Renovating your home is an exciting time, but it can also be dangerous. When you are planning a renovation, you need to be aware of the potential health hazards, so you can take steps to protect yourself. Most people are aware of the obvious problems, like slips and falls, or injuries caused by power tools, and you can easily avoid these things.
However, there are a lot of surprising ways that DIY can impact health and beauty that people simply don’t think about. So, you could be putting yourself at risk every time you do work on your home. Before you start your next big renovation, make sure you’re aware of these ways that DIY can affect your health.
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Hazardous Chemicals
Hazardous chemicals are one of the more common health issues that you will encounter when renovating your home. A lot of paint contains high levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that you breathe in while renovating. If you’re using solvents to strip paint or clean things down, these can be harmful too. Being exposed to these hazardous chemicals for a few minutes won’t do you much harm, but if you are working with them for hours on end, over an extended period, you could do some lasting damage to your health.
The good news is, it’s easy to negate the dangers caused by hazardous chemicals by taking a few simple precautions. Ventilation is the most important thing, so make sure you keep all the windows open to maintain airflow through the building. This will stop fumes from collecting, so you don’t breathe them in. You can also wear a protective mask if you are using particularly strong solvents.
Always check the guidelines on the products you are using too. They will tell you if you need to wear gloves or goggles, etc. Follow the safety precautions to the letter, because they are there for a reason.
Dangerous Building Materials
If you are renovating an old property, you need to be aware of dangerous building materials. Things like asbestos or lead paint were regularly used in buildings before it was found that they were harmful to health. You are quite likely to find these materials in any buildings that haven’t been renovated for a long time, and they must be removed carefully, so they don’t make you sick.
The best thing to do is call an asbestos specialist and have them assess the building. They will be able to tell you if there is any asbestos and help you remove it safely, so you can continue with your renovations. If you are concerned about lead paint, there are home testing kits you can use to check the paint before removing it. You can then take the right precautions (wearing a mask and protective equipment) when you strip the paint.
Skin Damage
Home renovations can take a toll on your skin. Using a lot of heavy tools will damage the skin on your hands and all of the dust will dry your skin out. Dirt and dust can also clog the pores and increase the chance of breakouts. So, if you are doing renovations in your home, you need to improve your skincare routine to counteract the negative effects of dust and dryness. Use a good quality face wash every morning, and after you have finished working for the day. Moisturizing properly is crucial too. Your skin will be drier than normal, so use a good quality moisturizer after washing your face in the mornings and evenings.
Lung Problems
Finally, you may experience lung problems from breathing in dust. If you are sawing or sanding wood, plastering walls, or demolishing anything, you’ll create huge amounts of dust. All of these fine dust particles are breathed in and get lodged in your lungs. If you do this repeatedly, you can cause some serious long-term damage to your lungs, so you need to take precautions. Good ventilation will give you some protection, and you should wear a face mask with replaceable filters too. If you feel any tightness in your chest, you should stop working immediately.
Renovating your home can damage your health and beauty in several different ways. You must take steps to keep yourself safe next time you start a big DIY project.
