Keeping Pets Safe During Your Home Renovation
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by Steve Gilman, Project/Operations Manager, Builder Specialties Kitchen & Bath
How can you keep pets calm when visitors arrive?
It doesn’t matter if your pet is friendly because you want to make sure people coming into your house are comfortable being around animals. We recommend trying to keep pets away from meetings or when work is being performed in your home because if people are nervous it makes pets nervous. Restraint of some sort will make the pet understand it is okay and let the contractor decide whether they feel comfortable. If your pet is crate-trained, that will work well. Otherwise, baby gates are a great way to let the pet see what’s going on without jumping on workers. If contractors are okay with a dog being in the same room, the best way to deal with them jumping is to stand still with your arms folded and not engage. When a dog jumps, what they want is engagement. Many people make the mistake of putting their hands on the dog to push them down or pet them. That is exactly what the dog wants, engagement.
How can pets and contractors stay stress-free and safe during a renovation project?
When your home is in a construction zone, the best solution is for the pet to not be in the house. We recommend asking your contractor to let you know which days will be the loudest. Consider leaving pets with a friend, relative, or pet care center. If your pets have to stay in your home, put them in an upstairs or farthest away room with some music and make them feel comfortable. Keeping the door shut will keep dust out of the room and reduce noise and tension for your pet.
Should you need to bring your pets through the work area, what should you be aware of?
One very important thing to avoid is insulation. Fiberglass is harmful when ingested and pets often want to eat it. Another dangerous issue is dust. Cats are constantly cleaning themselves and the dust that’s in the air will get on them and get licked off their fur and paws. If your pet needs to walk through the construction zone to get outside, we recommend a damp washcloth to wipe legs and paws every time they walk through it. Or you can of course carry your pet, so they do not walk in the dust. Are you thinking about a low-VOC paint? Should you have a bird, it is a must. If you have an animal smaller than a dog or cat, you really should remove them from the home during the renovation, especially birds. Birds can perish quickly from paint fumes or any type of chemical fumes. Not very great for humans either.
At Builder Specialties Kitchen & Bath, we hope these tips help make your renovation safe and stress-free for your family pets, you, and your contractors!
