When it comes to painting our homes the advantages of DIY over hiring a professional are enormous in terms of financial gain but when it comes to areas of health and safety we may lack in the fundamental knowledge required to complete the job successfully.
The last thing you want to do is damage an expensive piece of furniture, put a member of the family’s health at risk or cause an injury to yourself by not taking the proper precautions. With this in mind please look at the following ten tips which should help you prevent any accidents from occurring.
1. Clothing – Wearing protective clothing not only prevents damage to your existing clothes by paint exposure but also protects your skin from contamination. One fundamental item is a mask which will stop you from inhaling the toxic fumes.
2. Furniture Protection – Covering your furniture in plastic wrapping will ensure that no paint damages the texture. In order to be completely free from any remnants of paint and gases the ideal solution is to remove all the furniture from the room prior to painting.
3. Ventilation – It is important that the chemicals omitted from industrial paint have sufficient places to escape. If they become trapped then your house may pose serious health risks. It is easy to ventilate paint fumes through simply leaving windows and doors open so there should be no excuse.
4. Flammable Liquid – Regular paint can be extremely flammable so it is important that no smoking takes place around it and that all gas is turned off i.e. cookers and barbeques. A good idea is to buy a water based paint which is a safer alternative as it is non-flammable.
5. Children/Pets – Painted walls and equipment’s are vulnerable to interactions with kids and pets who know no better. Make sure to keep all unsafe tools and paint out of their reach and lock doors to rooms where paint is still waiting to be dried.
6. Read Instructions – As with any DIY project the number one rule is to follow the instructions carefully. It is easy to skip over long paragraphs of writing and just presume you know what to do but a mentality like this is what leads to accidents occurring.
7. Allergies – If you are allergic to any ingredients in the paint materials then try to find a replacement solution. As discussed previously it is always smart to substitute a solvent based paint for a water based one. If your skin does come into contact with harmful toxins then be sure to scrub it immediately with water and soap.
8. Recycle – Let’s not forget that you should not just be looking after your own health when painting. It is important to remember that the environment can be harmfully affected by the materials you use if they are not disposed of appropriately. This means not simply pouring remains down the sink or in your trash bags. You can either store them in a safe place or drop them off in safe recycling bins.
9. Equipment – When operating any tools or equipment necessary for DIY tasks it is vital that you know how to use them and take the necessary safety precautions. If you are using a ladder then make sure your footwear is correct and that the ladder is firmly gripped at the base.
10. Ask for Help – Do not be afraid to ask a friend for help. It is always easier to just do something by yourself as it appears quicker than asking someone else to assist you but this can ultimately lead to your downfall if you were to have an accident with nobody else around. Not to mention the task will become much shorter if there are more than one pair of hands available.
Just remember to always double check that you have everything before beginning to paint, continue to follow the instructions and always put your safety above speed of completion. There would be nothing worse than an unsatisfactory paint job and damage to either your health or property as a result of recklessness.
