4 Tips for Safe DIY Home Renovations

Here are four safety considerations for DIY home renovations so that the labor savings aren’t offset by medical bills.

Plan for Safety Up Front

Before you start your home renovation project, outline what you’re going to do to stay safe. Never plan on going up on the roof by yourself and ensure that someone is there to hold the ladder as you’re climbing. Determine how you’ll get supplies safely up on the roof so that you aren’t asking someone who should be keeping three points of contact on the ladder at all times to carry tool boxes and supplies.

Analyze the project to determine the safety gear you need before you start work. When you’re considering using tools, make sure you rent or buy the right safety equipment to go along with it.

Use The Right Safety Gear

If you are up on the roof, solid shoes with good grip are a minimum. The better choice is wearing a retractable harness so that you won’t fall off your roof and break bones trying to fix that hole. Don’t wear a hat to keep debris out of your eyes when you can wear a hard hat instead to protect you from both debris and falling tools.

If a ladder isn’t good enough, call in the pros to put in metal scaffolding. If you don’t know how to use the safety gear that goes with the project, call for help.

Power Down When You’re Done

Make a habit of turning off tools anytime you step away from the work. Items you need to turn off or unplug include:

• The nail gun so someone doesn’t get a nail through the foot stepping on a tool you left where you were, whether on the ground or the roof.
• The wood chipper and saws and put safety guards in place so nothing can accidentally be harmed by it, including curious children and pets.
• Power to the work area when there is no work going on so that no one can be accidentally shocked tripping on a power cord or if an animal chews through the wiring.

Keep It Clean

Clean workspaces are invaluable for several reasons.

First, you minimize potential accidents caused by loose items. No one is going to get a hole in the foot stepping on scattered nails after the work is done if you make a habit of sweeping after each shift. If you regularly sweep up and pick up, it is less likely anyone will trip on tools or supplies left on the ground.

When you’re done with the task for the day, either secure the space so strangers and children cannot wander in or put powered tools and bladed items away in a secured space like a locked shed.

Second, regularly cleaned project areas reduce the work required to make things easier to clean up overall when the project is completed.

All these tips will allow you to increase your safety on your next DIY renovation project. Safety should be your priority, as DIY home renovations accidents are some of the most common causes of invalidity in the country.

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