Buildings do not fail in the monsoon; they fail before it and get found out by it. One honest day of inspection in the dry season finds nearly everything the rain would have found for you — at repair prices instead of emergency ones.
The checklist, top down
Roof and terrace
- Every drain mouth cleared — leaves, nests, tennis balls; then a bucket of water to prove flow
- Slab walked for cracks, blisters in old coating, and places water stood last year
- Parapet junction line eyed along its whole length
- Anything stored on the roof moved off the drainage path
Cracks or failed coating found here go straight to the pre-monsoon roof plan — this is the finding with a real deadline.
External walls
- Face scanned for cracks, hollow plaster and last year's damp shadows
- Ledges, sills and chajjas checked for open joints; drip grooves clear
- Downpipes: joints sound, outlets discharging away from the wall base
Openings
- Window-frame sealant continuous; weep holes in tracks clear
- Door thresholds on exposed balconies still shedding water outward
Inside evidence
- Top-floor ceilings and wall tops: last season's stains mark this season's starting points (reading the signs)
- Bathroom ceilings below wet areas checked for the early ring
Triage: what must happen before the rain
- Now, regardless: drains and outlets cleared — free, and the single highest-return item on the list.
- Before onset: roof cracks, failed coating, open junctions — the work that needs dry days and cure time.
- Schedule for after: cosmetic repairs and repainting, which want the wall proven dry through a monsoon, not promised dry before one.
Frequently asked questions
How early should this inspection happen?
Early enough that anything found can be repaired and cured before your region's onset — count backwards from the rain, not forwards from today.
Can I do it myself?
The looking, absolutely — this list needs eyes and a bucket. The findings are where judgement helps: photographs of anything doubtful, sent via the waterproofing page, get a straight read on what matters.