As summer rolls around, you may be starting to pull out your old home renovation plans again. But while home renovations can be exciting and add real value to your home, think through the decision carefully and think carefully about safety. While a remodeled home can add so much value to your everyday life, a small mistake that leads to a devastating accident will leave a lasting impact.
One of the best ways to ensure that your remodel goes smoothly with no one getting hurt is to consider safety in the process of defining your home remodel. Work with contractors to understand what standard safety procedures are for not only professionals on the job but also for homeowners as they visit the site or while they live in the home during the remodel.
Understanding these procedures and ensuring that your family members also understand these procedures will not only potentially prevent horrible accidents but will also help you have more peace of mind.
Working closely with professionals can help you further minimize the risk of injury during your remodel. While you may be tempted to DIY different aspects of your remodel like tearing out some of the old cabinets or flooring yourself, make sure that you fully understand the DIY project you’re up against.
And regardless of if you decide to do something yourself or not, communicate what you are planning to do with professionals and get their input so that you are prepared and understand the safety risks before you start.
Using proper equipment is key to having a safe and effective remodel experience. Not only should you ensure that you or those working on your remodel are using the right tools for the respective jobs, but you should also work to ensure that everyone has the right protective gear.
Make sure that you and your family members have the right kind of construction masks depending on the different renovations going on. Depending on how old your home is, you might have lead paint that needs to be removed. If this is not done wearing the right protective gear, you could risk having serious lung infections and problems in the future.
While you or hired professionals are on the job, it’s essential to not only use the right gear but to also have a place designated for debris and trash onsite. This is especially important if you have kids who will be in or around the construction zone. Having a pile of trash is not sufficiently safe during a remodel.
Instead, think about getting a trash hopper. Self-dumping trash hoppers can keep a worksite safe by collecting hazardous debris. Additionally, they are easily moved and dumped into dumpsters once they get full, making the receptacle incredibly convenient.
Another hugely important step to take as you’re preparing for your remodel is to decide on a solid timeline. If you don’t have a defined goal for how long the remodel should take, you may end up having random nails and heavy-duty equipment lying around your house for long periods.
Heavy machinery and sharp objects that could easily injure someone act as constant dangers. So minimizing the time that you have these hazardous materials and equipment in your home is incredibly important to your safety.
As you’re prepping for your remodel, you must think about how you’re going to adapt your life during this particular project. For some projects, it can be quite doable to still live in your home while the remodel is going on. But even with small projects, make sure you fully understand the scope of the project before you decide on your living situation.
For example, while renovating a bathroom might seem like a simple enough remodel, you may end up having to deal with water being turned off multiple times a day or even over a few days. Additionally, be prepared for the possibility of the remodel taking longer than initially expected.
Another huge factor when it comes to safety is ensuring your kids will be taken care of during the process. Think carefully about the scope of your project and your children, their ages, and their capacities. Maybe the remodel is small enough that you can create proper child barriers and procedures to ensure that your children don’t interfere with the workers as they remodel and to ensure that they are unable to get insured throughout the project.
If the project is larger scale, consider simply having your children stay at an aunt’s house for a week or two while you get the remodel finished or at least to a point where the children can be safe to be back at the house.
Another really important factor that you should consider when it comes to the safety of your remodel is the time of year when you do the remodel. While this may initially seem silly and while you may initially seem drawn towards warmer months for building, think carefully about your particular situation.
If you intend to continue living in the home during the remodel, make sure that you will be safe and at least somewhat comfortable during the process. If you’re building an addition to your home, you don’t want to have a missing wall during the wintertime.
Prioritizing safety throughout your remodel is essential. Don’t be tempted to just assume that professional contractors will handle that aspect of your remodel. Be invested in the safety procedures and ensure that you and your family members understand them and are committed to living by them through the course of the remodel.
IA Drywall Inc. has proudly served Cedar Rapids and Iowa City for over a decade, offering top-quality drywall, painting, and insulation services. Our licensed and skilled team is dedicated to providing reliable craftsmanship for residential and commercial projects
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