The pandemic triggered by the COVID-19 virus has definitely disrupted even the most concrete plans. This is a global crisis that no one could have foreseen; one that has affected the lives of everyone across the world. And while there are sectors and industries that haven’t been affected as much as others; construction and general contracting Los Angeles projects have definitely taken a major hit. In most of these, progress has been temporarily or permanently halted. However, remodeling during COVID-19 isn’t impossible – and we’re going to share some tips with you on how to do this safely.
The issues of remodeling during COVID-19
Most people who have personally invested in a renovation project that is already ongoing can’t really afford to halt it indefinitely. After all, if you’re in the middle of a home renovation and you haven’t set up some of your key utilities or your crucial home areas aren’t usable yet; you can’t exactly stop the project in the middle. Or even worse – if you’re running a business and renovating your store or your corporate office with the support of a commercial general contractor Los Angeles; this sort of business interruption is even worse. Not to mention the fact that halting remodeling during COVID-19 is bad for suppliers and contractors as well; they’re bound to be struggling to maintain in the process of maintaining their businesses.
Still, if you’re not careful – continuing the project can mean certain issues as well. If we’re talking about home remodeling, it could mean a couple of workers cooperating in close quarters; potentially facilitating the spread of the virus. Plus, if anyone in your household has been afflicted by the coronavirus in the meantime; all of the debris and dust that is a natural byproduct of this sort of work may make their symptoms worse. And we’d also be remiss not mentioning the general uncertainty in construction in this era; it’s more difficult than ever to obtain the necessary permits for bigger projects, seeing as non-essential municipality services are closed.
What can you do?
While construction schedule delays are definitely an issue these days, we should mention that there are some things you can do when it comes to remodeling during COVID-19. For instance; if your project qualifies as an essential one, you can continue working on it even during quarantine hours; this includes emergency repairs and similar home maintenance jobs. And if there are issues in your household that result in improper sanitation and hygiene problems, you can finish those. This includes kitchen and bathroom remodels, as well as any kind of water leaks that could be a potential hazard.
Additionally, home remodels that aren’t high-risk (from a public health standpoint) and were already mid-way to completion can resume operating. Also, if you have signed a contract with your contractors before the coronavirus measures began, you can also finish your work. Generally, low-risk home remodels are those that you can work on while maintaining a distance of 6 feet between everyone involved.
Proper measures
If you want to continue remodeling during COVID-19, you need to know all of the proper measures that any remodeling or construction site needs to enact. First of all, you need to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation at the site. This means that everyone working there will have to wash their hands upon arrival for a minimum of 20 seconds. Furthermore, if there isn’t running water at the remodeling site, the contractors will need to install handwashing stations nearby. Providing hand sanitizer cannot be a proper substitute for water.
Also, the Department of Health has issued additional workplace safety tips that you will need to follow. Namely, these include the rule that people must wear masks for the entire duration of their work. In some cases, this may be just a cloth covering for your mouth; but it may also include eye protection (visors) and gloves. In construction, the type of these gloves also depends on the kind of work that people are doing.
furthermore, social distancing is an absolute must. You need to ensure that everyone working on this remodel is always 6 feet apart from each other. And bear in mind that if this isn’t possible in your household or commercial space, then your project does not qualify as low-risk. As such, you will have to wait for the COVID-19 measures to be done before you can resume that work.
Safe communication
If you’re just starting remodeling during COVID-19 and you’re certain that you can begin working on the project despite the circumstances; there are other safety tips to keep in mind. And these don’t just concern the actual site of your remodeling plans. For instance, when you need to talk to your remodeler regarding the details of this upcoming project; you want to have the meeting over Zoom or over the phone instead of doing it live. All discussions regarding your ideas, the project’s scope, and the budget for remodeling can be done like this as well.
Electronic information sharing
After the initial discussion about the project with your contractor, you will need to remain in constant communication with them; at least if you want them to complete the project according to your precise wishes. However, you can make use of technology to avoid live meetings in this period as well. Indeed, texts, emails, and video calls are more than sufficient for you to adequately present your design ideas and other data.
The key to successful remodeling during COVID-19 is in the planning
As you can see, remodeling during COVID-19 is more than possible; especially now. However, you still need to bear in mind that there will be additional considerations that you’ll need to make; these will appear at every step of the way. But as long as you’re well-organized, this shouldn’t be an issue.