On the Wire - Avoid DIY Dangers
As the number of people choosing to perform home improvement projects on their own continues to rise, so does the number of injuries. What can begin as a dream project can end up as a nightmare if aspiring do-it-yourselfers are not properly prepared. According to the National Safety Council, hand and power saws cause over 100,000 injuries a year and hammers rack up 36,000 injuries alone. Almost 120,000 injuries a year were also reported to be cause by home repairs and construction materials. So should the threat of connecting hammer to thumbnail stop you from tackling a home improvement project? Probably not but for those who have ever wept real tears from such an injury, here are some common sense safety refreshers:
WORK WITHIN YOUR ABILITY – Callers to The Money Pit never cease to surprise us – with their guts and gusto for home improvements they have no business trying. Perhaps the most vital piece of advice is to NEVER underestimate the difficulty of the job. If you feel it a project is beyond your level of skill, call in a professional. While lots doing home improvement projects on your own can save money, the economics don’t add up if an emergency room visit becomes necessary.
AVOID SHORT CUTS – Home improvements are a labor of love and can’t be rushed. If you decide to take on a project, however small: don’t rush or take short-cuts.
PLANNING MAKES PERFECT - Remember-planning out your project can save time, money and maybe even your life. But if you are tempted to by-pass obvious safety advice-consider the following: More haste, less speed. Don’t under-estimate how long a job will take. If you do begin to run out of time, don’t be tempted to rush or take a short cut. Fatigue is a big factor in many accidents, so take time for a break.
READ AND HEED - Read all instructions and warnings, especially if you’re using a piece of equipment or product for the first time. If you’ve bought a new tool or product, don’t neglect to send in the registration card. Registering your ownership with the manufacturer may be the only way they’ll know how to reach you in the event a safety problem is discovered with the product, and a recall or modification becomes necessary.
AVOID MAKING DO - Choosing the right tools and protective equipment for the job is critical. Slipping a pipe on the end of a wrench to increase leverage may work in the movies, but if the wrench snaps a serious injury may occur. If you don’t own the right tool, consider renting it. Renting tools is surprisingly cheap and can make the job safer.
NOW HEAR THIS – Hearing protection is a must when using power tools. Tool noise can easily exceed the hearing damage threshold. If noise from tools is so loud you must raise your voice to be heard, you’re taking risks with your hearing.
WATCH YOUR EYES – Hospitals treat over 25,000 patients with injuries related to power tool use each year. Workshop grinders, drills and saws are among those named most often. In addition, caustic chemicals used for cleaning, painting or polishing cause a significant number of eye injuries as well. Keep in mind that injuries can occur not only to the person working with the tool or chemical, but "helpers" who are hurt by flying debris and particles as well as caustic chemicals. Both people should take eye safety precautions
CLEAR THE AIR – When tackling projects involving dust, paint or other pollutants, protect your lungs by using an appropriate respirator mask. A good rule of thumb is if you can smell or taste the substance you are working with, you will need respiratory protection.
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Ask Tom & Leslie - Photo Finished?
This week’s question comes to us from Linda in Grayling, Michigan: “I have photos of my children’s baby pictures that have stuck to the glass of the frame. How can I get this photo out without ruining it?”
Linda, the answer really depends on what type of photo you are trying to remove. Surprisingly, the older the photo, the easier it may be to remove. Images in older black and white photos were made using silver gelatin and are porous. A photo lab may be able to immerse the picture in a wetting agent and get the image to separate from the glass. However, with newer black & white photos, as well as color images, this just isn't possible. The images on these photos are created from a plastic-like resin that can stick like glue to glass if it gets wet. If this is the case with your photo, we'd suggest buying new glass for the picture frame and making the old glass a permanent part of the picture you are trying to preserve.
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Got A Question About Your Money Pit?
You can do-it-yourself but you don't have to do-it-alone. Getting in touch with us is as easy as 1 - 2 or 3!
- The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.moneypit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
- Call when it's convenient for you, 24 hours a day, same number: 1-888-MONEY PIT. A live person takes your call 24/7! So -- WHENEVER you have a home improvement question -- phone it in. Simply tell our phone screener your first name, and where you're calling from...and ask your question. We’ll get back to you with the answer – or even call you back during the show!
- Click here to email your question to us. We may read your email on the air and we also respond personally to many of the email questions we get.
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On the Air - Wallpaper Wonders
Hesitant about using wallpaper in your home? It’s probably because you had a bad experience taking some AWFUL wallpaper down. We will give the insiders stress-free secrets to taking down AND putting up wallpaper and talk about why this trend is making a HUGE comeback. That’s on the next Money Pit radio show. To find out where to listen to us in your area or download our Podcast, visit www.moneypit.com.
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Dot Common Sense - Calcuate the Savings
Ever wonder if switching from gas to oil would make a difference in the cost of heating your home? How would you even figure such a thing out? There is a great website that has an excellent selection of energy conservation calculators. By answering a few simple questions, you can compare cost savings by converting gas to oil or oil to gas. There are also calculators for estimating insulation savings, as well as to determine how much money you can save by adding a set-back thermostat. Visit www.warmair.net.
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Fun Fact - Save Water, Save Money
Want to know an easy way to save a whopping one THOUSAND gallons of water a month? Just run your dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load. To save another thousand gallons a month, cut your shower time to five minutes. And here’s a quick way to see if you need to replace your shower head with water-efficient one: does your shower fill a one-gallon bucket with water in less than 20 seconds? If so, better change that head! A low-flow shower head can save 500 gallons of water a week.
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Short Cuts - Outdoor Attention
As temperatures drop to more comfortable levels across the country, the fall is the optimal time to revisit any outdoor projects you’ve been postponing:
Lawn – Continue to mow and water so your lawn isn’t stressed/damaged going into the fall. Give it one more dose of “weed and feed” fertilizer to give it an extra boost. Fall is also a good time to aerate your lawn – try wearing your golf shoes next time you mow.
Outdoor Furniture – If you have vinyl furniture, give it a good washing and make sure you have a place to store it indoors during the winter. With wood furniture, you’ll want to inspect it for damage and do any necessary repairs before you store it for the winter.
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Copyright 2007 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.
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