The Remodel House Got Me

 

I've worked in enough old houses to know better, but somehow I always convince myself, "I'll be fine without a mask for a little while."

Famous last words.

The job was a remodel in an older house. You know the kind. Every time you move a board, open a wall, or step in the attic, a cloud of dust appears that probably hasn't seen daylight since the 1970s. There was old insulation falling from the ceiling, dirt packed into every corner, and enough mystery particles floating through the air to make you wonder if you're breathing house or oxygen.

At first, I felt tough.

"Who needs a mask?" I thought.

A few hours later I was coughing every time I laughed, blowing my nose every ten minutes, and wondering why my head felt like someone was remodeling the inside of it too.

By the time I got home, I had a headache that could have qualified as a demolition permit. My nose was running like it was training for a marathon. I looked in the mirror and realized I had dust lines on my face that made me look like I'd been mining coal all day.

The funny thing is, I own masks. Plenty of them.

They're always sitting safely in the truck while I'm inside the house making poor life choices.

The next morning wasn't much better. My head was pounding, my nose was still running, and every time I sneezed, enough dust came out to patch drywall. I started thinking maybe that insulation from 40 years ago wasn't supposed to be inhaled.

Who knew?

The worst part is that every contractor has done this at least once. We walk into an old house, see dust floating through the air like a fog machine at a rock concert, and somehow decide we're tougher than basic safety equipment.

Then we spend the next two days complaining about headaches and wondering why we feel terrible.

So if you're remodeling an old house and thinking about skipping the mask because it's "just a quick job," learn from my mistake.

Wear the mask.

Because the dirt doesn't care how tough you are.

The insulation doesn't care how experienced you are.

And your sinuses definitely don't care how much work you need to get done.

Trust me. It's a lot easier to wear a mask for a few hours than it is to spend the next two days feeling like you snorted an entire attic.

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