Types Of Renovations To Do During A Pandemic
Posted on: 2021-01-15
With more and more families in the Edmonton area staying home and staying safe, it’s no wonder that homeowners are still going forward with renovations.
There’s no reason not to make upgrades to your home during a pandemic, but you have to be careful in doing so.
Before jumping into a renovation, choose what area of your home you wish to upgrade and make a plan to keep your home and family safe.
Here are some tips for completing a renovation project during a pandemic:
Staying Safe During a Renovation
While more and more homeowners are having renovations done during the pandemic, having large groups of people in your home can increase the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
If you are thinking about renovations, and want to stay safe, here are some tips you can follow:
- Limit the number of people in your home. You may want to limit your renovations to one project at a time to keep the number of workers in your home low.
- Enforce safety restrictions. It’s your home so you have the right to monitor hand-washing and mask-wearing. Ask workers to follow these rules when entering and exiting your home.
- Keep up with disinfecting. Be sure to wipe down high traffic surfaces when the workers are done for the day.
Apart from keeping you and your family safe during renovations, keep in mind that construction supplies are currently in high-demand and some suppliers may be shut down due to the virus.
Before committing to a renovation project, check to see what materials are needed and order them ahead of time before hiring a contractor or demolishing a room.
Keeping Your Budget in Mind
COVID-19 has not slowed down the renovation industry. While many homeowners surveyed decided to forego larger renovations, many individuals in the Edmonton area were ready to spend up to $5000 on their home.
Since people were losing their jobs and income, they became more conservative with the amount of money they were willing to spend on home renovations.
When deciding whether or not to go forward with a renovation in your home, keep your budget in mind. Spend only what you have available for home projects.
Consider the projects you choose as well – here are four home renovation projects that can actually benefit you during the COVID-19 pandemic:
1. Home Office
With so many people opting to work from home if they can, it makes sense to create a home office space where you can focus and maintain productivity during the day.
If you don’t have space to spare in your home, considering upgrading your guest room to accommodate a desk and the rest of your office set up. You can even use an enclosed porch, large laundry room or garden shed – whatever space can pull double-duty.
However, if you can’t find a dedicated space, you may have to settle for the corner of a room that is out of your family’s way.
To create the perfect home office environment, ensure that the space has lots of natural light, is painted in a neutral and calming shade and, if possible, has a door you can close for privacy.
If you have an unfinished basement, you may be in luck! Our professional contractors at Parabola Developments are the experts when it comes to basement design and renovation!
2. Mudroom
The most important step in containing the spread of germs and viruses in your home is to keep them out in the first place.
While the WHO (World Health Organization) states that the chances of spreading COVID-19 through footwear is low, it’s important to take proactive measures – especially if you have infants or small children who crawl and play on the floors.
Creating a mudroom in your home is a great way to help contain the spread of germs from your shoes by having a neat and organized area to store all of your outside gear as soon as you get home (as well as limiting your floor-cleaning to one small area).
You don’t need a lot of space to create a beautiful and functional mudroom in your home. Look for an area by your front door, in your kitchen or near your backdoor to install coat hooks and shoe racks as well as lay down mats to wipe shoes.
3. Laundry Room
Another precaution families and individuals are taking to combat pandemic-related germs is to increase the frequency of washing clothes, towels and bedding.
You should wash all towels after use and change everyone’s bedding at least once a week.
To accommodate this increase in the laundry, why not upgrade your laundry room?
If your laundry area is located in your unfinished basement, consider adding drywall and countertops to make the space functional and enjoyable.
For washers and dryers located in bathrooms, think about encasing these appliances with new walls and folding doors.
Some homes have a laundry area near a back door – perform a double-duty renovation by upgrading your laundry area while adding in a mudroom.
4. Upgrade Your HVAC System
Keeping the air inside of your home clean and safe is important during a pandemic. In order to improve the air quality in your home, it may be time to take a look at your HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system.
As with many illnesses, viruses will attach themselves to dirt, dust and pet dander. The more you can pull this out of the air, the less likely the virus will spread.
Before you decide to completely rehaul the entire system, take the time to inspect your ducts and air filters to ensure they are clean and functioning properly.
You can also add additional purifiers, such as UV lights, to your system. These UV bulbs are also referred to as “germicidal light” so they effectively kill any germs that pass through them.
Lastly, you can attach ionizers which are charged particles that attach themselves to mold, bacteria and viruses to help break them apart.
Ready to Renovate?
If you are looking for professional and prompt home contracting solutions, Parabola Developments can help you with home renovations, even during these uncertain times.
