Proper roads are absolutely necessary in every apartment complex. The roads in an apartment complex are mainly used for traveling purposes, and they also add an element of beauty to the apartment complex.

The Need for Maintenance

Maintaining the roads is quite important, for daily activities within the complex to pass unhindered. Well maintained roads in an apartment complex also increase the value of the place.

When roads in an apartment complex are not maintained in a regular manner, the apartment association will have to spend much money on filling the potholes or setting up new roads.

This money, which can be saved through periodic maintenance, can be channelized to various other projects that require attention in an apartment.

In order to ensure that the roads are properly maintained, take up the issue with the apartment association during resident body meetings. While residents can take small steps in order to contribute their bit, the apartment association can get the maintenance team to do the difficult tasks.

• Residents should be constantly updated about the need to maintain roads by the apartment association
• Littering on roads should be strictly prohibited and waste bins should be provided for this purpose
• Stagnant bodies of water should be immediately cleared, especially after instances of rain
• The roads should be swept regularly by the maintenance crew

Maintenance Measures in Apartment Complex Roads

The roads in an apartment complex undergo a lot of destructive changes, and fatigue cracking, rutting, roughness, weathering, and raveling are common problems that can be noted.

The apartment association will have to take on different approaches based on the problem involved. Crack sealing is a process that’s followed in order to maintain roads and surface treatment can be done in order to prolong the life of the particular road.

This treatment measures should be taken up by professionals, who can be hired by the apartment association. Through surface treatment measures, these problems can be solved.

• Fatigue Cracks – These are cracks that are seen on the roads due to fatigue.  These cracks occur due to the added effects of wheel loads. Fatigue cracks are a sure sign of the road’s structural deterioration, and the treatment depends on the severity of the cracks. Water and dirt should be prevented from entering these cracks as they might grow worse this way.
• Environmental Cracking – This is transverse or longitudinal cracking that develops in asphalt as it ages and endures thermal stresses related to everyday temperature changes. These cracks are very small when compared to fatigue cracks, and moisture should be prevented from entering these cracks for them to not develop.
• Surface Wear – The wear on the surface is mainly due to tire wear and material degradation (raveling). Its maintenance includes removing the surface and/or covering up the surface which is worn. Again, surface treatment depends on the severity of the surface wear.
• Rutting – This signifies permanent degradation in the layers of the road. This can happen if the structure design is improper or if the roads are overloaded. It can also happen if the surface layer is of poor quality.
• Potholes – Pits or holes produced by wear or weathering on the road surfaces can be fixed through surface treatments.

A lot of factors affect the type of maintenance undertaken within the housing complex. These include the type of distress, vehicle loading, the general climate in the region, the cost of treatment; the roads expected life, the existing road type, and availability of good materials.

Residents can help maintain the quality of roads within the apartment complex by giving regular feedback on their defects to the management as well as bearing with the inconvenience caused during the repair of the roads.

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Security measures needs to be tightened in every housing society for internal safety during the Navratri festival. During the nine days of festivities most people come out of their houses to participate in the garba and dandiya dance that’s held within the complex.

This dance event commences in the night and continues till the wee hours of the morning, so it is all the more necessary to provide proper security during this festival.

Security Measures to be Taken Before Navratri

Some common security measures need to be enforced during Navratri as general resident movement with the housing society will be at an all-time high during this nine day festival. A few security measures that can be taken up are:

• Prior to the commencement of the Navratri festival, a complete identity check of all guards should be conducted and a photograph of those working within the housing society should be recorded and kept handy.
• Another important measure is that all outsiders who enter the housing society need to mention their names, surnames, the purpose of their visit and whom they’re there to meet.
• The guards need to contact the person staying in a particular apartment (through the intercom telephone system) and inform him about the guest. Only after the guard receives a nod from the resident should the guard let the guest enter the complex.
• Car parking must be strictly monitored and every person having a space in the parking lot needs to display the parking sticker before being allowed into the society.
• Many residents may order food from outside. In such cases, it is always advisable to first inform the resident and then send the person to the apartment.
• Burglar alarm systems can be installed in individual apartments within the housing society. Prior to Navratri, a proper check must be conducted to ensure that all alarm systems operate properly.
• Food and vegetable vendors and other people looking to sell wares should be evaluated and not everyone allowed into the housing complex.
• In many houses, laborers or workers may be hired for repair work. Such people should not be allowed to enter the housing society before, during and immediately after the Navratri festival.
• A complete identity check of all tenants must be conducted, especially before the Navratri festival.
• During the apartment association meeting, residents should be advised to maintain a keen eye and in case there’s any space for suspicion, the same should be immediately reported to the apartment association.
• Identity cards can be issued to maids, cooks, laundry boys and other daily workers who enter the society. This is a long term solution that can help the apartment association maintain proper security within the housing society throughout the year.

