roofing system. The purpose of the gutter is to collect and funnel away any water that lands on the roof, taking water away from the building’s foundations, protecting your exterior surfaces and stopping water from entering the premises. If the water penetrates, woodwork can perish, mould will begin to grow, condensation forms and brickwork will erode. Damp patches quickly spread and health problems could become an issue. Here’s the checklist for your inspection:

• Ensure the guttering outside your home isn’t broken or leaking.
• Clear out any leaves or other debris. This will reduce the risk of blockages during heavy rain, which could cause your guttering to overflow and create problems for your home.
• You can use a trowel to scoop out debris which is clogging your gutters or purchase a cleaning tool specifically designed for your gutters that attached to your hosepipe.
• Additionally, check that there are not a lot of little granules collecting in gutters and down-pipes. Finding granules is a good indicator that your roof’s coating needs to be resealed and painted.
• Make sure that you don’t have any downpipe clogs.

To reduce the risk of blockages there are preventative measures you can follow. Tight-fitting wire mesh or plastic caps are available to fit most types of down-pipe. They allow water through but trap leaves and dirt. Take a look at your gutters to make sure that they drain well and don’t cause water to back up. Also, make sure that there are not a lot of little granules collecting in there. Granules in your gutters are a sign that your roof’s coating needs to be resealed. Clogged ones can cause rainwater to back up and damage your roof and house.

They can’t effectively perform their job if they’re clogged with ice or debris that piled up throughout the seasons. Clean gutters by spraying a hose through them from the bottom up. You can also use a trowel to scoop out anything that’s clogging your gutters or purchase a cleaning tool specifically designed for your gutters and attach it to your hose.

Check Your Drains

When it rains, the rainwater runs past our streets, picking up leaves and debris, and goes down our countless storm drains, clogging the drains as it flows. Storm drains that are not maintained fill with debris and allow flooding, which can be severe. Although the City has emergency crews to deal with blocked drains and pays special attention to catch basins that flood regularly, they can neither keep ahead of random blockages nor predict where they will occur. Once the drain is blocked and floods, surrounding property owners have an expensive and messy problem.

The best time to inspect the storm drains in front of your house or business is prior to a rain event and right after a rain. Check the street drains near your premises. If they are clogged, call necessary agencies.

Seal Your Windows

Check all windows and doors. Make sure that both close and seal properly, and make any repairs or improvements as necessary. Inside your home, check out your ceilings to make sure that you are not experiencing signs of roof or other leakages. Be on the lookout for water rings, mould or dark spots and trails. Wall or ceiling discolouration could also be an indication that there is a problem. Black mould spots on your curtains or fabric could also indicate damp or high moisture content in the wall.

Install weather stripping where necessary. Tackle your doors and your windows. Make sure that both close and seal properly, and make any repairs or improvements as necessary. Make sure that they open and shut properly and that they’re completely sealed. Even a tiny gap that can’t be seen might let in some water if you’re not careful. If your windows are on the newer side, you might not have to worry about sealing them, but older ones should be inspected. Not only will this help keep out water, but it will also improve your energy efficiency.

When your windows properly protect your home from the outside elements, you can easily and efficiently heat and cool your home. The same care should be performed on doors to ensure that water is kept outdoors and your home is left nice and dry.

Look Out for Your Walls

Any water damage could be an indication of roof leaks. Some people ignore the cracks on their walls until they leak, and that’s when they start to panic. Well, better late than never, but you should check your exterior plaster and wall regularly because once rainwater gets inside those cracks, the dampness will cause several headaches. So watch your walls, and make sure to get it fixed over time.

Trim Your Trees

Eliminate branches that can be weighed down with water or strike houses. It would be prudent to consider cutting back any trees and foliage that hang over the house and gutters as their branches and leaves will most likely cause blockages and guttering problems. Additionally, it will reduce the risk that they will fall during a storm and damage your home. It is important to keep your home free of pests and diseases they carry. With waterlogged streets becoming an opportunity for deadly diseases to make the rounds, infectious diseases spread by these pests have received an open invitation.

Let’s face it, it is next to impossible to keep pests completely out of your home. Let us help you. Book our pest control services now. Most of the time, pests are seen inside during rainy season then it is best to be proactive. Termites might destroy your furniture, doors, and other wooden stuff on your house. When you conduct its termination, you will be at safe from worries.

Outsourcing Cleaning and Pest Control Services

There’s little to no chance of water damage affecting the building after the preventive measures are taken. We understand that cleaning your gutter is one of the most crucial works to do. So, it’s time to call our ATALIAN’s cleaning services team to help you with the job. We can also help you to clean your windows during the rainy season. Letting your windows go too long without proper cleaning can lead to stains and films that are difficult to remove and end up costing more to clean. If your window frames aren’t clean, the rain will find the dirt and together they will run off onto your windows making a mess.