House Remodeling 101 » Safety

Annual Home Inspection

Simon — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:04:13 +0000

There is wisdom in getting your home inspected every year or so, which identifies and detects problems before they become worse. Life in a home is a never ending race against decay which starts from the home is constructed till before it’s occupants decide to move on, some homes lasting longer than others. There is also a very real cost to living in a home, that being maintenance is part of the home’s life-cycle where in you are most likely to have a major re-make of the home every five years or so, depending on how well the home was constructed. Old materials crumble, necessitating replacement with more energy efficient counterparts, appliances break-down and they are replaced, hopefully replaced with more efficient and environmentally friendly ones to help save the earth. A home is only as well as it is made and that makes itself known after a few years of living in a house, after it has become a home lived in, as all homes should be, becoming a part of the family (in a sense).

DIY Wisdom – Dust Masks, Eyes and Ear Protection

Simon — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:05:43 +0000

When you wish to engage in dusty jobs, dust masks are an essential to prevent your lungs from suffering the fruits of your labors, it can also save you a trip to the ER. Wood dust, plastic dust and fine particles can be harmful to your lungs as well as vapors. They also come in many types, from the cheaper disposable ones to ones specifically designed for acidic, caustic or other purposes. If you see a lot of dusty jobs in the future, better get one of those re-usable ones that you can replace the filters of depending on the type of job or particles you would be exposed to. They are quite cheap and will last almost forever for the filters can be replaced easy due to their cartridge construction.

Eye protection is also a very important area to focus on, with general purpose ones readily available at your local home depot. From eyeglass type to full-face masks that offers protection from debris, say when using a table saw or planer. They are usually made of polycarbonate plastic that is shatter-proof and is almost similar to the ones used as blast shields or bullet-proofing (think that’s too much, consider a drillbit spinning at 5,000prm and it snapping, flying off into your face).

Another good investment is a good pair of ear plugs or muffs if you prefer for power tools can generate quite a lot of noise. Planers, drills and other electrically powered tools can produce a lot of ear drum splitting sounds so do get them. What good is a nice patio if you can’t hear anything after you’re done. They come in simple foam, disposable ones to more reusable rubber plastic compounds that can be washed and used over and over again. More tips on safety for the weekend warrior in the coming posts, so you save in your home renovation and prevent accidents at the same time.

DIY Wisdom – Gloves, What You need to know.

Simon — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:00:55 +0000

Since America and mostly the whole world is becoming a thrifty society, everybody seems to be on the DIY side of life which saves in terms of labor and other costs allowing you to decide on the quality of materials and many more aspects of the DIY life. With DIY comes well needed understanding of the many secrets known only to the tradesmen. People seldom pay attention to the nuances of house remodeling till they get deep into the process when they see for themselves what the whole process is all about. Life as we know it, evolves around certain skills that makes civilized life possible such as the work done by the many handymen out these who are all too willing to do the dirty work for us all.

The tools as we have discussed in one of our previous posts is an essential requirement for proper DIY and over emphasizing on safety gear is one of the most important to remember. No use in saving a buck when you need to spend a hundred or so in the ER due to an accident. Gloves are an essential for the home, they come in several types for all types of jobs. Light and thin ones for light jobs and even surgical type ones for painting and simple jobs. For masonry and other heavier jobs, you need either goat-skin or cow-hide (real or treated) for utmost comfort and protection from the rigors of DIY work. Thick rubber ones are needed for jobs that require handling caustic or acidic compounds such as muriatic acid(household hydrochloric acid), the household part shouldn’t be trusted for some can be industrial grade and thus very much dangerous.

Stay away from accidents

editor — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:30:16 +0000

One of the most important aspects of remodeling your home is making sure that you are following all the safety precautions as you go about your remodeling. One very important tips is to have children and pets stay away from any work area, as they may be exposed to harmful fumes from paint and the like, as well as risk sustaining injuries from work tools. It also pay to wear the appropriate safety gear like work gloves, safety goggles, dusk mask and hard hat. These protect you from cutting or injuring yourself. Make sure that all your tools are stored properly, especially the ones with the sharp and pointed edges. When using power tools, make sure that you read the manual first so you know it’s proper and safe use.

Shocking Wisdom

Simon — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:19:02 +0000

Each and every system of the house demands utmost care and evaluation every time you deem it necessary to get a remodel job. Hidden systems such as electrical and plumbing systems need extensive inspection if the old equipment is to be used to make sure they are able to cope with additional equipment or appliances should they be necessary. Replacing old and worn wires that have cracked insulation would save you a lot of time and money preventing them from failing in the future. Plumbing pipes and Gas pipes should also be checked for possible problems when they are visible to prevent hazardous leaks and damage they can cause.
Electrical breakers, fuse boxes and GFI outlets should be periodically checked fro proper function and replaced with same rated fixtures to prevent fire and maintain their effective operation modes. Working with such house systems is easier during re-models for they are exposed and clearly visible allowing proper access to asses their overall health.