From Construction to Yard Work, Don’t Create New Frenemies

Summer brings us out from inside to embark on a wide spectrum of projects, from those as simple as trimming the hedges to the more ambitious like replacing the roof. No matter what your plans are for home improvement over the next few months, be sure to take the folks next door into consideration and follow proper safety and etiquette practices, including the following:

1. Provide advance notice. To ensure greater understanding about the disruption of a big construction project, provide advance notice to any homes nearby that may be impacted. Josh Bowman, on his blog for The Good Men Project, suggests simply knocking on the door and letting everyone know what you’ll be doing and what hours you’ll be working will put everyone at ease.
2. Don’t start too early or work too late. This is especially true on the weekends. While we’ve become accustomed to the drone of weed whackers and leaf blowers in the background of our Saturdays, no one wants to hear them at 7 a.m. or 8 p.m. Ditto for drills and skill saws. Make sure your projects take place during reasonable work hours.
3. Clean up after yourself. In addition to noise, mess is the other factor that can cause friction. Whether it’s dirt and leaves from your landscaping project or debris from the deck you’re building, be sure to clean as you go, leaving things as tidy as possible at the end of each day.
4. Don’t let things stall. Before you embark on a project, make sure you have the time and funding to see it through to completion in a reasonable timeframe.