Renovating Your Home? Watch Out For These 3 Things
It isn’t uncommon for homeowners to make the decision to renovate their home themselves. This saves a ton of money and it doesn’t require strangers being in the home. However, there are potential problems that could arise if you aren’t careful. Therefore, it is crucial that you take heed of certain things during your renovation. Be sure to watch out for:
- Lead Paint.
If your home was built before 1978, chances are that lead paint is in your home. Therefore, before you begin renovating the home, especially if it involves sanding or dealing with painted surfaces, it is crucial to speak to a professional and schedule a time for your home to be tested for lead paint. Lead is very dangerous and can result in poisoning, which can then lead to numerous health issues, such as brain damage.
- Asbestos Fibers.
Although most people hear about asbestos in construction sites and large corporations, it can be present in your home. Therefore, your home needs to be tested for asbestos to ensure that you do not disturb any materials that may contain the hazardous element. It was once used in your home’s insulation, fireproofing materials and even some decorations. Although it is restricted now to specific products, asbestos is still commonly used.
During a renovation, you can be exposed to asbestos via demolition of roof shingles, flooring materials, ceilings and walls, etc. Asbestos is very toxic and can result in lunch cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. It only takes a few hours of exposure to trigger an illness decades down the road.
- Hidden Mold.
If you are dealing with a renovation in the basement, bathroom or kitchen in particular, you need to pay very special attention to the areas where it is dark, warm and moist. These areas breeding grounds for mold, which can also cause serious health issues like the aforementioned lead paint and asbestos. If you fail to test your home ahead of time for mold, then you may remove moldy materials and spread the mold spores throughout the ventilation system as well as the home itself. This creates a full-blown infestation of mold, which can cause some grave respiratory issues.
Regardless of how small you think your home renovation project is, it is always better to have your home tested for lead, asbestos and mold before getting started. The last thing you want is to disturb any one of these hazardous materials and cause yourself and your family serious and possibly fatal harm.