The Weather Guru – The Water Situation In St Francis

by admin | Jan 24, 2023 | St Francis

We welcome Garth Sampson aka The Weather Guru, to St Francis Today. Garth will be supplying a regular column, keeping us up to speed on all that is happening with regard to the water situation in our neighbourhood. – Editor

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With the Seasonal Forecast up until May showing positive signs of above-normal rainfall for most of the country, the little patch along the coast and adjacent interior, between St Francis and Alexandria, Paints a different picture.
Models are not confident of above or below-normal rainfall, thus indicating what is called a no-clear signal. The forecast cannot find any confidence in an above or below rainfall.

The following two weeks also do not paint a pretty picture, with no significant rain above 8.5 mm expected.
In fact, if you are hoping for water crisis-breaking rainfall, you will statistically have to wait until March at the earliest. However, a good tank filling downpour here and there is the best that St Francis and surrounds can expect before then.

We need a TEMPORARY solution to this situation: a flood of Biblical proportion over the Langkloof (the primary catchment for our supply dams). I highlight ‘temporary’, as one would be highly naive to think this problem will go away in the long term, especially with the rapid population growth and the associated demands on water resources.

This is aggravated by the migration of the “holiday towns”. As a result, St Francis and its surrounds have exploded compared to the humble village it was in the 80s.
Jeffreys is growing at such an alarming rate it will soon border on Gamtoos.

In the short term, we need to receive 50 mm and more in 24 hours over MOST of the Langkloof, with good follow-up rains shortly after that.

This will fill pools and streams and get runoff started with the follow-up rain maintaining the flow into the dams.

The reason for our water crisis is that we have not received the abovementioned rains regularly since 2015.

We rely on the Cut Off Low combined with other phenomena in place to give these 50 mm events.

Unfortunately, they generally occur between March and November and are more prevalent during winter.

Impofu Dam © Morne/Weather Guru Facebook page

With dam levels at 14.13% for week 4 as opposed to 18.58% last year, we only have 8.79% water available (5.34% is dead storage). So there is a reason for concern. Remember, we were close to Day Zero in August last year.

Unlike the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (the largest water user in this region), St Francis and its surrounds do not have the luxury of the Nooitgedacht (Gariep) scheme, which supplies more than 50% of the Bay’s bulk water. Besides the dams, there are a few boreholes, which are not sufficient to supply the Kouga district.

Smaller communities in this region must therefore become more self-sufficient.

The only affordable solution for the public is rain harvesting via the use of water tanks.

Besides being off the grid, the water is not polluted with chemicals.

One will save on not only usage charges but sewerage charges where applicable.

Finally, a little ignored fact about water tanks. After the devastating floods in KZN, Tongaat was without potable water for more than 3 months due to damage to infrastructure. A similar story emerged in areas in Gauteng with their recent spate of storms.

So when that next bonus comes around, invest in a water tank instead of going out to dinner and buying that new pair of name-brand takkies. You will not regret it.

How to Select the Right Paint for your Outdoor – Presented By BUCO

by Craig Jarvis | Jan 24, 2023 | St Francis

Knowing how to select the right type of paint for your outdoor project can be the difference between walls that need regular maintenance, or a perfect looking exterior that can weather the elements and last a long time.

In this article, we’re going to help you brush up on your outdoor paint knowledge so you can get the product your project requires and land up with the final coat that you desire. Let’s look at the following topics concerning outdoor paint:

1. What to consider when selecting your exterior paint.
2. How to colour manage for an outdoor paint project.
3. The 3 main steps to a successful outdoor paint selection.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING AN EXTERIOR PAINT

• The size of the house

Lighter colours will generally make your house appear larger, and will also affect it more during different light conditions. Using a darker shade can make your house blend into the property and will make it look smaller.

• Your neighbourhood

Remember that your street value is relevant to the rest of your neighbourhood. In one neighbourhood your choice of colour scheme could make your house stick out like a sore thumb, in others your choice of colour could make you feel right at home.

