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15 tips to prepare your home for rainy season in Costa Rica

Rainy season in Costa Rica is here, and with it, changes in weather and the environment that can potentially wreak havoc on your home in Costa Rica if you’re not prepared. These 15 simple tips from Atenas, Costa Rica realtors Pure Life Development will help you stay safe, dry and protected this time of year.

Clean your roof gutters. Dry season winds have probably blown a lot of leaves, dirt and debris into your roof gutters. If you don’t clean them thoroughly, the first big rain could cause an overflow, leading to roof damage, leaks, or breaking your gutters.

Clean your ground drainage gutters. Rain in Costa Rica can range from soft steadily falling drizzle to torrential “the-end-of-the-world-is-near” downpours. You want to make sure all run-off is being diverted away from your house and not going to cause flooding.

Trim those trees hanging over your roof. Wind and the extra weight of water from rain can cause limbs to break, which could damage your roof or parked car.

Fix your roof leaks. After the first hard rains, you’ll know if you have any roof leaks. Get them fixed as soon as possible so they don’t expand and become an even bigger problem.

Clean slippery surfaces. The increase of humidity causes mildew to grow. To avoid dangerous slips and falls on your driveway and pathways to your house, wash them regularly with a power washer to take off any green slime. You can also sprinkle lime powder (calcium hydroxide – called “cal” in Costa Rica) to kill off the mildew.

Paint, varnish and seal. Protect the outdoor surfaces of your home from inclement weather. Use anti-corrosive paint for metal gates and railings; and varnish to seal wood.

Buy battery back-ups. You will want to connect all of your fragile electronics – flat screen TV, DVD player, computer, iPod or iPad, high-tech cappuccino maker, etc. – to UPS battery back-ups with surge protection, or at the very least a surge protection powerstrip. Lightning storms and electrical outages are as common in Costa Rica as rice and beans. If a lightning storm is happening close to where you live, it’s better to unplug everything for complete protection until the storm passes.

Remember your pets. Have a safe and dry place for your pets to go during rain storms.

Watch your pool PH. Extra rain and the acid in rain (Costa Rica is a volcanic country) can throw off your pool’s PH, causing the water to turn green. During rainy season, check your pool’s PH frequently and consult with your pool supplies store for help.

Fumigate around your house. When the rains bring Costa Rica back to life that includes the millions of insects that seem to hatch overnight. Fumigating around the perimeter of your home (natural or otherwise) will help keep the critters out of your living space. There also are many natural remedies for controlling the leaf cutter ants that like to voraciously destroy your garden this time of year.

Avoid dengue fever. Make sure not to have any standing water in your garden or around your property (buckets, unused flower pot plates, etc.) to avoid breeding places for mosquitoes, which can carry dengue fever in Costa Rica.

Turn off irrigation systems. If you have irrigation systems on timers, you can turn them off during rainy season to avoid wasting water.

Bring in the garden furniture. Outdoor patio furniture and cushions are best brought in under cover to not get ruined by excess moisture.

Buy rain gear. New door mats help keep your floors clean. Having an umbrella stand by the front door keeps track of your umbrellas so you always have one when you need one. Owning a pair of rubber boots in Costa Rica is a must.

Use a dehumidifier. A great method of battling humidity is to use a commercial dehumidifier or GoldenRod dehumidifiers in closets. Or if you have air-conditioning, run it an hour a day to remove moisture.