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4 of the Riskiest Mistakes Homeowners Make

Every day, Home Improvement store professionals hear and see things from well-intentioned
customers that make their blood chill a good few degrees and occasionally stop a few hearts.
Like the store professional who spent twenty minutes earnestly trying to explain to an
argumentative customer why “fixing” a leak in a gas barbecue with a flammable sealant meant
for plumbing applications was not a good, money-saving idea.

Some mistakes – like the one just mentioned – are spectacular, and defy all the laws of safety
and common sense. Others are mistakes anyone might unwittingly mistake. But whatever your
motivation – saving money, convenience or eagerness to get on with the job – one thing is
certain: Repeating the same mistakes can cost you not only money, but occasionally even lives.

Here are 4 of the riskiest mistakes Home Improvement store professional witness, time and
time again…

1. Customers Who Insist On Installing New Flooring Over Old

Home Improvement store professionals universally cite this as the most common mistake
homeowners insist on making, in their eagerness to get that nice new floor down (possibly
combined with a fear of ripping up the old floor and a natural reluctance to spend more
money).

If you’re thinking of putting down a new floor, it’s in your best interests to find out all the
layers involved, first. Take a one-hour free workshop, if your local store offers them. Work the
cost of these under layers into your budget, and factor them into your project time frame.

If you don’t remove the old flooring to put down the right sub flooring and underlayment first,
your new floor will almost certainly be subject to problems such as:

*Buckling
*Warping
*Premature wear
*Old imperfections showing through

2. Putting Vapor Barrier On Both Sides Of A Wall

This is a myth that circulates from neighbor to neighbor. “The guy next door did it, and it
worked great for him” is a common refrain.

The truth is, vapor barrier is exactly that – a barrier. If you put it on both sides of a wall, it will
not keep all moisture out: On the contrary, it is likely to trap moisture in. This means your new
wall will be subject to accelerated decay – and almost certainly, toxic mold problems.

Vapor Barrier goes on only one side of a wall: The “warm” side.

3. Not Using Personal Protection Equipment

Many people get caught out on this one. They don’t realize (until they find themselves
suffering actual physical harm) that they should have been using protective equipment.
Depending on the task, this type of equipment can include:

*Oxygen mask
*Dust mask
*Welding mask
*Hard hat
*Protective gloves
*Hearing protection
*Safety goggles or Safety Eyeglasses
*Safety shoes

(And lots of ventilation, when working with anything liquid or dusty.)

Always check labels or ask store professionals, to determine what protective equipment or
precautions you might need, before starting a project.

4. Letting Children Ride Lumber Carts

Every day, store employees see small children “surfing” on lumber carts, sitting underneath
propped pieces of heavy lumber, or left alone on them while busy parents try to figure out if
they need a 4’ X 4’ post or a 6’ X 4’. Toddlers perch on top of bags of dusty cement (which
contain corrosive – and toxic – lime). Babies lie inside shopping carts besides a tower of heavy
paint cans. Store professionals are instructed to caution parents whenever they see hazards like
this, but inevitably get the same reaction when they do: Irritation and sometimes outright
rudeness from indignant parents.

Lumber carts not as stable as you might think. They are quite capable of flipping suddenly, as
their center of balance shifts.

I was unfortunate enough myself many years ago to witness a two-year-old killed this way. His
grandfather’s anguish and the violence of that irreversible, life-taking injury – which could
have been so easily prevented had the grandfather realized the danger – is something I wish I
could forget.

Make your children’s safety the priority – not your own convenience – when you take them
with you into Building Supply or Home Improvement stores. Or else find babysitting for them
and leave them at home. If even one parent sees this warning and takes note of it, then perhaps
that little boy’s tragic death won’t have been entirely in vain.

About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We are distributors of Qmark Heaters, electric tankless water heaters, bathroom heaters, patio heaters, electric heaters, portable air conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.

Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential & commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. We offer a great selection online at the lowest prices anywhere. We can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube