Summer is the season of barbeques, lazy days – and home renovations. If you plan to do some work on your house this season, it's important to make sure your family is safe throughout the process.

We recently did some work on our upstairs bathroom, and we were totally unprepared for the hazards that could have really injured the kids if we didn't act quickly.

Here's what we've learned from our experience and from experiences of friends and neighbors.

Always be Aware of What's Happening in the Home and Never Leave Your Key for Anyone

I believe that people are mostly good and have good intentions, but when it comes to your home and family, you really can't take any chances.

Never leave your key for a repairman to enter your home. If you can't be home when the work is being done, consider rescheduling or finding a trusted friend or family member that can be around at this time.

On that same note, it's important to be aware of what's going on in your home while workers are there. Pay attention to where workers are, and try to limit distractions, like watching TV.

Keep Repair Areas Blocked Off

Whether you're hiring someone or doing the work yourself, it's important to block off areas where renovations are taking place.

Tools, screws and other hazards can easily cause injuries if kids can get to them. And if you're the one doing the repairs, it's difficult to pay attention to two things at once (e.g. the kids and the project).

When we were working on the bathroom, we didn't allow the kids anywhere near the room while work was going on. Baby gates are great for limiting access. When the work was done, we locked everything up in the bathroom.

Keep Kids Out of the Yard

If you're having serious repairs done to your home's pipes, you may need to keep the kids out of the yard. This can be a hassle, especially when the kids start to get antsy, but in many cases, this type of work requires workers to dig up the yard.

Deep trenches and exposed pipes are a serious hazard that you don't want your kids anywhere near.

"Residential pipelining work is in a class all its own. It requires careful planning, expert knowledge, and a commitment to customer service," says Lining Coating Solutions. "Nobody wants to be forced to move out of their home, or have their daily life disrupted, while a pipe repair is completed."

Unfortunately, this is exactly what one of our neighbors had to do. The work took much longer than expected, and the entire yard turned into a serious hazard. The husband wound up staying behind to keep an eye on things while the wife took the kids to grandma's house for three weeks.

Home renovations can be exciting, but you'll have to plan for challenges and take steps to make sure your family is safe throughout the entire process. We found it was helpful to keep the kids busy and uninterested in the repairs that were going on.