If you are planning on renovating your home, you might be more concerned with color swatches and new furniture than you are about the construction process. Unfortunately, leaving all of the dirty work for your general contractor might cause problems during your project. Here are two ways you might be able to help your general contractor, and how it will make a difference:

1: Prepare Material Storage Areas

During your renovation, trucks filled with flooring, fixtures, and cabinetry might arrive on a daily basis. Unfortunately, if you haven't created a space to store this merchandise, you could risk damaging expensive home components. Instead of being able to get to work, your contractor might end up rearranging furniture or trying to navigate through your cramped space. Here are a few places you should clean up so that your contractor can focus on your home:

• Outside: You might adore your wicker furniture, potted plants, and children's toys, but are they taking up valuable outdoors space? Clean off your front porch, back patio, and deck areas so that contractors can store pallets of tile, rolls of vapor barrier, and other waterproof products. 
• Garage: Since your garage is easy to access from the inside and outside of your house, it is a prime location for material storage. If you are expecting deliveries of expensive appliances or high-end stone, consider parking in the driveway and designating your garage as a temporary storage space.
• Basement: You might be using your unfinished basement to work on DIY projects or as a play area for your kids, but that cement floor is perfect for construction storage. In addition to being easy to access and durable, your unfinished basement is also more secure than garages or other areas close to the street.

Preparing storage space ahead of time might help your contractor to keep materials organized, so that he can finish your home a little sooner.  

2: Protect Your Home from Construction Grime

It can be stressful for your contractor to worry about filling your home full of dust or damaging those newly-laid hardwood floors. Although you might feel like there isn't a lot you can do to help, you can make a big difference without knowing how to install can lighting. Here are a few ways to protect your home from construction grime, so that cleanup is easier for your crew: 

• Dumpster Bins: To keep garbage from accumulating in your house, rent a dumpster bin to park in your driveway or on your front lawn. If your neighborhood is governed by an HOA, check with them first to avoid time delays or fines. 
• Floor Coverings: Cover your carpet, hardwood, or tile with sticky plastic floor covering. Although these coverings aren't generally attractive, they can keep your floors from being scratched or damaged during construction.
• Dust Enclosures: To keep airborne dust from making its way outside of construction areas, seal off neighboring rooms with plastic tarps. Remove upholstered items that might absorb dust so that your contractor won't have to worry about it.
• Air Vent Closures: During construction, dust can get sucked into your home's ventilation returns, sending dirt throughout your home. To keep your place cleaner, seal off air vents in construction zones. If you are worried about keeping the space comfortable, install temporary fans or electric heaters for construction workers to use.

It might seem like a small contribution, but preparing your home for construction might mean a lot to workers. In addition to having a blank canvas where they can work, they might also see that you pay attention to detail.

Being proactive and willing to help might make your construction crew's day a little easier, so that they can focus on the task at hand.

A great go to website for more information on general contractors and how you can help them is www.superiorbuildings.ca.