Are you renovating your home? Inspired by the latest celebrity home trends like open plan living, floor to ceiling views, outdoor living or contemporary minimalism? Whatever celeb home trend has got you swinging your sledgehammer and picking new paint colors, you need to ensure that any work you have completed on your home is done correctly and safely.
Whether you’ve hired a team of building professionals or you’re tackling the project yourself, safety on what is essentially a construction site needs to be taken seriously. The last thing you want is to find yourself in the emergency room with a serious head injury or suffering from exposure to chemicals – speak with this PI lawyer (located in Suffolk County) if you’ve been injured on a construction site.
Make sure you have a clear plan
Knocking down walls and stripping back carpets is only a good idea if you know what you’re doing and if you have a clear plan of what is going to happen. If you suddenly decide halfway through your kitchen renovation that you want to update the flooring in the living room then you could end up making your renovation plan rushed, messy and incredibly complicated. Get yourself a plan and stick to it! Other jobs can wait!
Avoid living in the construction area where possible
Depending on the type of renovation you’re doing, you may have to consider relocating your family to another part of the house. That means keeping everyone safe and making sure the kids understand the dangers of what’s happening elsewhere in the property. Make sure you box up everything you need and all other items in the area and put them into storage. A white sheet won’t protect your Grandma’s antique vase when something is accidentally dropped onto it.
Keep everything clean and organized
Easier said than done, right? But you’ll find that most professional building sites – although messy looking – are incredibly tidy and organized. This is simply because of health and safety. Construction workers tripping over debris, falling from scaffolding and sustaining head injuries from improperly stored equipment just wouldn’t work. But if you fail to keep your renovation project neat, tidy and well organized then you could end up in a dangerous situation. Keep things well organized!
Look after your eyes
Whether you’re painting, spraying, drilling or sawing you need to keep your eyes protected and safe from debris, dust and even chemicals that are in the air. That means investing in some high-quality goggles whilst you’re in the renovation area and asking anyone who’s visiting to do the same.
Make sure there’s good ventilation
The smell of paint can make anyone feel a little lightheaded, so it’s important that when you’re painting or working on your renovation you do so in an area that has good ventilation. House paints can cause irritations so be extra cautious. Wear a mask and throw open those windows and doors.
And finally, watch out for dust
When you start moving things, knocking walls down, working with drywall and insulation etc there’s going to be a lot of dust. You need to take precautions and wear a mask to ensure these particles don’t irritate your lungs and your respiratory system. Don’t take the risk!