Follow these tips to keep the weather from deteriorating your walls and ceilings

By: Carolina Ruiz Vega

Sun, rain, hail, even volcanic ash… Costa Rica’s weather can be uncertain and merciless to unprotected walls and ceilings, which are vulnerable and likely to suffer environmental damages.

May marks the beginning of the rainy (green) season in this tropical country. However, due to the El Niño phenomenon, greater instability in the climate conditions of Costa Rica can be expected; this was something that the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) recently announced. Along with these conditions, high temperatures and intermittent winds increase the possibility of hailstorms.

In light of the above, your home in Costa Rica should be prepared to withstand the green season and the weather surprises it can bring about. Experts in the field agree that this is the timeto start making improvements such as painting the facade and waterproofing the roof of the house.

1. Prepare Outdoor Walls

Before picking up the brush, it is necessary to clean and prepare the walls. This involves removing dirt in order to get the paint fixed to the surface.

2. Choosing the Rollers

Instead of brushes, it is better to choose wool rollers to paint the exterior walls. If they are porous, it is better to use rollers with thick materials.

3. Picking the Paint and Waterproofing

Since exterior walls are exposed to the weather, the paint to be used should be resistant to solar radiation. You can use textured paint to achieve greater elegance and modernity in the facade.

Oswaldo Arroyo, paint specialist at Comex, recommends applying waterproofing to prevent moisture.

“This forms a barrier that prevents the passage of water to inner areas, and it isolates the humidity of the environment.”

Comex is a major brand of household and industrial paint in Costa Rica and Latin America.

4. Choosing When to Paint

Weather conditions will be a key factor in the results. Therefore, when choosing the date for painting, you must take into account the temperature, humidity and wind conditions.

Do not paint under direct sunlight because high temperatures will impair adhesion. Moreover, avoid cold weather; it may cause the paint film to dry too slowly, prolonging the work more than necessary.

Both extremes of temperature may affect some features of painting. Therefore, it is recommended to paint early in the morning or in the early evening.

With regard to humidity, Comex specialists explain that this environmental factor produces a condensation on the surface that makes the adhesion of paint more difficult.

Meanwhile, the wind makes painting extra difficult because dust particles and impurities are blown on the surfaces, which can leave an undesired rough finishing.

5. Paint and make other arrangements

You need to apply all the paint strokes that result necessary in order to cover completely the surface. However, keep in mind it is necessary to wait for the paint to dry completely before applying each coat.

In addition, you must make other repairs to prevent your home from been affected by the downpours of the rainy season.

Reinforce the roofs so that there are no leaks and clean the drainage systems (“canoas” and other gutters that allow rainwater to descend from rooftops) are two of those arrangements.

“All feasible preventive actions are necessary to protect the most exposed parts of the house from rain, hail, wind, etc,” Arroyo recommended.