Before you start renovating your home, follow these safety tips that can save your life!
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You're hoping to renovate your home in the near future and are dying to get started. But before you grab your wallet and start shopping for supplies, review the following security tips:
1. Don't do dangerous jobs
You may be tempted to tackle projects alone to save money. While this is fine for tasks like painting your walls or Tile your kitchen splashback, it's not a good choice for the more dangerous tasks that are on your renovation checklist. For example, you should not try to do your own demolition. Demolition requires special equipment and expertise that you don't have. You could irreparably damage your property if you're not careful. You could tear down a structural wall, hit electrical wires, break pipes, and destroy other important items you want to keep intact. Fixing these errors will cost you a fortune. Home demolition is not only expensive and destructive — it's also dangerous. You could really hurt yourself if you don't know what you're doing.
So what can you do? The solution is simple. You can hire a reliable one Toronto demolition company to take over this complete or partial dismantling for you. Your contractors have the right experience and equipment to get the job done for you quickly, effectively and safely.
Demolition isn't the only renovation project you shouldn't do yourself. What other jobs are better left to the professionals?
- Electrical work
- cut tree
- canopy
- Repairs to gas lines
2. Keep dust at bay
A lot of dust is thrown up during renovations. It will be everywhere – on the floors, on the walls and floating in the air. So if you're staying indoors during the renovation, here are some precautions you should take to ensure you don't inhale dust buckets:
- Get quality air purifiers and use them.
- Cordon off renovated areas with plastic barriers.
- Close ventilation slots – this allows dust to travel throughout the house.
- Clean up regularly. Use a vacuum cleaner to pick up dust.
- Wear N95 masks when working on the renovated areas.
- After the renovation is complete, be sure to clean your drains and change your air filters frequently. This will help you deal with the dust that has been left behind.
3. Aerate the fumes
Your renovation projects will likely require the use of strong chemical products such as paint strippers, adhesive removers, wood stains, paints, adhesives and detergents. These contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can be hazardous to inhale.
What can you do to protect your lungs from harsh chemicals?
- Ventilate the area when using any of these products by opening windows and doors.
- If possible, leave the area while the product dries.
- If you find a gentler alternative, use it. For example there are many natural household cleaners effectively clean the surfaces without generating strong fumes.
- Avoid using Everyday products that harm your indoor air during your renovation (e.g. air fresheners). They're not strictly necessary to complete your home improvement projects, and they'll only clog your air more.
Don't compromise your health and safety when renovating your home. It is not worth!
Follow these steps to ensure both you and the house are in tip-top shape when all projects are complete.