Home remodeling can be a stressful, if rewarding, period. The good news is that with a little bit of planning, you can make it less stressful for everyone involved.
The first thing you’ll want to do is get some supplies:
- painter’s tape – this tape is gentle on walls
- shoe covers – whether your home remodeling project is inside or out, these will help you contain the mess
- plastic tarps – these have a large variety of purposes, so stock up
- cardboard – this is resilient to bumps and scrapes, making it an ideal covering for otherwise vulnerable
There are other supplies you might need if the work is being done outdoors or in heavily trafficked areas like the bathroom, but these items are the basics for most home remodeling projects.
Move Everything Out
It isn’t always possible to move every item in the room to a different part of the house, especially in smaller homes. However, get as much out of the room as you can. Pack up anything that collects dust easily and get rid of clutter.
While you’re at it, clean everything that comes out of the room. Even if you’re just giving the knickknacks a wipe down with a damp cloth and vacuuming the rug before rolling it up, you’ll appreciate the extra effort when your home remodel is done, and you’re putting everything back in place.
Clean Everything Left Behind
Don’t worry about cleaning the things that are getting ripped out. However, now is the time to do a deep clean of everything left behind in the room that stays. Even if you’re painting the walls, the paint will go on smoother if the walls are free of dust.
More importantly, remember to clean the adjacent rooms. No matter how hard you try, some dust and debris will escape into the neighboring areas. It will be far easier (and quicker) to clean if the dust fell on otherwise clean surfaces.
Cover Up Everything
Here’s where the supplies you picked up earlier come in. You’ll want to cover up as much as you can with plastic. Floors and furniture are the obvious choices. But also cover up vents – which can suck up dust and throw it into other parts of your house.
Build walls of plastic between the room that’s being remodeled and any other areas. Your goal is to contain the dust in the room that’s being remodeled.
If there are cabinets or any other fixtures you’re keeping, cover them with cardboard. By covering it with cardboard, you’re reducing the chance of damage, as well as keeping dust and debris out of the cracks.
Create Walkways
Now that you’ve cordoned off the room from the rest of the house consider where people will be going. Use plastic to line carpet between the room and the front (or back) door, as well as between the room and the bathroom.
Take a moment and think about where else you might need to get to quickly. Where’s the breaker box? What about the basement? Lay out walkways to all of these places. Plastic sheets are cheap and will save you so much headache in the long run.
Set Out Protective Gear
This might seem like overkill, but it’ll help prevent accidentally tracking dust and debris all over the house, especially if you have to veer off-path unexpectedly. Booties are probably more than enough for most home remodeling projects, but for more extensive or messy projects, you may want to consider a pair of coveralls.
But these are only as useful as their location. Put your protective gear around any entrances and exits from the room. If you have them at every exit, you won’t run into an issue where you accidentally left through the wrong door.
Once the remodeling has begun, stay on top of cleaning. Change out floor coverings as needed and be sure to have extra protective gear on hand, so you don’t run out mid-project.
A DIY home remodeling project is stressful, but with a little bit of preparation, the clean-up will be a breeze. You’ll be able to enjoy your newly remodeled home in no time.
