Remodeling Safety Tips

Deciding to remodel a room in your house can be both exciting and a little frightening. You have a vision of how beautiful it will look when you are finished, but remodeling can be dangerous. All projects, big and small, have their hazards. As long as you take the proper precautions and educate yourself on the task at hand, the remodel should go pretty smoothy. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you start your next project.

Be Aware:

During any construction project, you need to know who’s in the room at all times. Not knowing where someone is can lead to an accident. You might trip over someones foot, or hit them in the head with a two by four. Always be conscious when people enter and exit the site as well. You don’t want to start lifting a heavy object when your buddy has left the area for a bathroom break.

Another thing to be cautious of is children. Ideally the construction area should be inaccessible to young kids. If it is impossible to block off the area, someone should always be watching the children for the duration of the project. You want to make sure no tools or chemicals are left unattended and in their reach as well. It is important to explain to your kids why the area is blocked off, and why it is dangerous for them so they will have an understanding and perhaps try to avoid the area for themselves.

Finally, you want to make sure your pets are contained. You don’t want your cat getting into any adhesives or your dog to knock over some shelving unit. It’s not only dangerous for the pets and yourself, but can also ruin all your hard work. The best solution is to keep them in a room on the opposites end of the house. That way, even if they slip out, you have a little bit of time to catch them before they reach the remodel site. The area should also be blocked off from pets if at all possible.

Airborne Dangers:

Any time you work with chemicals, sanding, or paint there is a potential for airborne toxins. The best place to work on these types of projects is outside; but if that is not possible hanging tarps around the workspace helps keep the contaminates from drifting into other parts of the house. After using harsh chemicals, it is always important to ventilate the room. Open windows and doors to allow the toxins to dissipate.

Before sanding, it is always a good idea to test for lead paint in older homes. If you start sanding a wall that has lead paint on it, it distributes the lead into your air and soil which makes it easy to ingest. It is best to call a professional for testing, as at home kits can be inaccurate. It is always better to be safe than sorry when dealing with such poisons.

Another tip for sanding involves keeping the dust to a minimum. If you lightly spray the surface with water, the particles will become more dense and be less likely to float in the air. Do not use your central air conditioning if you are sanding as it will distribute the dust around your home.

Get Educated:

For any project you decide to take on, it is important that you learn and understand the correct procedures. If you are using any kind of chemical, it is vital to know exactly what it is and how it’s supposed to be handled. If you need to use gloves or goggles, use them! Don’t worry about how you look, safety is all that matters here. It is also important to know if the chemicals you are working with have any strong reactions to other materials. All chemicals should be labeled and stored properly to ensure you and your family’s safety. Not knowing the substance can result in perilous, even fatal situations.

When working with tools you want to be comfortable with them. If you’ve never used a reciprocating saw before, it would be best to get some education first. Give yourself time to learn and practice with tools you are unfamiliar with before diving into your remodel. Just like with chemicals, make sure you use the right protective clothing. Eye protection is always a good idea during any type of construction.

Know Your Limits:

Most people want to get their remodel done as soon as possible so they can enjoy it. Pushing yourself too hard though, can be very dangerous. In order to keep yourself safe, you need to know how much you can lift. This is different for everyone depending on their height, weight, etc. If you lift more than you can handle, you’ll either wind up dropping the item (possible on your foot) or you will fall. There are multiple products on the marketplace that make lifting easier, so if you are weaker, you may want to consider one.

You also want to keep track of how tired you are. If you continue working when you are exhausted, you get careless and that’s when mistakes happen. You don’t want to nod off while you are hammering because that may result in a broken finger. You also won’t accomplish the same quality of work you would if you were well rested. So, while it may take a little longer to finished the project, taking breaks is necessary to ensure your safety.

For more information about our remodeling process or to speak to one of our experts, contact us today! Be sure to check out our photo gallery to see some of our bathroom and kitchen remodeling projects.

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