Your house should be a place of safety and security for you and your family. Most people have a life goal of buying a house; however, it would be a pity to spend their savings only to find a house where they didn’t feel safe and comfortable.
After purchasing a fixer-upper, many people report unhappiness with the building and choose to sell it instead. An older house generally has issues that you need to deal with. It would help if you were ready for unexpected problems to pop up along the way. Remodeling and renovating is usually the best you can do.
However, remodeling can bring a fair number of dangers with it. When it comes to removing dangerous things from the house, you should get down to it as soon as possible. Especially if you have children in the house, eradicating whatever potentially harmful stuff should be your priority.
On that note, this article will be talking about getting rid of dangerous things in your house and keeping the family safe and secure.
Watch out for asbestos
Older houses generally have a higher concentration of asbestos than modern ones. The reason is that people didn’t know about the harmful effects of the chemical toxin. It would be wise to call in the professionals rather than dealing with this yourself. Accidental exposure could cost you your life if you aren’t careful.
Asbestos exposure is known to cause an untreatable form of cancer known as mesothelioma, and it could be present inside everyday household items that you use daily.
If you feel ill, have breathing issues, feel weak, or have lost weight without reason, here is a resource for mesothelioma prognosis to understand its severity, complications, treatment, and other crucial information that’ll help you live a healthy lifestyle.
The prognosis for the condition is usually about one year. However, some people have been known to live up to seven years. There is a lot you can do to extend your life with the condition.
Also Read: What to Consider When You Decide to Remodel Your Home 2021
Removing mold and checking for water damage
Mold is another problem that exists in a damp climate or houses that have suffered water damage. Much like asbestos, breathing mold spores can damage your lungs and severely affect your health. Though it may not be as dangerous as asbestos, it’s certainly something that you want to look out for.
You can take precautions to get rid of mold yourself. Wearing protective gear such as a pair of tear-resistant nitrile gloves and a mask can help to prevent the inhalation of toxic materials. However, if you can call in the pros, please do. It’s always better to avoid a nasty situation if you can.
If you don’t take care of the mold when remodeling, you will likely have structural issues later down the line. Tend to it now so that it doesn’t mess with your remodeling plans later on.
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide can be a silent killer if you don’t take care of it swiftly. If you think you are showing symptoms of carbon poisoning, you may want to have the house swept and visit a doctor as soon as possible.
If the garage is close to the main house, car fumes can enter fairly quickly. Faulty seals and proximity allow dangerous fumes to mix with breathable air in your home. Most people don’t even know that there’s an issue before it’s too late.
While remodeling, try and add some windows to the garage. You may also want to look at the seals and pad the bottom of the doors to ensure that no fumes get into the house. Anything you can do to ensure that the fumes dissipate from the garage could be helpful when protecting the family from carbon monoxide.
Also Read: Does Fire Rated Insulation Stop a Fire?
Pests in the House
Old houses are victims of pest infestation. Insects like scorpions, centipedes, snakes, and spiders can cause worry, especially if kids are playing around in the house.
It is a good idea to call in pest control as soon as possible if you see the signs of an infestation. Droppings, carcasses, and strange smells are the first signs that something might be wrong.
With the noise and vibrations during the remodeling process, critters and snakes could come out of hiding. So, do yourself a favor and call in pest control before and after the renovation to ensure that the pests are gone for good.
Remove debris and rubble immediately
Once you’re done with the renovation, the loose debris and waste need to go fast. A strong gust of wind and all that dust is coming right back into the house. The amount of dust that all that debris holds can cause major breathing issues for everyone in the house.
Moreover, as we mentioned earlier, mold and asbestos may remain in the debris, so it would be wise to remove them before people in the house get infected.
Debris removal companies may help. You certainly can’t remove hundreds of pounds of rubble and debris on your own and shouldn’t even try.
Also Read: 5 Ways to Protect Your Home While Remodeling
Conclusion
Now that we have dealt with remodeling and the potential dangers that come along with it, we hope that you’ve taken away something positive from this article and learned how to avoid dangerous stuff in the house.
We have talked about several kinds of toxic substances, such as mold and asbestos. The need to remove pests and critters around the house is also critical so that other people don’t get bitten or stung.
The critical message that you should be taking away is to work fast and call in the pros. Take this advice seriously; illness and injuries can strike more quickly than you may imagine. Don’t deal with this yourself unless you have experience. You could end up becoming one of the causalities.