Staying Home For COVID-19 Might Be Great Opportunity For Home Improvement Projects, But 'Sometimes Things Can Go Awry'

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Falling off a ladder while cleaning, slicing open a hand instead of a box; those are actual injuries that brought people to the emergency room during the COVID-19 quarantine.

CBS 2 Morning Insider Lauren Victory shares some do's and don'ts if you're bored enough to do some chores.

Now that you're stuck at home, it might be time to start cleaning out your garage; but if that doesn't sound fun, or if you've already done it, consider these safe home improvement and maintenance projects.

Bust out your old paint to touch up a few scuffs or re-color a whole room.

Spruce up your curb appeal with new flowers.

Clean out the gutters.

Another idea: schedule a virtual consultation with a repair expert. Over Facetime, we learned of a possible problem with the basement door.

Brian Hopkins, president of Window World of Joliet, said some window projects don't even need an in-person visit before installation, which won't happen for 4 to 6 weeks, anyway, until stock comes in.

"Typically, this time of year, it would be almost double that in a normal situation. So you have an opportunity to get your project done earlier in line here before this pent-up demand breaks up," he said.

Does cabin fever have you dreaming of bigger projects? Tackling ones that need a contractor on your own isn't the best idea.

Dr. Christopher Colbert, an emergency room physician with University of Illinois Health said emergency room visits for home improvement accidents are spiking.

"The electrical concerns that you have at home, or the plumbing issues that you have at home, and you're on YouTube identifying how to fix it, and sometimes things can go awry," he said.

Overdoing it around the house is enough of an issue that Colbert made it a talking point during this week's presentation with the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians.

"This is the only ER conference that wasn't canceled due to COVID. We went virtual," he said. "So that's why we're addressing these concerns, specifically at this time. We're discussing COVID, the things that we see during this time."

Emergency room doctors stress that, if you hurt yourself at home, don't be afraid to come in for treatment.

The most common home improvement injury? Puncture wounds from nails, screws, and tacks, according to a 2018 survey by insurancequotes.com.