Prevention is always better than cure, so it is always advisable that guards as well as residents take an extra effort to enforce as well as abide by the strict security rules imposed during the Navratri festival.

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Navaratri Celebrations in a Housing Society – Tips You Can Try

When it comes to religious events in a housing society, Navaratri is a popular Hindu festival that you can celebrate within the complex. The festival revolves around Goddess Durga and is an occasion for families in a housing society to come together through community celebrations on a grand scale where everyone can gather and celebrate together.

The Magic of Navaratri

Navaratri translates literally to nine nights in Sanskrit and during this period, idols of the Goddess are placed in homes and temples and they are immersed in water on the tenth day.

In south Indian cities, families place golu (an array of idols and figurines) in their house and people visit their neighbours and family members to view each other’s golu collection.

Navaratri Tips for a Housing Society

You can create a central Navaratri event in order to bring the residents together. This should be done through the apartment association.

Once you get the plans verified by the housing society association, you can assign responsibilities to different residents and collect money from all residents in order to organize the event. You can handle the accounts yourself or delegate the responsibility to another resident.

• Organize a Main Event

With the help of the other residents, you can organize housing society celebrations where everyone can gather together instead of holding individual events. This can help in preventing the wastage of food, water, electricity and other resources.

You can talk to the managing committee and arrange for an idol that can be housed in one of the common areas for the general celebrations and prayers.

• Promote Homemade Sweets

You can inform all families to make their own sweets and bring them for the main event, as buying sweets from outside can be quite expensive for such a huge event. This will also bring some variety into the proceedings and families will be able to share these sweets and get to know each other.

If possible, give away the remaining food after the celebrations to the less fortunate who may not be able to afford such luxuries.

• Keep Your Sound Levels Down

While celebrating Navaratri in a housing society, care should be taken to ensure that the noise level does not get out of control as it can be a source of extreme discomfort for neighbours and other nearby buildings.

Since Navaratri lays great importance on the recitation of religious hymns and prayers and also involves a number of pujas, chances are that sometimes festivities can get a little out of hand. It is imperative that no one is disturbed in the excitement of the festival and its celebration.

• Spare a Thought for the Environment

Immersing idols of the Goddess in the water is common practice and care should be taken to ensure that the idols are immersed in predefined locations within the housing society. Setting up an artificial body of water can be a good idea. All idols should be made of naturally degradable substances that do not cause any environmental harm, and you can spread such awareness.

Try and use a single idol for the entire housing society as this would be extremely beneficial and go a long way in helping the environment and setting an example. With the right steps, celebrating Navaratri in a housing society can be a unique experience.

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The monsoon months in an apartment complex are generally uneventful, as frequent rains can hamper all your plans and limit your social interactions. This doesn’t mean that you have to stay cooped up inside your house throughout the season – you can organize some indoor events so that all residents can get together and have fun, irrespective of the gloomy weather!

You’ll need to plan out these events well so that there are no hiccups in the last minute, and you can do this by delegating tasks to other residents after bringing up the idea during an association meeting.

There are different themes that you can opt for, and all that you need to do is get creative.

Club Events

You can use the apartment complex club to hold a special party where all residents can get together over food and drinks. Once you receive the nod from the managing committee, come up with a theme for the party (something sunny, to take everyone’s mind off the rain) and start collecting a standard charge from every family.

Pick out interested residents and make them your co-organizers. Assign responsibilities for each of them, including the tasks of collecting money from all residents, getting vegetarian and non vegetarian food items for the residents and organizing skits or fun activities for the event. If there are musicians or singers among the residents, encourage them to showcase their skills.

