Safety Tips for Your DIY Projects

Safety Tips for Your DIY Projects

In addition to Home Ownership Month, June is also Safety Month. This week, we’re celebrating that by giving you some safety tips for when you decide to tackle those home repairs on your own. (Find our tips for new homeowners here.)

While we’re always happy to help with home repairs and even the small jobs, there are some benefits to tackling the small jobs yourself. If you’re confident you can do the job, doing a little bit of home repair can help you save money and learn new skills. Working with tools and using techniques you’re not familiar with comes with a fair share of risk, so take these precautions before you start that next DIY project.

-Wear proper gear: Yes, it’s worth investing in equipment that will protect you. Whether it’s a safety helmet, eye protection, or a respirator to shield you from fumes, don’t skip this step. Make sure you have good, sturdy work boots, gloves, ear protection, and anything else that’s needed for the job at hand. You don’t want to suffer from unnecessary consequences just because you were too cheap to buy a good pair of work gloves.

-Make sure your tools are in good condition: Don’t use a broken tool. This poses a huge safety risk, so make sure your tools are in good working order before you even start the job. If buying a new tool isn’t in the budget, see if you can borrow one from a friend, or check with your local library. Some libraries now provide tools and other materials that you can check out for a period of time to help you complete your project. And if you don’t have the right tool for the job, don’t try to make do with something else just so you don’t have to make another trip to Home Depot. Use each tool for its intended purpose, and buy or borrow the one you need for your project if you don’t have it.

-Maintain good footing: Don’t try to tackle a project if you’ve got sketchy footing. Whether you’re up on a ladder or just need to cut something with a saw, if your feet aren’t set right and you don’t have good balance, don’t do it. This means moving stuff out of the way that’s piled up in front of your tools instead of walking over it. Make sure your path is clear and clean. Pick up after yourself as you complete tasks, put materials and tools you no longer need back in their place, and always make sure you have a safe path to move from one end of the job site to another throughout the entire process.

-Use a sharp blade: You won’t have to apply nearly as much force with saws and other blades if you keep them sharp. Dull blades cause you to use more force and increase the risk of injury. Replace your blades when they’re dull (or sharpen them if you can safely do so).

-Know how to use all your tools correctly: Many DIY-ers make sure they’re using their power tools correctly because there’s great potential for injury if they’re used wrong. However, hand tools can create plenty of opportunity for injury as well if they’re not used in the correct way. Show the same amount of caution to your hand tools as you would your power tools, and make sure you’re educated on how to use them. Additionally, when using power tools, keep your guides and guards in place to eliminate the risk of accidents.

-Take care of yourself: People often plan a weekend project and think they’ll be able to power through. Even if you’re in great shape, if you’re not accustomed to home repair work, you’ll want to check in with yourself. Are you getting tired? Sore? If so, take a break. You’ll increase your risk of injury or accident if you try to keep going and are fatigued. Drink plenty of water and eat well throughout the whole project to help keep your body running well and minimize risk of accidents. Don’t rush the job. Even if you don’t finish within that weekend window you had allotted for yourself, rushing creates unnecessary stress and increases the risk of accidents. Make sure the job site is clean and free of safety hazards on Sunday night before you go to bed, and pick the project back up as soon as you can throughout the week or the next weekend.

If you’re not comfortable with tackling that home repair project or small job on your own, Hunter Handyman Services is here to help. Find our list of services here, or give us a call at (815) 780-7884 for more information and a free estimate.