5 Ways to Stay Safe During COVID-19 Renovations
The pandemic is a difficult impediment to navigate. Its contagiousness and seriousness make it so that people across the world must reevaluate their everyday lives. During this time of quarantines and social distancing, home projects have grown in popularity. Home renovation, specifically, can be a tricky task while complying with COVID-19 safety measures.
Close contact is at the top of the list of things to avoid. Luckily, renovations may not necessarily require interacting in close proximity. Hiring workers and carrying out DIY projects require proactive steps, however.
The time at home over the past several months has left people with constructive ideas. With more time on their hands than ever, the home projects that they've been putting off are now much more appealing. If you're in the same boat, you may want to hire workers to complete the renovations. Other times, you may want to go about the projects yourself.
To fully comply with COVID-19 safety protocols, preventative action is necessary.
1. Sanitize
As the coronavirus fluctuates, with spikes and moments of regression, it's critical to evaluate and reevaluate your local area. If you're in a high-risk location, working with contractors and builders should likely wait. In lower-risk regions, however, the first step is to sanitize and maintain proper hygiene.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing your hands for at least 20 seconds. With theright levels of ethanol or isopropanol, you ensure a sanitary first step.
As workers come in and out of your home, everyone should wash their hands frequently throughout the day. Sanitizing the bathroom andthe rest of the house will be part of your routine as well once everyone leaves for the day. However, sanitation extends beyond hygiene and cleaning products.
2. Use PPE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a necessity for everyone during this pandemic. Doctors and caregivers require extensive PPE because they work with people who test positive for the virus. Regular citizens, too, need some form of protective equipment. You'll see masks and gloves everywhere when you go out.
When working with contractors, you must ensure that they have PPE that meets local and government standards. Sincecontractors work with PPE usually anyway, not much will change. Masks, gloves and eye protection are standards when it comes to builders.
However, you can take extra protective precautions by sectioning off parts of your home. Whether it's with tarps or plastic barriers, the less interaction, the better. Any distance you can put between you and people who live outside your household will help.
3. Social Distance
Social distancing is one of the most important actions people must take during this pandemic. It involves PPE, staying home if possible and maintaining at least six feet between you and everyone else. If workers cannot social-distance while on the job, it then becomes a higher-risk project and should wait.
If it is possible to social-distance, then you should encourage it. You can take it a step further by requesting that no sick workers enter your home. It's an unprecedented time, so requests like these are common and reasonable.
Social distancingis now a societal norm that everyone must follow. As people adjust to this new normal, inviting people into your home is a primary area to enact distancing.
4. Shop Online
One of the best ways to practice social distancing is to not go out at all. Going to any popular store can increase your chances of contracting the virus due to increased exposure to people. However, online shopping is a key way to eliminate almost all contact.
If the contractors order online, they reduce their chances of coming in contact with a COVID-19 carrier. Therefore, the chances of them bringing it into your home decrease as well.
Shopping online also makes it easier to compare prices. You'll want tobalance low costs with performance and durability. The best construction equipment will be powerful and economical at the same time. This COVID-19 safety precaution can ultimately save you money on your home renovation.
5. DIY
To completely reduce your chances of coming in contact with the coronavirus, you can turn yourhome renovation into a DIY project with minimal errors. To do so, you'll need to follow the same sanitation, PPE and social distancing guidelines in general. Shopping online, too, will help you reduce your exposure.
You should eliminate hazards and boost your air quality as well. Cover up pipes, nails, screws, jagged edges and anything else that could harm you. In terms of air quality, you should replace your air filters and always have a fan or two going for circulation.
With these safety precautions, you keep yourself out of harm's way. In doing so, you won't need medical attention for injuries, which could be a potential avenue for exposure.
Safe Renovations Under COVID-19
You'll want to make sure you can uphold the safest practices in your home, especially if you or someone you live with is a high-risk individual. PPE, sanitation, social distancing and online shopping combined make for the best proactive steps when working with contractors. When working by yourself, be sure to take all the necessary steps to stay healthy while remaining COVID-19-free.