Frame up a party plan, and specify a particular timeline so that things go according to schedule. Ensure that there is a strict tab over the number of drinks served so that people don’t go overboard and get drunk during the party.

Cooking Parties

This is yet another option that you can explore. You can hold this event in any closed common space within the apartment complex. As always, get the nod from the managing committee first.

Once you inform the other residents about the plan, send out flyers or mails to every family, asking them to cook up some rare and delicious dishes. The families can all then assemble in the specified location for the event and a wide buffet can be held, with surprise gifts for the best chef.

The buffet can be arranged according to vegetarian and non vegetarian categories, and if you’re looking to make it an even contest, you can also suggest a predefined theme for the food items. Organizing such parties will involve lesser expenses overall, and will negate the need for collecting and managing money from every family, which can be quite taxing.

Indoor Game Events

Your kids are sure to be bored during the monsoon – so why not organize an indoor event to cheer them up?

There are many options when it comes to indoor games – you can arrange contests involving board games for kids (like chess), and other sports like table tennis and badminton for teenagers and young adults. Through these events, all residents can indulge in some physical activity, keeping them mentally and physically fit and alert during the lazy monsoon months.

Ensure that you plan these events well in advance so that the tasks can be steadily carried out and also make sure that the events are civil and low-key, so that you don’t disturb the other residents who may not be inclined to participate due to personal reasons.

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Festivals in a housing society are celebrated with undiluted enthusiasm, as India is a country that’s known for its festivals and varied culture, and people from different communities live inside a residential complex in every housing society.
Although Ganesh Chaturthi festivities might seem enticing and fun, celebrations that are conducted during this major festival harm the environment in one way or the other. Every housing society should follow eco friendly and green practices in order to ensure that people don’t destroy nature in an attempt to celebrate their culture.

People living in a housing society can follow a few pointers through which they can celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in a pleasant yet eco-friendly manner.

Why Choose Clay Idols Over Plastic Idols?

Idol immersion is a common scene during Ganesh Chaturthi, where the idol of Lord Ganesh is finally immersed into the sea or any other water body following the end of the festival. This adversely affects the marine life at sea. This effect is due to the fact that the Ganesh idols that people purchase are often made of Plaster of Paris.

This toxic substance, when dumped into the ocean is consumed by aquatic creatures, leading to their death. In order to completely avoid this problem, ensure that you buy an idol which is made of clay or mud as it does not harm the marine ecosystem.

You can do your bit and spread some awareness among the residents of your flat about the environmental advantages of using clay idols over plastic ones. Although it would not be realistic on your part to expect everyone to change their preferences immediately, all you need to do is start off the initial spark. You can talk to the apartment association regarding this.

Innovative Eco-Friendly Idols You Can Try

Apart from the regular clay and mud models, environmental groups are coming up with various solutions to reduce the adverse effects that massive idol disposal causes. A community called Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Upasana Trust came up with the concept of biodegradable Ganeshs.

These idols are made from paper from the trust’s Ramnaam notebooks. The paper is packed in casts in order to mold the material and give it a definite shape. The idol is allowed to dry for a period of two days and then painted with non-toxic colors.

These idols are easy to make and cause no harmful effects towards the environment. You can urge your housing society neighbors to buy these eco-friendly alternatives. A housing society can also buy a single large idol of the lord for the entire locality in order to reduce the disposal of numerous idols in the sea.

The Need for Artificial Lakes and Collective Dumping

In a housing society, the management can collectively make a decision to dig up a ditch and fill it with water so that idol immersion can be done in such a place, reducing the overall contamination. If an artificial ditch like this is created in every housing society, the levels of pollution will fall drastically and even traffic congestion on the roads can be avoided.

There are many small steps like these that members in a housing society can take in order to make their community a better place to live in.

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Growing plants in and around your house can be very beneficial; however, there are certain plants that you should avoid growing indoors in your apartment. Plants and shrubs provide a variety of benefits as they add on to household décor and purify the air – but not all of them are suited for indoor gardening.

You should take proper care while selecting the plants for your indoor garden of your apartment and should also garner enough knowledge about the characteristics of the chosen plants.

