Kitchen & Bathroom Design Blog

Here is a new blog post from a guest author contributing to
Lang’s Kitchen & Bath’s website.  We hope you find this topic helpful!

The decision to remodel your home is the start of an exciting journey. Even though it’s exciting, the journey can become overwhelming and feel like one big roller coaster ride. Lucky for you, we’re going over the pitfalls or hazards that can arise when planning and executing your next remodeling project. You’ll be able to have your dream home and feel safe during the process. 

The first step in your remodeling project is to admit and accept that there’s more to the process than you may know. It’s important to acknowledge that you may need an extra hand, or two, before officially beginning. In 2021, 51% of homeowners hired qualified tradesmen, and 36% of professionals hired a construction manager. No matter the project, whether it’s a kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, plumbing installation, or laying new flooring, a contractor or designer can help put your mind at ease.

You may believe that hiring a contractor will give you less control over the vision of your project, but contractors are highly skilled and in return could be beneficial to not only the structure but the design of your home. You’re not selling your home improvement skills short by hiring a contractor, it’s actually the safest and more popular route. The more hands the merrier, as long as all these hands have protective safety gloves.

Not Planning Ahead

Now that we’ve gotten the first step out of the way, planning ahead is one way to avoid future difficulties. You’re going to need:

• A detailed plan of what needs to be done in the home

• A list of the renovations you want to complete 

• A list of materials you need

• An established budget

In regards to planning how the renovations will be executed, you will want to know which renovations will be allocated to a hired contractor versus work you can do yourself. Keeping this in mind will help you figure out the amount of materials you may need. When considering the materials, it’s a good idea to order extra to account for any mishaps or defects. In addition, keep in mind that if you’re working with a contractor, they may want to use their own materials as opposed to yours and this will help you weed out what you need to purchase. 

After making a detailed plan of what needs to be done and the materials you need, you will be able to give yourself an estimate of your projected spending. Establishing a budget for your renovation project can give you an idea of how much you can afford to keep you from overspending. 

Thinking Short Term

Partaking in a home renovation project takes time, money, effort, and most importantly, patience. Typically, if you’re doing a home renovation now, you most likely won’t remodel again for the next several years. This is important to ponder, especially in terms of material quality, the professionals you hire, and what style you want for your home. 

If there’s anything you want to avoid doing, it’s buying cheap materials. Although the price of materials adds up, ultimately, it’s an investment. When making major home changes you want to guarantee that construction projects don’t go wrong and that you won’t need to extend a contract or redo any work, which could cost you even more. The pros of buying construction materials yourself are that you can look around for the best deal, especially since you’ll most likely be buying in bulk. 

Furthermore, considering that renovations are done once every so many years, it’s smart to give thought to what materials were used in the last renovation, and the safety of the materials going forward. Depending on the age of your home, renovations can disrupt old materials, cause damage and ultimately cause harm to you and your family. For instance, homes built before the 1980s used asbestos, a combination of six naturally occurring minerals that are made up of thin, nanoscopic fibers, as a heat and chemical resistant material and was used for fireproofing and strength.

This causes a threat to the health of the homeowners due to the potential to disrupt the fibers from inaccurately handling construction projects. If this happens, asbestos fibers can become airborne and increase the risk of exposure to those in the home. Once asbestos is inhaled, your body is unable to clear out the toxin, damaging your lungs and developing into asbestos lung cancer or mesothelioma cancer. While asbestos has since been banned in most countries and greatly reduced and limited in the US, it’s an unfortunately dangerous and ugly side of home remodeling that responsible homeowners, contractors, and renovators should take into account. Hiring a professional to handle older homes, complex projects, or to assess your home before beginning yourself can save you from getting into something that turns out to be riskier than initially assessed.

Forgetting About Safety

Safety rules are the best rules and educating yourself before you start can save a life. Asbestos can appear in multiple forms but in addition, asbestos is not the only toxic material that you should be aware of. Remodeling your home can become hectic and without the knowledge or experience, it’s possible to put yourself at risk of asbestos, lead, and other harmful toxins that can show themselves as:

• Construction dust

• Radon

• Lead-based paint

Construction Dust

Construction dust is dust that’s caused by home renovation, or rebuilding work. As an example, taking down drywall in the home can produce dust particles in the air that are capable of irritating and damaging the lungs. Those who suffer from asthma, allergies, or chronic respiratory conditions are at an increased risk of lung complications. 

To avoid the risk of renovation dust exposure, wear masks and limit exposure if at all possible, as well as practice good cleaning practices. Renovation dust can be made up of many different toxic materials such as calcite, talc, lead, silica, and more. Lack of protection around this type of dust can lead to throat irritation, cough, breathing problems, phlegm, and a runny nose, so it’s imperative to not overlook it. If you’re worried about how to deal with construction dust, one rule of thumb is not to wait until the end of construction to start disposing of it, it should be a constant clean-up.

Radon

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Based on the accessibility from the soil into your home, radon can enter your home from fractures in the foundation of the walls and of the floors. It is important to remain conscious of potential radon exposure due to it being an odorless, tasteless, and colorless radioactive gas. The natural decomposition of uranium produces this gas and can be found in rocks and soils, making your house the main target. If inhaled, radioactive particles from radon look for the cells that line your airways and settle themselves there. This can endanger your lung function and DNA makeup. To handle radon, air out your home as much as you can, purchase a radon home testing kit, evacuate if you need to, and contact your state radon office to gain insight on radon protocols in your area.

Lead-Based Paint

Lead is a highly toxic metal with immense potential to threaten our overall health and well-being. If lead is absorbed by the body, it can begin brain damage, affect your nerves, blood, and become the source of behavioral problems. When lead-paint breaks down it combines with household dust and soil and can be brought into the home without your knowledge. In the case that your home was built before 1978, you will want to take extra precautions like taking off your shoes when entering your home, wiping down walls, window and door surfaces, and vacuuming your carpet and upholstery often. 

Along with making sure you have an experienced professional you trust to help, and new knowledge of dangers to be aware of, it’s important that you don’t underestimate the dangerous risks within a home renovation. If you’re partaking in parts of construction around your home, make sure to have the necessary protective equipment including:

• A hard hat

• Safety glasses

• Hearing protection

• Utility gloves

• Work boots

In the event that someone is harmed, always keep a first aid kit handy just in case. As we all have heard, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Remodeling Just For Looks

Trends are trendy but in another season or after a couple of years, they fade fast. What was once in, is no longer appealing, so you should consider the timeline of your home and if you’re willing to completely redo a look, style, or installation based on the newest interior design trends. Don’t only consider the appearance, but the quality of the work being done in your home is essential to keeping you and your family safe. As mentioned above, the value of the materials used, and the quality of the construction job are crucial to a renovation done well. You don’t want to become too distracted or worried about keeping up with the trends. Remember, quality over trends. Choosing the trendiest home ideas may not end up what you want in the long run and could make it difficult to place a resale value.

Last But Not Least, Good Luck!

One last thing to consider before you begin your exciting remodel is to have fun! Whether you are doing renovations yourself or with a professional just remember to keep an open mind and don’t feel discouraged if plans go in a different direction. There’s a lot to know and do when it comes to a renovation and at the end of it all, you’re trying your best to stay safe and to have the home of your dreams and it is completely possible to achieve.