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5 Health & Safety Tips to Consider when Doing Home Repair

Written by Posted On Monday, 13 January 2020 01:44
5 Health & Safety Tips to Consider when Doing Home Repair

Every new homeowner is excited when they move into their new castle. They arrange their belongings in each room with care, and they begin to notice things that need improvement, or things that need repair. Depending on how “handy” they are, and their budgetary considerations, the new homeowners may decide to join the DIY crowd and save money as they renovate and repair their new digs; however – being a DIYer is not always the best choice.

There are repairs you should seriously consider calling in a professional to fix: electrical repairs more complex than replacing wall switches or plugs or basic light fixture installation require an electrician; plumbing repairs more complicated than unstopping a drain or a toilet require a plumber; any serious structural changes require a construction contractor.

However, there are many maintenance tasks you can do yourself – you just need to keep these five health and safety tips in mind:

Analyze the Task First

The newbie DIY homeowner tends to leap before looking; they don’t stop to analyze the repair before charging off to the home improvement store. Such an approach leads to many more trips to the home improvement store and a rising frustration level. Careful examination of the repair to make lets you determine the tools and parts required. Listing questions to ask the worker at the home improvement store - and actually asking them - can save wear and tear on the homeowner and greatly assist in completing the repair. As Michael Dadashi, CEO of Infinite Recovery, a San Antonio drug rehab center tends to say, “It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it.”

Use the Proper Tools

Assembling a tool kit is a project in and of itself; you need to get the proper tools for the task at hand, and you don’t want to take out a home equity loan to pay for it. Getting the cheapest tool you can is, to quote Benjamin Franklin, “Penny wise and Pound foolish.” Cheap tools usually live up to their name and wear out early at best, and break or rust prematurely at worst. Get a good tool at a discount when possible, and build your toolbox slowly. Good tools last for decades, so choose wisely.

Learn about Ladders

Everybody thinks they know how to buy a ladder, and how to use a ladder safely. Wrong! Most people don’t look at the weight restrictions on ladders and don’t use ladders safely.

When using a stepladder, be sure to extend the ladder fully and engage the braces, to lock the ladder in the open position. Pull down the shelf and be sure it’s also locked in place. Never climb above the second step from the top, and never sit on the top. Place any tools you’ll be using on the shelf before mounting the ladder, and always face the ladder when climbing up or down.

Extension ladders should be placed at the proper angle – too close to the building and you risk the ladder falling backwards; too far from the building and you risk the top slipping off and the ladder falling forward.

Proper Eye Safety

Most of us take our eyes for granted and ignore safety precautions when working on home improvement projects. This is beyond foolish, as one twig, slag, or piece of sawdust flung at high speed could cost you an eye. As ShoutSlogans.com says, “Keep an eye out for safety – don’t get blinded by bad habits.”

There are many projects involving power tools where eye safety is paramount: any power tool involving cutting, grinding, or sanding requires wraparound safety goggles to protect from flying projectiles. Using a nail or staple gun requires goggles as well.

It’s not just flying objects, either; using chemical solvents requires goggles to protect your eyes from chemical burns caused by fumes; without them, the fumes can cause blindness.

Protect Your Skin

Wearing leather gloves when handling heavy construction materials is a no-brainer – even a newbie DIYer knows about protecting hands from wood splinters and scrapes from concrete. However – most people don’t think about protecting their skin from chemicals.

Latex gloves keep you from gluing your hands to your project when using adhesives. They also protect from chemical burns when using solvents. Keep a pair handy whenever you use a product with strong chemicals.

Tyvec suits protect your entire body, from something as simple as paint spatters to things as serious as a muriatic acid splash. Wear them whenever you’re working with a hazardous chemical.

Final Thoughts

There are many maintenance and home improvements a homeowner can do themselves without endangering either themselves or their property. Taking proper precautions and thoroughly analyzing the project before starting ensures a happy ending for everybody involved.

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Lanre Onibalusi

www.lanroni.com

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