The Basic Factors

You should choose a plant that falls within your budget and doesn’t require more time and care than you can afford. With kids, patients and elderly people around, you should also be well aware of the harmful effects that certain indoor plants can have in order avoid any unwanted complications like:

• Asthma
• Allergy
• Rashes or scratches
• Poisoning

Plants You Should Avoid

Generally avoid growing plants of the below given categories.

• Plants that are infested and act as hubs for pests
• Plants that possess unhealthy foliage, that is, foliage with undersides that show signs of infections or diseases
• Plants which have spots or blotches, wilted foliage, brown leaf margins or yellow leaves
• Plants whose leaves are either torn or treated with certain agents that provide an artificial polish
• Plants whose light energy requirements are more than what you can provide in an indoor environment
• Weak plants which do not have any leaf buds or new flower with some young plant growth
• Plants which do not have the capability to acclimatize, adapt and survive in the indoor conditions or your home setting

Plants That Spread Pollen

People suffering from asthma must avoid growing plants or trees which produce lot of pollen. Given below are a few plants and trees that you should avoid growing in your indoor garden or community garden if you are asthmatic or stay with a person who’s allergic to pollen.

• Ash
• Amaranthus
• Birch
• Beech
• Crocus
• Cypress
• Coneflower
• Elderberry
• Juniper
• Oak
• Poppy
• Privet
• Peony

Plants That Are Potentially Poisonous

Plants that you should avoid growing in your indoor garden, in order to prevent poisoning, have been given below:

• Azalea (Rhododendron)
• Monkshood (Aconitum)
• Bleeding heart (Dicentra)
• Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Yew (Taxus cuspidate)
• Cherry (Prunus)
• Castor bean (Ricinus communis)
• Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
• Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis)
• Wisteria
• Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
• Oleander (Nerium oleander)
• Larkspur (Delphinium)
• Jimsonweed (Datura)
• Lantana (Lantana camara)

Other Plants to Avoid

There are certain plants which can cause illness on consumption. Although adults might be prudent enough to stay away from these, kids might surrender to curiosity and succumb to poisoning or illness by eating parts of these plants.

• Wisteria
• Cotoneaster Berries
• Rhubarb
• Rhododendron
• Honeysuckle
• Delphinium
• Bluebells
• Fuchsia
• Snowdrop
• Pyracantha Berries
• Mistletoe
• Laburnum
• Privet
• Lupin
• Holly (berries and leaves)

Growing plants in apartment complexes has grown as a hobby; and you should pursue it only after gaining complete knowledge about the pros and cons involved with the activity. It is essential for you to be educated about the dangerous effects caused by some plants and the different ways in which you can tackle those effects.

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People assume that maintaining a vegetable garden in the city is something that’s unthinkable, but if you stay in a apartment flat with a balcony or a veranda, you can build a small vegetable garden of your own. Although this might seem like a difficult proposition, it can be achieved with minimal effort and good planning.

There are a number of factors that will play an important role when you try and start your own vegetable garden, including:

• The type of containers you use
• The vegetables that you’re planning to grow
• The space available for growing these vegetables

Choosing the Right Vegetables

With a little creativity and research, you can set up a fresh herb and vegetable garden with simple vegetables like tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers and eggplants. Also, you can consider growing herbs like curry leaf, mint and coriander plants. Although potatoes and onions are also easy to grow, the space available in a housing society flat will not be enough for these plants.

Choosing the Right Containers

Choosing the right container for growing vegetables is essential. Small containers are sufficient for growing plants like chilly or curry leaf. Capsicum and cucumber plants may require more space and you will have to buy bigger pots for these. Window boxes can be purchased as they are convenient and they also look attractive.

You can go earthen by purchasing terracotta or stone pots. The only disadvantage of using these pots is that moving or shifting them may be difficult as they can be quite bulky and heavy.

Wooden pots for growing vegetables may look aesthetic but they’ll emit a foul smell after continued use, so it’s better to avoid these. Always place plastic saucers beneath the pots so that excessive water does not spill out.

The Guide to Growing Vegetables

Tomato seeds or bitter gourd seeds can be purchased and sown in the container. The soil that is used for growing vegetables should be clean, free of pollutants and moisture retaining. Compost can be added to the soil for increasing its fertility and organic kitchen waste can also be added to the soil.

Plants require moisture, and for this reason, watering your vegetable garden regularly is important. Excessive watering may lead your plants to rot, so you need to pour the right quantity of water every single time.

