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Housing and You…Those pesky irritants around the home
By Leonard Gildarie
There were some things that irked the living daylights out of me in my home –
One of the best ways to keep the “red” water from the pipes from causing stain damage in the home is to pump the water to the tanks.
mosquitoes, the little water frogs and leaky gutters.
For the many new housing schemes in Guyana…and as a matter of fact across the country, the mosquito problem will be around for a long time. There are just too many waterways, farmlands and forested areas. It will require an enormous amount of resources to rid the coastland of this problem.
I recalled one day coming back during the evening from Black Bush Polder, a community in Corentyne, East Berbice. The Berbice Bridge was not in place then. I swear that the mosquitoes followed us from Black Bush Polder to the New Amsterdam stelling.
Most of the new housing schemes have been reclaimed from canelands and farmlands. At around 6 o’clock every evening, the swarms of mosquitoes are sure to descend. Most families are not bothered. My family, on the other hand, would religiously close the windows, and flit the home using the repellants. I have developed quite an intolerance to those pests. So for those moving into new housing schemes, it is a necessary evil that we have to deal with.
I have seen many homeowners not sealing off the home and leaving gaps between the roof and the walls for air. If you have a tolerance for mosquitoes it is fine, as there is a benefit…those gaps allow air to cool the home.
The little water frogs had also been a major problem, leaving their marks on the ceiling and even on the walls. We adopted a little cat, called Beenie Man, who seemed bent on a mission to kill anything small that moves. One day we found him stalking a little snake that he hauled from somewhere. For hours, nobody dared to approach the two as they danced around. Of course, Beenie Man won the battle. The cat also had serious neighbourly problems, going after birds and even lizards. Within weeks after taking up residence in our home, Beenie Man, had rid the yard of the water frogs. I loved cats even more after that.
Another problem that we had were leaks from the gutters. The leaks were always at the joints. No amount of silicone worked. After clashing with my contractor and speaking with others, we finally hit upon a course of action. The outlets for the rainwater were too far apart. So I was forced, instead of placing the outlets at 20 feet apart, to now bring them to about 15 feet. It worked. It cost some money and I still believe that the contractor did a poor job. But those leaks really irked me.
Another problem that we had was the colour of the water that ran through the taps. Most of the new housing schemes have new wells that do not have the filtration system. As such, because of the presence of high iron content, most persons would see what appears to be red water. These are bad if you want to wash the yard or use it in the home. The stains are pretty hard to get rid of.
My contractor, and I love this strategy, came up with a way to fix the problem. The water from the main is pumped to two of those black tanks we had on the trestle. The water from the tanks is what we use in the home. No water from the main is allowed to enter the home. Needless to say, we never had much of a problem with the water. Of course, that cannot be said of a few neighbours and friends I have visited. Yes, after awhile, I started paying attention to these little things…not that I am nosy.
It has become difficult to not pay attention to details. I have learned a whole lot since writing about housing over the past two years. Readers have been adding their two cents also and these have helped.
But I also feel sad for many new homeowners who are constructing now. The cost of material is continuing to rise steadily. Cement is hovering around $2,000 per bag with lumber and everything else far more than I spent four years ago. Of course, labour costs have gone up tremendously. My home cost me just over $2M in workmanship. Today, the contractor would charge in excess of $3M.
Maybe, it is time the banks, the Central Housing and Planning Authority and other stakeholders arrange for a series of workshops across the country to help new homeowners better understand the process before they even start construction or think of taking a mortgage. It is too big for most of the small folks who are experiencing it for the first time.
Enjoy the week folks, and please do continue to call weekdays on 2258491 or 6821256 and to send those comments to [email protected].
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