Whether you have just bought a new home or you are merely refurbishing the children’s room, some heavy banging is bound to be involved. If you decide to carry out the job yourself, then better be fully prepared since home renovation is no simple task as it is ridden with hidden perils. In order to stay safe, you need to bear in mind the following hazards and be ready to tackle them.
Mold
If moisture can’t escape the room, mold will appear after some time. It can be found in corners, around the edges and seals, but the most dangerous place is inside the walls. When the time comes for them to be torn down instantly, using a sledgehammer for example, all of the accumulated mold escapes suddenly and in large quantities. Once inhaled, it can cause respiratory problems, irritate the eyes and skin. Those especially vulnerable are children who could develop allergies and even asthma from inhaling airborne mold particles. In order to prevent this, make sure to check the level of humidity on the premises and use proper protection, such as a facemask when demolishing a wall you suspect could harbor mold inside. Needless to say, children belong nowhere near the (re)construction site.
Cables and pipes
Before the commencement of the work itself, try to get hold of the blueprints of the building. It is vital to know which cable or pipe run through which wall. This should be done so as to prevent any damage to the installations since there is a danger of even severing them completely. The last thing you need is to make a clean cut through a gas pipe using a power saw. Also, calculate the impact the renovation will have on the home’s installations. Make sure that the electric grid can handle the extra current generate by new appliances. If you spot a worn-out electric cable, use the opportunity while the power is down to replace it. Bear in mind that most house fires are the result of faulty or old electricity grids.
Bar off the area
Children are not the only ones who should not hang around the space you work in. Actually, no one who isn’t directly involved in the renovation should be allowed to enter. What you need is a physical partition in the form of heavy duty protection barriers. They will ensure that other people will not inadvertently get into harm’s way. These protection barriers mesh panels are absolutely vital when it comes to working at height, as unsecured edges could spell disaster. If these barriers made out of steel are good enough for construction sites around the globe, then they are more than suitable for your home.
Cleaning
A work in progress means that dust and debris are constantly being generated. However, this does not mean that the site should not be regularly cleaned. Although you are surrounded by (creative) chaos all the while, endeavor to maintain the work area as clean as possible. In the case of dust, simply sweeping is not enough. In fact, it will only disperse the fine dust particles across the room and get them on the wall, the ceiling and on freshly painted surfaces.
Previous repairs
If your house had been lived in before you purchased it, then it is likely that the previous owners went “Bob the Builder” on it. You are likely to find traces of previous repairs. Since these were carried out by laymen, not only does that render them dodgy, but potentially dangerous to the next guy in, and by that person, we mean you. If there is clear evidence of such repairs, proceed with utmost caution. Who knows if those nails can hold the weight of the beam you are sitting on, or if a crucial valve had been properly installed.
Finding time and money to undertake a home renovation by yourself is by no means an easy task. That is why many overlook the numerous safety hazards each construction comes with. Just because you are working inside the place you live, that does not mean that you are completely safe. Keep in mind from day one all the hazards listed here because prevention is the best way to complete the renovation without jeopardizing your or the lives of others.
