Tips for Keeping Your Home Clean and Protected during Remodeling

One of the last topics to cross your mind when you are planning your home remodel is how you are going to protect the rest of your home. However, as you are repairing one area of your home, the rest of your home could take a serious beating if you are not careful. Dust often flies through the air, and paint splatters, cracked walls, broken ceilings and dinged floors are a real danger if you go about your work carelessly. Here are a few tips for protecting your entire home during your next remodeling or redecorating project.



First, be sure to protect the rest of your home from the dust that often flies up during remodeling projects. Use heavy plastic to seal off the work area of your home from the rest of the house, and cover over air vents that connect to the rest of the home. For minor remodels, you may just want to consider using heavy tarp or plastic over pieces of furniture or upholstery to keep dust out of the fibers and to keep wood, metal and glass pristine. By protecting against flying dust, you can prevent allergies and dirt throughout the rest of your home.

Second, protect counters, corners and fixtures that are not coming out with a mixture of cardboard, plastic or paper sheeting and tape. Corrugated cardboard can protect against many chips and dings because it has some give to it. Always be sure to use painter’s tape because it is designed to peel away easily without taking any paint or stain with it.

Third, you must protect your floors from dirty feet, paint splatters and heavy equipment that could leave scratches, stains and dents. This is particularly true if you have hardwood floors or tile that can chip or break, but it is equally true over carpeting. Before you start thinking that floor protection is not as easy as you would like, consider the benefits of surface protection like dropcloths. TRIMACO produces professional grade dropcloth guaranteed to protect surface from all types of paint stains and spills, while also providing non-slip surfaces for walking. You may want to consider lightweight paper if you only need to protect against paint splatters and dirt. However, red or brown rosin paper is even thicker and is great for use on steps. For very high traffic areas or areas that are going to see heavy-duty construction equipment in them, opt for laminated, heavy flooring paper that resists tears and moisture and can even be used on concrete and brick.

Finally, be sure to do your DIY remodeling or redecorating projects in the correct order. This will ensure that each area remains gorgeous even as you move onto a new project. While your exact process may vary from the norm based on specific needs, most professionals recommend finishing off ceilings and walls before moving on to flooring. The reason for this is that most ceilings and walls are far cheaper than flooring is, and repairing chips or dents in walls can be done easily after floors are finished. After these two steps, you will want to put in trim as well as fixtures and cabinets where needed. Finally, before calling it a day, look around for any touch-ups that need to be done, such as caulking or painting repairs.

When you choose to protect your home during your exciting remodel, you can prevent more expensive repairs and lengthened projects. However, protection does not have to be expensive or take up much of your time. By choosing quality products and installing them around your home before your remodel begins, you can keep your home clean and beautiful while decreasing frustration and unnecessary cost.