Organic fertilisers should be your preferred choice when compared to chemical ones. If you are planting tomatoes, then try and grow a garlic plant close by so that insects and pests can be kept at bay. This method of ‘companion gardening’ will help in giving you better produce.

Seasonal vegetables need to be sown during the months of April, May and June as this is the ideal season for planting. Over exposure to sunlight may hamper the growth of your plants, so make sure that you don’t place them directly under sunlight in your balcony. Choosing high quality seeds will ensure that your plants grow more quickly and the vegetables that you get will be fresh.

Ensure that you read up on proper watering techniques and what each plant uniquely requires so that you don’t face too many issues when you set up an indoor vegetable garden.

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Infrastructure management in any two cities is never the same, and Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) is one such measure that has different guidelines in every city. The RWH guidelines in Hyderabad are understandably entirely different from those in Bangalore.

To understand the guidelines better, you’ll need to grow familiar the concept of rain water harvesting and the reasons behind the same.

Why Rain Water Harvesting?

Rain water is one of the purest forms of water that is majorly deemed fit for human consumption and use worldwide. Gathering rain water and using the same can help in tackling the demand for fresh water and the practice can also help in preventing floods. Some advantages of rain water harvesting include:

This process will help in recharging water aquifers

• The quality of ground water can be significantly improved
• Soil erosion can be reduced when excess rain water is tapped and stored
• Water logging can be prevented and this will help in negating mosquito related problems
• Water shortage issues that crop up in cities like Hyderabad during the summer can be tackled
• Power consumption can be reduced as the process of pumping water can be made rare

RWH Guidelines in Hyderabad City

Guidelines for rain water harvesting were enforced in Hyderabad in the year 2001.

• The owner or occupier of a particular building, which stands on an area of more than 300 square meters, should install a rainwater investing system.
• It is mandatory to install RWH systems in commercial complexes and housing societies.
• Trenches and percolation pits should be installed around every building in Hyderabad these can have a dimension of 1.2 x 1.2 x 2.5 meters. The trenches can have a depth of 2 meters, a width of 0.6 meters and a length of around 2 to 6 meters.
• Terrace water can be sent directly to these trenches and pits, and they need to mandatorily have filter materials. A brick wall should be constructed near these trenches and pits, with an ideal depth so that loose soil does not mix with the rain water that’s collected.
• Concrete slabs that are well perforated should be provided over these trenches and pits. Fine sand and coarse sand should be used in two layers in these trenches and pits.
• PVC pipes can be used to connect the terrace to the sump so that the rain water that’s collected can be channeled down to the sump.
• Rain water harvesting experts should be consulted to build a value system, which will directly discharge the first batch of rain water that’s collected (as it is bound to be dirty due to its interaction with dust on the terrace floor). The secondary batches will them be stored in the sump.
• Filtering tanks need to be constructed near the sumps in order to purify the water, and these should have two layers – one layer of coarse sand and another layer of fine sand. This filtering tank should have a dimension of 1 x 1 x 1 meters. The tank should have a sloping base so that water doesn’t get accumulated by any chance.

You can check if the rain water harvesting system in your housing society follows these guidelines and bring up any missing features during resident meetings.

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This article aims at collating and providing information for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and blog readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use it only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals. If you need professional advise on this topic and any other property related matters, please send your request through our contact us form. You may post your questions/inputs in the Comments section below and we will try and get them answered through relevant subject matter experts.

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Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) has been made mandatory for every housing society and independent household, and in order to ensure that your housing society is following the norms specified by the government, you’ll have to understand the given guidelines.

Rain water harvesting guidelines for housing societies and residential spaces in Bangalore vary largely from those in other cities in terms of implementation. In 2009, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board enforced RWH implementation in certain areas of city and these guidelines were introduced.

RWH Guidelines in Bangalore City

• The occupier (tenant) or the owner of a particular building (which stands on more than 2400 square feet area), or every owner who proposes to erect a building on an area of 1200 square feet or more, should construct a rainwater harvesting structure.
• The volume for recharge or storage of rain water should be a minimum of 20 liters per square meter and 10 liters per square meter on the non-roof area of the site.
• Bore-wells can be recharged by using the necessary catchment management systems and fillers in the rain water harvesting setup.
• Rainwater that’s collected from the roof should not be sent to a live bore-well, even if it’s taken through a filter.
• The rainwater should be sent to a separate open well near the bore-well. The water from the open well can be fed into the bore-well if it reaches very low capacity.
• Filters should be mandatorily used, although the type of filter can vary depending on the owner’s preference.

