Do you love to sit on your balcony, nursing a cup of coffee as you watch the rain outside? We love it too! But it’s no fun if you are getting drenched by the rain while you’re at it. How can you prevent the rainwater from washing into your balcony? Check out our cool tips to prevent rainwater from entering your balcony.
1. Install Outdoor Blinds
Outdoor blinds can be in the form of transparent PVC(or polyvinyl chloride), Wood look-alike PVC blinds or mesh fabric blinds (also called rain curtains or rain screens). These screens come with several advantages:
- PVC is completely waterproof and will keep your balcony dry. If you opt for transparent PVC, you will be able to look right through while it’s raining.
2. Install Sliding Glass Shutters
Glass curtains or glass shutters installed along the balcony wall can slide open during warm weather, and can be closed during the rain. Keep in mind:
- It’s not possible to have the balcony space wholly opened up, as the side panel is usually fixed.
- Use waterproof frames for the glass, rather than wood.
3. Install A Roof Cover
If your balcony is not covered, you can install a lean-to roof with tiles or a PVC sheet supported on an MS frame. This will require installation by a professional. Some tips:
- Mangalore pattern tiles, Spanish tiles, or Pot tiles look pretty and add a rustic touch to your balcony.
- Use under tiles to seal off any gaps in the outer layer of tiles, for additional waterproofing.
- If you opt for a few glass tiles in between the opaque tiles, you can get rays of sunlight streaming in.
4. Install A Retractable Awning
If you like the idea of a flexible cover, you can install a retractable fabric awning that can be pulled back using a motorized attachment. That way, when you would like to catch the sun, you can. There are many companies that will install these awnings to the size and specifications that you need.
- Typically, these awnings are coated with a plastic finish so that they do not get damaged in the rain.
- Unless the awning is anchored very firmly, it could fly off, especially during a massive storm. So if you are in an area that experiences high winds, ask for extra reinforcement.
- The most common awnings are striped, but you can find them in nearly any colour of your choice.
5. Use Bamboo Chik Blinds
Bamboo blinds offer a sustainable option to keep the rainwater off your balcony. Opt for blinds that have an exterior weatherproof coating so that they can withstand both the sun and the rain.
- Bamboo blinds go very well with ethnic décor
- When pulled down, the sunlight filtering through the blinds looks very pretty!
- As bamboo blinds have gaps in between the slats, they do not offer complete protection from the rain.
Here Are Some More Things To Keep In Mind!
- If your balcony is tiled, ensure that you use anti-skid tiles which do not get slippery when they are wet. Even a little water could turn your balcony into a slippery zone.
- If you are using wooden flooring, opt for exterior grade interlocking panels that can withstand both the sun and rain.
- Any furniture that you want to put out on the balcony should be weather resistant. Rattan furniture is sustainable and easy to maintain outdoors. You could also opt for plastic, though we do not advocate the use of anything that is not eco-friendly.
- If you have plants on the balcony, they can get a lovely wash in the rain.
- The wall paint used on the balcony walls should be exterior grade.
- Check the slope of the balcony floor; the tiles should slope toward one corner, where there is a rainwater pipe that prevents water pooling on the balcony floor. Before the monsoons arrive, do ensure that this pipe is clean and not clogged with dirt or dead leaves.
Rainwater Harvesting
It would be great if you can install a rainwater harvesting system on your balcony! Water is a precious resource, and rainwater is the cleanest form of natural water that is available. Install some pipes to collect the water from the balcony as well as from the awnings. Use the collected water for your plants or to flush toilets. Do your little bit to go green; our planet will thank you for it.
We still have a couple of months to go before the next monsoon season. Get your balcony ready to welcome the rains, and get yourself ready to enjoy the pitter-patter of the raindrops.
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