Two Safety Tips to Keep in Mind When Renovating a Concrete Garage

Construction & Contractors Blog

If you plan to renovate a concrete garage, here are some safety tips that you may want to keep in mind.

Dampen the concrete before drilling into it

You may need to drill into the concrete walls of the garage in order to hang shelves or cabinets or to fit worktops. If you decide to do this, it is important to dampen the concrete (by, for example, giving it a light spray with a garden hose) before the concrete drilling process begins.

The reason for this is that when you drill into a dry patch of concrete, you will inadvertently release a lot of concrete dust into the air.

This could be problematic for both you and anyone else involved in your garage renovation project. The reason for this is as follows: inhaling a lot of concrete dust may irritate your respiratory system or even cause digestive distress (if the particles travel down your oesophagus after you breathe them in).

If a lot of the dust settles onto your exposed arms, legs or face, and you happen to have sensitive skin, this dust could also cause skin irritation that could make the affected areas of your body feel very sore and tender to the touch.

However, you can prevent these issues by ensuring that the concrete is slightly damp before you drill into this, as wet concrete will not produce very much dust at all when it is disturbed.

If you decide to do this, it is crucial to make sure that the drill that you use is weatherproof, as if it is not, it could short-circuit when it comes into contact with the damp concrete.

Wear a shatterproof face shield instead of safety goggles

When performing renovations on concrete structures, some people simply wear safety goggles, to shield their eyes from any shards of concrete that become airborne when they use power tools on the structure's walls or floors. However, if you want to drastically reduce your chances of being injured as a result of carrying out work on concrete surfaces, it is best to invest in a polycarbonate, shatterproof face shield instead.

The reason for this is as follows: if shards of concrete end up being flung into the air when you use, for example, an angle grinder to cut into a concrete floor, these shards could potentially strike some area of your face other than your eyes. If you are not wearing a face shield when this happens, you could be left with a severe facial laceration and a permanent scar.

If you're thinking about renovating your garage but aren't sure if you have the equipment necessary for the concrete drilling and work, then contact a local concrete drilling company like Robert Guy & Sons Pty Ltd to take care of it for you.

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9 April 2019