As we head into Lanzarote’s springtime, it’s the ideal time to ensure your home is prepared for what the climate will throw at it.
This is traditionally the most unsettled time of year weather-wise, and although rain is still rare, it’s more likely than ever in the first few months of the year. After a dry 2019, farmers, wine- growers and gardeners will be hoping for rainfall, and even some tourists who love the dusting of greenery and wild flowers that a few showers bring to the island will not mind a bit of rain.
But rain on Lanzarote has a habit of revealing unpleasant facts, and leaks in your home are among those facts. Not only can leaks be seriously annoying, they can also be dangerous and expensive if they damage your property.
And leaks don’t have to be constant drips that can be caught in a saucepan. The really damaging leaks seep in unseen, causing damp and permanent damage.
So getting your home waterproof is fundamental at this time of year; and even if it doesn’t rain, it will allow you to hose down your walls or roof in the knowledge that water will run straight off. You don’t think you need to wash your home? Then you haven’t experienced a calima – the all-pervasive storms of reddish dust that come over a few times each year.
Waterproofing isn’t the only action you need to take. Ideally, your home should be airtight, too, allowing you to control the ventilation that is vital to healthy living. Rattling windows and doorway draughts aren’t just irritating – they mean that you’re not in control of your environment and are probably losing heat or letting too much of it in. There’s also the simple question of security – a secure home is a safer one.
Invest money in protecting your home now and you’re likely to save it later – as well as spare yourself a nasty surprise or two.
