Keep Your Child Safe During Home Renovations

Child safety is one of a parent’s biggest priorities, and during home renovations, tools, equipment, and potentially hazardous materials are scattered about, which can be harmful to your children’s health or lead to injuries.  So, when it comes to keeping your kids safe during home renovations, there are certain precautions that should be taken.

Here are some tips on how you can keep your children safe while home renovations are underway:

• Keep track of your tools and put them away when not in use. During renovations, a number of powerful tools will be needed for the project. Kids, especially younger ones, are very attracted to the noise and sight of powerful tools, and when they see you using it, they’ll want to also.  To keep your children from playing with your tools when you’re not around, make sure you keep larger power tools shut inside the room you are renovating and smaller ones inside a tool box.
• Keep your children away from the place of construction. To ensure that your kids don’t play with your renovating tools, get in the way when work is being done, or hurt themselves on sharp tools and materials, keep them out of the room entirely.  Place a no entry sign or line, so they will know that they are not allowed inside. If possible, shut and lock the door as well, so they will not be tempted.
• Keep all of your waste contained in one place. Yes, renovations can be messy, but that is no excuse for your waste be scattered all over the house. Gather everything that is considered as waste and contain it in one place. This will minimize the risk of your little ones cutting their hands on tiny pieces of metal or glass.
• Keep the air clean. Children are prone to allergies during renovations because of the dust and foreign materials, so try to keep the air as clean as possible.  In order to prevent dust and other allergens from leaving the room, seal all HVAC vents in the area or use plastic sheeting to surround the renovation zone.  Moreover, practice the concept of “clean as you go” – before you call it quits each day, clean and vacuum your work area and leave it as clean as possible.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031