Home Remodel Survival Guide
It’s often been said that if your marriage can survive a home remodel, it can survive anything. While this situation can be stressful from several vantage points, one of the biggest inconveniences of a home remodel is the seemingly perpetual mess that is created. Not everyone has the time and energy to be as enthusiastic as the PAID actors in the Swiffer® commercials but this doesn’t mean you need to live in a war zone until the project is completed.
Foot Traffic Management: In a lot of instances, it’s unsafe for contractors to remove their shoes when working in your house. However, rugs & carpet remnants can be laid in high traffic areas in order to restrict the amount of dirt that ends up on your floors. Big box home improvement stores also sell long rolls of adhesive that can be used to make a walking trail on carpeted areas. Disposable shoe covers can also be worn by workers as well.
Minimizing Dust: Large plastic sheets can be hung to divide rooms that would otherwise be open to each other so that the mess stays in the room that is being remodeled as much as possible. However, dust can still get into your vents and circulate. After the project is finished, it may be to your benefit to have your vents cleaned by a professional.
Trash Collection: Having an oversize trash can available is also beneficial because it controls the mess and saves the time of having to empty it multiple times a day. Larger projects may require a dumpster. While it’s a reasonable expectation that your home should be respected and not littered with remnants of yesterday’s lunch, do know that asking that everything be lined up perfectly and wiped down at the end of every workday, will prolong the length of your project and will end up costing you extra because of the time it can take to do.
