From El Ocio, free with Friday’s El Público:

Friday’s Ocio is usually Guadalajara’s events listing, new reestaurants, gigs, exhibitions, etc. This week an article caught my eye on home chemistry and DIY. It’s gearing up for a thunderstorm right now and hopefully I won’t ever have to mix up this concoction:

Tiempo de lluvias, tiempo de frescura. Pero no todo es felicidad, porque algunas veces las goteras invaden nuestras casas y entonces llega el tema de impermeabilizar. Si no se cuenta con mucho presupuesto la solución más recomendable es la cal. La fórmula es simple: 70 litros de agua, tres jabones Lirio y un kilogramo de alumbre. Acto seguido, hay que hervir los jabones y el alumbre de manera separada en un gal’n de agua. Luego se diluye la cal en los 70 litros de agua., y después se revuelve con el alumbre y la cal. La mezcla se aplica sobre el techo (dos o tres manos mínimo) con una escoba y listo. La cubierta lo protegerá por lo menos seis meses.

(translation:) The rainy season, a season for freshness. But it’s not happiness all the way… because sometimes the rain gets into our homes and that’s where the whole waterproofing issue comes up. If you don’t have much in the way of a budget then the best solution is lime (calcium). The formula is simple: 70 litres of water, 3 Lirio soaps and a kilo of alum. First thing to do is boil up the soaps and the alum separately in a gallon of water. Then dilute the lime with the 70 litres of water and then mix it together with the alum. The mixture is applied to the roof (A minimum of 2 or 3 pairs of hands will be needed) with a mop and Bob’s your uncle. The covering will protect it for at least 6 months.

I worry most about the thousands of “roof dogs” across this vast metropolis though…

5 comments on “From El Ocio, free with Friday’s El Público:

  1. English whitewash seems to be ‘lechada de cal’ which is rather nice. Your quoted recipe seems unsure of whether they’re recommending alum or slaked (=cal apagada) lime.
    PS a small typo on https://agaveweb.com/cine.htm
    Contamos >unencon

  2. Both very fair points. Did I mention I didn't sleep too well last night… Thanks kindly for the corrections.

  3. I’m glad John has sorted out the roof problems in our house already, or he might be tempted to a DIY trabajo mejicano.
    love Mum

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