The power of rain

It rains often here, sometimes everyday during certain seasons. It is a fact of existence here that if you place something outside, it will probably get rained on, even if it's in a "covered" area. Knowing this, certain precautions should be taken when building, one would think. Like using certain types of paint, sealant, cement, what have you. I am not an expert in construction, but generally speaking it seems some people who are building things here are not either ( actually many people who work in construction here were probably never formally trained to do anything, but learn on the job).

Take my balcony wall, for example. A solid cement low wall. Then pained white. Then painted again. And again. And probably a few more times. And then the rain falls on the edge of the wall. And more rain falls. And more. And soon there is a small hole in the paint surrounded by a bubble that when tapped either squirts out 1) water, if it has been raining, or 2) cement dust, if it has not. Then more bubbles develop. Then a large sagging mound begins to form at the bottom as all the paint separates from the wall over a two month period. Finally, a whole section of solid paint falls off, pouring piles of cement dust all over the balcony to blow into our bedroom. The rest quickly follows with the help of the resident small child.

Who is responsible to fix it? Well, techincally the condo, as it is an outside portion of the building. We spent about 6 months with cement dust wall until we arranged someone to do it ourselves.

I gather this sort of thing is not entirely uncommon, considering I have seen buildings go up here that 6 months later have whole sections of tiles missing from the side where they just peeled away from the wall and fell to the ground below.

Rain, it's a powerful thing. And it's raining now. Again. As it has been for days.