Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice and maybe a little peace of mind. My partner and I are about to welcome our baby very soon and, of course, we've also got a siding and window replacement project lined up for our house built before the 1970s. I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed with it all. There are a few things I'm concerned about:
1. **Lead paint and asbestos risks:** I'm worried about potential airborne particles during the renovation. Should I be testing for these materials?
2. **Noise and disruption:** With a newborn in the house, I'm not sure how that will play out with all the noise from the renovation.
3. **Safety and logistics:** Is it safe for us to stay in our home while the project is happening, or should we consider temporary accommodations?
4. **Timing:** Would it be a good idea to postpone the work, or should we just push through and get it done before the baby arrives?
If anyone has dealt with similar situations of home renovations and caring for a newborn, I would love to hear your experiences and advice!
3 Answers
Talk it out with your partner! If you give birth before the renovations are done, make sure your partner can handle communication with the contractors. You’ll need to focus on recovery, and having a plan is crucial. I hear you on the added stress right after childbirth—it can be tough!
If you can, try to finish the work before your baby arrives. Once the little one is here, it’ll be way trickier to manage renovations. Trust me, as a really tired dad, you want to do this now if you can! Your future self will thank you.
I’d say just get it done! If you’re worried about lead or asbestos, you can easily test for those with kits that you can buy online. As for noise, newborns can sleep through almost anything, but the mom's recovery is really important too. Ask your contractor how long the job will take. If it gets too chaotic, maybe consider a short hotel stay just to give everyone some breathing room. It’s going to be tough, but you’ll get through it! Congrats on the baby!