Staying Safe While Doing Home Improvements

My husband is a weekend warrior.

While I appreciate all the wonderful home improvements my husband does, I also worry about him not using the proper safety protection.  I know all too well of what can happen when safety gear isn't in place.  

Several years ago, a dear friend's mother lost her eye in a very routine limb trimming of some dead tree branches on her property.  It took a quick mistake with a tree branch to permanently injured her eye.

It's worth protecting yourself with items designed specifically for the tasks at hand.  We have some ideas and tips to help you stay safe while you tackling your home improvements.

Painting your Front Door 

A quick and easy way to spruce up and update the look of your home is by painting your front door. A bit of sanding, priming and a new bold coat of paint can make big changes to the look of your home.  Be sure to wear a respirator while sanding, and use protective eye-wear.

Mowing the Lawn

Be sure to check your lawn for loose items, like sticks and debris that can kick up and seriously hurt you.  Make sure small children and pets are far away from mowing.  Protective eye-wear is also imperative as well as ear protection.

Bathroom Fixes

Replacing your bathroom tile?  Remove all the grout around the tile.  Use a chisel to remove the tile.  Again, use your trusty eye protection for this job.  Clean the floor and install the new tile with adhesive used for this job.  Be careful for broken tile, it can cut your hands.  Wear hand protection.

Furniture Fixes

Refinishing furniture is a great way to spruce up an antique or tired looking furniture.  Beware that most refinishing products are harmful to lungs and skin.  Always wear your eye protection, painters gloves, and respirator.

Using Power Tools

Some tools are incredibly loud, use ear protection when using a circular saw, sander, or a compressor.  Disposable ear plugs work great for this cause.  Any noise over 85 decibels can lead to hearing loss.  We found a video to show exactly how to insert the earplugs. 

Insulation

Insulation is a great way to increase energy efficiency, but it requires a lot of protection.  For safety, wear long sleeve shirts, long pants, and protect your eyes, hands and wear a respirator.