When renovating your home avoid damaging other parts of the house

Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay

​I am sure you have all done a spot of painting in your home and then spent several hours afterwards cleaning up paint spills and splashes where paint should not have been. Those of you who are less handy may have attempted a small repair job, only to end with a bigger mess than there was before you started.

Renovating portions of an existing house can result in damage to the rest of the house. This damage results in additional costs. Even supposed competent building contractors have been known to damage existing homes because a workman was careless or the work was left unsupervised.
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Unfortunately damage can often be easily caused. Some damage might not even be immediately visible and only discovered after the contractor has moved off site.

How your home is damaged during renovation and building work

Typical causes of damage and additional costs incurred during renovation and building work to your home includes.

• Dust from construction works can penetrate the whole house. Not only does this result in additional cleaning bills, but it could even result in requirements to repaint walls and replace carpets. Dust can damage equipment and appliances. To limit the spread of dust:
  • Consider hoarding (barricading) off the areas where renovations are taking place and ensure these hoardings are as airtight as possible.
  • Cover areas with plastic dust sheets – these could include light fixtures, carpets, furniture and walls.
  • Remove fixtures and fittings, curtains, blinds and furniture that could get dust on them.
  • Lightly wet down dust making activities.
  • Regularly remove building rubble and clean the work areas.
• Dirt is brought into areas on shoes and equipment. Limit the spread of dirt by covering and protecting floors and providing alternative access for construction workers so they don’t have to go through unaffected areas.
• Scuffing, chipping and scratching.
  • Floors – particularly timber, tiles and carpets can be damaged when workmen move equipment and materials through and over areas not being renovated. Consider covering floors with heavy duty cardboard which should be stuck down so that dust and grit can’t get under the cardboard between the floor and the cardboard which will cause scratches. Where walls are being demolished place timber boards to protect the floors from falling debris.
  • Doors – consider removing and storing doors from doorways that will have construction traffic passing through. Also protect the door frames by taping heavy duty cardboard or timber to areas which could be scuffed and damaged.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

• Structural, which includes cracking and even structural failures. This could be caused by:
  • Stacking of heavy materials on concrete floor slabs and paving, or even against walls. Most slabs are not designed to have heavy loads on them.
  • Moving heavy equipment on floor slabs and paving. Use timbers to protect the surface and to distribute the loads. Always check that the structure is suitable to support the weight of the machine.
  • Excessive vibrations caused by equipment. Heavy compacting equipment shouldn’t be used close to buildings since this can cause cracking. Equipment breaking parts of a structure can transfer the vibrations to other parts. Using smaller equipment and pre-cutting the break lines can reduce the impact of the vibrations.
  • Cutting out essential bracing or load bearing elements. Always get an engineer to check the structural integrity before breaking openings and demolishing walls. House collapses during renovations
  • Cutting out bracing walls. Removing some walls may mean that the remaining structure becomes unstable and could easily fall in high winds, or if knocked by a vehicle. Have an engineer assess the structure before demolitions start. Additional permanent, or temporary, supports may be required to support the structure. Before removing walls or adding new windows and doors check your house will not fall down
  • Constructing new walls and floors on existing foundations and floor slabs which weren’t designed to receive these.
  • Leaving areas open or exposed to the wind which could cause wind damage and even result in the roof being blown off, or walls collapsing.
  • Damage to buildings when knocked by heavy construction equipment, including trucks and excavators.
  • Undermining of the existing foundations when digging trenches for new pipes and cables, or new foundations and basements. Care must always be taken not to excavate too close and below existing foundations. Some ground can easily collapse, especially if water gets into the excavation. Ask for professional advice and always fill the excavation in as quickly as possible to lessen the risk of flooding.
• Water could come from pipes damaged by work, pipes or drains that have become blocked and cause flooding, rain entering the building through openings cut into the existing roof or walls, or from external sources when construction has damaged stormwater drains or where the natural path of the water has been blocked or diverted. It’s therefore important to:
  • Ensure that water pipes are isolated where they could be damaged by the construction work.
  • Check that building material and rubble doesn’t enter drains.
  • Ensure that all pipes are located, marked and protected before work starts.
  • Check that external work, including the stacking and tipping of sand and building materials, doesn’t block the natural path of stormwater.
  • Cover all openings with suitable tarpaulins or plastic sheeting that can keep the water out. These protections must be secure so they can’t be blown open by the wind. In addition water shouldn’t pool on these coverings as this can cause them to tear or collapse.

Do not create extra work when renovating your home

Taking a few extra precautions will prevent many of the causes of damage. Important is to keep an eye on your contractor. Do not be afraid to remind them to be careful, and immediately point out things that concern you. Good communication with your building contractors is vital
If your contractor knows that you are watching they will usually take a little extra care.
How to Make Your Home Secure When Remodeling and Renovating your Home

Repairing damage to areas which are not being renovated results in additional costs, it sometimes leaves a permanent scar which can't be repaired, it's annoying, and it can cause further inconvenience to you. Of course you also would not want a precious heirloom or most loved possession to  be damaged by careless workers - something that is irreplaceable to you. Before starting your home building project check your insurance

Want to learn more about designing, renovating and building houses?

​Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
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These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.