10 Best Tips for a Safe Home Renovation

10 Best Tips for a Safe Home Renovation

kitchen-demolition-project

Virtually any home renovation project requires some degree of demolition. Installing a new floor? You’ll have to remove that raggedy old carpeting. Installing pristine new gray shaker cabinets? You’ll have to remove some dated lemon yellow kitchen cabinets from the dawn of time first.

Demolition isn’t as easy as you might think. Many homeowners can dismiss this stage of their remodeling project as simple enough to not require any planning, then end up incredibly frustrated and over budget. We want your renovation to turn out better than that; with a bit of planning and know-how, the demo stage doesn’t have to be a tear jerker.

1. Think of Demolition As Its Own Self-Contained Project

Demolition can be time-consuming and downright exhausting if you’re handling it yourself in large part. Isolating it as its own endeavor makes it easier to confront any obstacles it may present and deal with them more easily. Put your literal or figurative hard hat on, and focus on demolition first. Then you can approach your renovation with fresh eyes.

2.  Make Dedicated Time for Demo

In order to not feel overwhelmed, avoid injury, and get through your demolition project as quickly as possible we recommend giving it dedicated time. Plan out “This (weekend / day / 4 hour time slot) is committed to demo.” Make sure that you don’t have any serious activity planned out after your stints in demolition; it’s a surefire way to have to break plans out of exhaustion! Additionally, you increase your safety and avoid risk when you don’t rush to complete for the day in order to make it to other plans.

3.  Seal Off Areas That Will Not be Demolished

Take it from us, plaster, sawdust, and drywall dust will hunt down any and all available openings while you work. Shutting doors in the hopes that that will efficiently seal off your work space from the rest of your home is a fool’s errand. You will need to tape down sheet plastic with blue tape or even go as far as using a zip-wall dust barrier. You’ll thank us when you aren’t finding significant collections of dust throughout your home weeks later.

4.  Get an Accurate Picture of Your Layout

Before you get cracking away at tearing down, you need to have an excellent grasp of what exists behind your walls. A whole host of dangers could lurk there if you swing your sledgehammer unaware: electrical wire, gas lines, water pipes, even asbestos. Making a small exploratory hole after finding a stud lets you investigate carefully with a flashlight. Always assume the worst to avoid injury.

5.  Shut Off Your Power

We hope that it goes without saying, but it merits mentioning anyway: shut your power off before you commence demolition. If you absolutely need external light, use an extension cord from a separate area of the home and use a utility light. You can find a variety of cheap work lights online.

6.  Keep It Clean

Depending on the extent of your demolition, you’ll end up with a varying amount of waste. While you may be totally exhausted after a period of demo, limiting the debris after each session can dramatically improve the quality of the job and your peace of mind. Re-approaching the demo each new work session with a (relatively) clean work space can mean a world of difference.

7.  Use A Rental Dumpster

A demolition and remodel project of any sizable magnitude is going to have a tremendous amount of waste and debris. Renting or even purchasing a convenient rolloff dumpster is worth every cent. They can save you from countless voyages out to your local landfill and they can be very space economical.

8.  Use the Right Tools for the Job

Demolition is no different than any other aspect of a home remodel project: using the right tools saves you headache and reduces needless time waste. Make sure that you have the correct tools on hand: sledge hammer, large crowbar, a pry bar, and a claw hammer are the short list.

9.  Wear a Dust Mask

Tear down of walls, counter tops and tearing up floors can kick up a tremendous amount of dust. A throwaway dust mask minimizes health risks and allows you to work unimpeded. If hazards like asbestos or lead-based paint exist, you should consider a HEPA respirator instead. Safety first!

10.  Lace Those Boots

Wear your boots--we can’t emphasize it enough. Ignoring the more obvious dangers of nails or broken glass, even errant splinters sharp and strong enough to pierce thinner shoes could abound during your demo. You should also consider picking up a nice set of coveralls if you don’t have any clothes you can spare possibly sullying beyond recovery.

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