Do you enjoy watching the rain from your balcony while nursing a cup of coffee? So do we! While you’re at it, it’s no fun getting soaked by the rain. What can you do to prevent the rainwater from washing into your balcony? Take a look at these cool tips.
1. Get outdoor blinds installed
Outdoor blinds can be made from transparent PVC (or polyvinyl chloride), wood look-alike PVC blinds, or mesh fabric blinds (also known as rain curtains or rain screens). The advantages of these screens include:
- Additionally, they keep pests and insects away from your balcony.
- In the summer, they can be retracted and completely opened out when it isn’t raining.
- Your balcony will remain dry because PVC is completely waterproof. Choosing transparent PVC will allow you to see right through while it rains.
2. Install Sliding Glass Shutters
Along the balcony wall, you can slide open glass curtains or glass shutters during warm weather, and close them during rainy days. Just keep these things in mind:
- As the side panel is usually fixed, it isn’t possible to open up the balcony space entirely.
- Instead of wood, use waterproof frames for the glass.
3. Install the roof cover
You can build a lean-to roof with tiles or a PVC sheet supported on an MS frame if your balcony is not covered. Professional installation is required. Here are some tips:
- The Mangalore pattern tiles, Spanish tiles, or pot tiles look lovely and add a rustic touch to your balcony.
- To provide additional waterproofing, place under tiles to seal off any gaps.
- You can get rays of sunlight streaming through if you choose a few glass tiles between the opaque tiles.
A retractable fabric awning can be motorized so it can be pulled back using a motorized attachment if you would like a flexible cover. When you want to catch the sun, you can do that. These awnings can be installed by many companies according to your needs.
- This type of awning typically has a plastic finish to prevent damage from rain.
- Especially during a severe storm, awnings could fly off unless they are anchored firmly. Ask for extra reinforcement if your area experiences high winds.
- Awnings are most often striped, but you can find them in almost any color of your choice.
5. Use Bamboo Chik Blinds
Rainwater can be kept off your balcony with bamboo blinds. Choose blinds with an exterior weatherproof coating so that they can withstand both the sun and rain.
- Bamboo blinds look great with ethnic decor
- When the blinds are lowered, the sunlight that filters through them is very beautiful!
- Due to the gaps between the bamboo slats, bamboo blinds do not provide complete rain protection.
Here Are Some More Things To Keep In Mind!
- You should use anti-skid tiles on your balcony if it is tiled. When wet, they will not become slippery. Just a little bit of water could make the surface slippery.
- When using wooden flooring, choose interlocking panels that can withstand rain and sun.
- If you wish to put any furniture out on the balcony, it should be weather resistant. Rattan furniture is easy to maintain outdoors and is durable. Alternatively, you could use plastic, though we do not recommend using anything that is not eco-friendly.
- Having plants on the balcony can give them a nice wash in the rain.
- Exterior-grade wall paint should be used on the balcony walls.
- Check the slope of the balcony floor; the tiles should slope toward one corner, where a rainwater pipe prevents water from pooling there. Make sure that the pipe is clean and free from dirt or dead leaves before the monsoons arrive.
Rainwater Harvesting
It would be great if you could install a rainwater harvesting system on your balcony! In addition to being a precious resource, rainwater is the cleanest natural water that is available. Water from the balcony as well as from the awnings should be collected with some pipes. Flush your toilets with the collected water. We will thank you if you do your little bit to go green.
Before the next monsoon season arrives, we still have a few months to go. Be ready to enjoy the pitter-patter of raindrops as you prepare your balcony for the rain.