If a residential complex or a standalone house does not have a rain water harvesting system that’s been government approved, then the drinking water supply to that particular house will normally be cut till the specified changes are made. This was introduced by the government when it was noted that many residents weren’t following the specified deadline.

As of 2009, the Government identified about 58,000 buildings where RWH systems had to be installed mandatorily.

Tips for Installing Rain Water Harvesting System

Following the RWH guidelines won’t be difficult for a residential building or a housing society in Bangalore if it meets some basic requirements. The first and foremost requirement is to have a sump tank to preserve water.

Also, every building should have an installed pipeline to redirect rain water from the catchment area to the tank. A facility to clean the catchment area should also be present in every building to avoid bacterial growth, which can contaminate the water and affect the residents.

• For installing the system, the managing committee can avail the services of a rainwater harvesting expert who will be able to set up a working model.
• The rooftop area in the housing society or any open ground area can serve as the catchment region. Ensure that both these areas are wide enough to hold a tank.
• Ensure that the roof top area is continuously cleaned by the maintenance team to avoid bacterial growth.

Setting up an RWH system can provide a secondary source of water for all members of the housing society and make it a decidedly green zone. It can also help in preventing water logging and effectively remove the problem of stagnant water in the terrace and other areas.

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ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!

The smell of wet earth and the feel of a light drizzle on your face during the monsoon can seem very appealing indeed. Rain in India comes as a welcome relief after stiflingly hot weather, but the monsoon rains can cause their fair share of problems. Are you prepared to deal with all the monsoon related issues this season in your housing society?

Preparing for the Rains

While your housing society was being built, the builders would have taken measures to weatherproof your house to ensure that there are no cracks on the wall and no leaky ceilings. In case you detect any signs of moisture seeping in, you have to take immediate steps to deal with it. Dampness over time can affect your walls and roofs and damage the overall housing society structures and weaken them.

Drainage and Ventilation

Your housing society flat should have a proper drainage system that leads water away from the house and does not allow it to settle near the walls. You should also set up a good ventilation system to let out the humidity and air the rooms. Kitchens and bathrooms need special care as these are the areas most exposed to smoke, steam and moisture. A good chimney and exhaust fan in the kitchen and good ventilation in the bathrooms should take care of this. If your bathrooms do not have adequate ventilation, try installing a ceiling fan to dry up the excess moisture.

Keep your cupboards well aired and dry. If the rain gets in through the windows, make sure it dries up quickly. Mop up any extra water that enters your house and wipe the place dry.

Decorating Your House for the Rains

The monsoon brings with it heavy grey clouds and subdued sunlight. To offset the darkness outside, make sure that the space inside is well lit and cheery. Do not use shades and colored lights during this season. Make sure that the lights are bright enough to light up the room, yet soft enough so that they are not hard on the eyes.

Carpets and Mats

Roll up your expensive soft carpets in the living room. This is the season of mud and damp footprints, so replace the carpet with acrylic or plastic matting. These come in attractive colors, designs and textures, so you can choose them to suit your home and tastes.

Make sure that you have enough mats at the entrance to scrape off mud from shoes and dry wet feet. Use rubber and coir mats at entrances and soft mats that can soak up moisture inside. Make sure you have enough spare mats to replace the soft mats when they get dirty and need to be washed.

Brighten Up the Rooms

Use bright flowers and decorations to lend a cheery air to the rooms. Use light, translucent curtains and brightly colored linens and bed sheets to perk up the interiors. Shut the windows tight during a heavy downpour and open them when the rain stops. Mesh net screen windows are a good way to let in the air and light and grab a splendid view of freshly washed plants and trees after a shower, while keeping out all insects.

If you take some simple steps and precautions to prevent the moist conditions from invading your house, you can enjoy all the positive sights and sounds of the monsoon season without worrying about the amount of water that the rain dumps outside your house. Prepare your housing society flat for the monsoon and then go ahead and enjoy the rains.

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