• Your wall finish

Some of the standard options in exterior wall finishes include matt, eggshell, granular, suedette and even sandstone.

• Your local weather

The natural elements and moisture levels your exterior walls will be exposed to will play a big role in deciding what qualities you need in your paint. Some products include ingredients such as quartz and mica, which gives the paint incredible strength and durability, as well as creating a weatherproof barrier over your walls.

• Will it be easy to keep clean? – Some exterior acrylic PVA paints include fungicide which makes it particularly stain, damp and dirt-resistant.

• How long should it last? – Most reputable exterior paint brands come with a guarantee, but your exterior walls will need periodic maintenance and touch-ups over the years. However most exterior paint products guarantee a long lasting weatherproof value of over 10 years.

The below article will give you more info and tips on how often you should repaint your home – to read click HERE.

• Don’t forget the exterior trimmings – These elements of the home’s exterior are often overlooked, but they require an equal amount of protection from the elements. If the trimmings are wood or metal, they will require special exterior paint suited to that surface, to ensure maximum value over time.

PROTIP: Exterior paints that contain a primer will require fewer coats, which means you use less paint, saving time and money.

HOW TO COLOUR MANAGE FOR AN OUTDOOR PROJECT

• First, choose your shade – Do you want a light, mid-tone, or dark home? This is a good starting point to help you decide on what kind of paint to buy.
• Then, the correct aesthetic and combination of colours

The perfect exterior colour scheme for a house consists of three things: A field colour that dominates the look, an accent colour that brings doors and windows to life, and the colour of the trimmings and fascia.

• Your roof colour

If your roof is black or neutral grey, then you won’t have a problem with colours. But if your roof is dark brown or green, then you have to be more selective with your exterior wall colours to avoid clashing. This is even more true roofs with for red, tan or blue grey undertones.

• Trim dark with contrasts – If your main colour is generally lighter shades of colour, then you can make the trimmings and fascia a darker colour to better accentuate the architectural facets of the home. This has the same effect for a home that generally has a darker exterior colour scheme, that is trimmed with a lighter colour.

• Swatch yourself

Just like in interior paint projects, the paint colour can differ vastly between how it looks on the swatch and how it looks on the wall. It is a good idea to collect as many colour swatches as you can, but at some point choose an inconspicuous area of you house exterior, and test a few colours directly on the wall. That way you can see how the colour will look during different times of the day, and from further away.

• Less is more– Your exterior colour scheme should contain a maximum of three different colours or shades, to avoid it looking like a haphazard job.

THE 3 MAIN STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL OUTDOOR PAINT SELECTION:

1. Factor in light:

Sunlight and UV exposure eventually fades most lighter colours a certain shade of cool blue. This means that to enhance and keep the original colour you intend for the exterior of your home, you will need to go a few shades ‘warmer’ than originally intended.

2. Plan around the visual elements that will be the hardest to change

Unless you are planning to do a major renovation, some elements of your home’s exterior will remain in place, such as fascia, roof tiles, shingles, pathways and driveways. All of these extra elements will contribute to the outcome of the colour you choose for the exterior walls of the house. Look for an undertone of colour between these elements, and this might help inform your palette choice.

3. Consider the visual effect you want in the end

Where does your home sit in relation to the street? Is it at the front of the property or in the middle? Is it open or surrounded by trees? If your home seems hidden or dark from a lot of surrounding elements, considering a lighter shade might make it stand out more.

Never attempt an exterior paint job during bad weather. If you apply the paint during a particularly sunny day, it will dry quicker and more evenly. Always use sunblock during exterior paint jobs.

Luckily, BUCO has a wide range of exterior paints available in-store & online, as well as expert assistance in-store, for all your outdoor paint project related queries. Visit us today to get your perfect exterior paint project under way.

SHOP a wide selection of paint products in our online store by clicking HERE.

For a full guide on SELECTING THE RIGHT KIND OF PAINT, read our article HERE.

For a full guide on INTERIOR PAINT, read our article HERE.