Renovating your home will add to its value once you’re ready to sell it and move to another space. It will also improve its functionality and the time you and your family spend there. If you want to work on your home improvement project—whether it’s updating the kitchen, repainting the walls, or landscaping the backyard—you should take safety measures to ensure that you and your family are safe during this DIY project.
You need to know how to use the proper equipment first such as a concrete floor saw. Familiarize yourself with different small equipment that you might need to complete the renovation. You need to make sure that all the equipment and tools you are going to use are properly calibrated and are working. Accidents can happen even to the most careful. Extra precautions are needed when working on a home project such as renovation.
Know Your Home
Do you have a blueprint of your house? This is important because you don’t want to take a sledgehammer to a wall only to belatedly realize that you hit the pipes or electrical wires. Your minor home renovation might turn into a major one if you hit some important pipes and wires. You also need to be aware of the possible presence of asbestos and lead paint (which are used in most homes before the 70s). Mould and mildew may also be hiding in crevices or the inner walls. If these three are present, you first need a professional to remove them.
Meet City Codes
Whether it’s a major or minor renovation, you might be violating some city codes. Go to your local government office to check if you need permits for the changes you’re about to make. If you live in an old neighbourhood, you may not be allowed to change anything on the exterior for historical reasons.
Wear the Right Clothing
You need to be covered from head to toe. That means wearing overalls, closed-toe shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and gloves. You also need earplugs and goggles for your eyes. Wearing the right clothing will ensure that paint and mould removal chemicals won’t touch your skin.
Follow the Ladder Rule
Working with heights can pose several problems. You need someone to spot you and hold the ladder steady while you climb up and down. If you don’t have anyone in the house who can do that, you might want to rethink your decision of doing this home renovation completely by yourself. It can cause serious injuries that might affect your way of living in the future. As a general rule, the ladder is supposed to be angled 75% against the wall. It’s the 4-to-1 rule. For every four feet of the ladder that you’ll use, the bottom part should be spaced a foot from the wall.
Seek Professional Help
Don’t be too proud as not to seek professional help even when you clearly need it. For example, you should not tackle electrical wires. Call a professional if you need to rewire. There are a lot of contractors out there who are willing to take this task off your shoulder. If the task is technical, let professionals handle it.
After you’re done with the home renovation project, pat yourself on the back. No matter how minor the changes are, you’ll be glad to complete the project with aplomb. Maybe next time, you can take on more challenging renovation tasks.
