Your safety should always be put first. Never put your life second to your house painting project. Are you physically fit enough to undertake such a project? Are your ladders the right lengths to safely reach all areas of your house? Review the following tips.
1. Ladder levelers will increase safety. Over 70% of all ladder accidents are caused by make shift props for ladders. Levelers bolt onto the legs of your ladder providing a very secure fit. Most professional painting companies use them. You can greatly reduce your risk of injury by simply stabilizing your ladder through the use of ladder levelers. Once you have them installed they will last for a long time. They will provide safety for all your outdoor painting projects. They are well worth the money.
One more thing you will want to consider. Ladder levelers will save you a lot of time. You will not be constantly trying to fit something under the leg of the ladder. This alone is well worth the investment.
2. Having the proper range of ladders reduces risk. Professional painting contractors usually have the following size ladders as standard equipment. The size ladders needed for your home will depend of course on how tall your house is, but coming from a professional painting perspective, I recommend a 6 foot step ladder , a 20 ft extension, a 28 ft extension, and a 36 ft extension ladder if your house is needs a ladder this size. This rage will allow you to comfortably reach all areas of your house that are accessible with ladders.
Extended ladders do not reach the advertised length due to the 3 or 4 foot lap so plan accordingly. For instance, a 28 foot rated ladder will only extend about 24 or 25 feet. Another thing to consider is you are going to lose a couple more feet when you kick the base of the ladder out from the side of your house to allow for proper navigation. Realistically, a 28 foot ladder will only give you about 20 to 22 feet access.
3. Be sure and use the right drop cloths. The weight of canvas drop cloths will not damage most shrubs, bushes, or hard surface areas; however they can crush smaller plants and totally destroy flowers. The best thing to use on small plants or flowers is old bed sheets. They are light weight and will allow the plants to breath. I do not recommend using plastic over plants or shrubs. The plastic can permanently damage your shrubs or flowers. The plastic will not allow your plants to breath and the temperature can reach damaging levels. It only takes an hour or two to ruin them. Plastic can cause the tops of your plants and shrubs to die. Extension ladders placed on plastic drop cloths can be dangerous due to slippage.
4. Make sure you stay properly hydrated. Drink plenty of cold Gatorade. I can’t emphasize this enough. Painting outdoors in the sunlight will dehydrate you quickly, especially if you aren’t use to this type of work.
The onset of dehydration can catch you by surprise. You can suddenly become light headed and lose your balance and fall. Staying properly hydrated is very important for your health in another crucial way. Dehydration can cause a stroke. Always play it safe and use lots Gatorade.
5. Take periods of rest in the shade. Painting the exterior of your house is very time consuming and the tendency for most homeowners is to pack as much painting into one day as possible. This can be a huge mistake, especially if your body is not accustom to this kind of work. You can get yourself into trouble physically if you try and stretch your physical limitations on hot sunny days.
6. Do you have the physical endurance to handle a project this size? Climbing up and down a ladder all day can cause your legs to severely cramp if your muscles are not physically prepared for it. Your risk of falling from a ladder greatly increases if your legs become suddenly weak and shaky due to muscle fatigue.
It is important to evaluate your condition before putting yourself at risk. Play it smart and consult your doctor about any physical preconditions before attempting the exterior painting of your home. It’s important to remember that painters working with a professional painting company are used to their work. You may not be used to it and that can cause you problems.
7. Check for wasp nests before attempting to paint. If you are standing on the end of an extension ladder, you do not want to be fighting wasp. It is dangerous to be fighting wasp with your hands when your hands should be gripped to the ladder. You can easily be distracted to the point of losing your balance and falling. You should remove all wasp nests before attempting to paint.
8. Always use a roof ladder where soffit joins rooflines. If your home has areas that need to be painted above a roof line then rent a roof ladder for a day. Don’t take the chance of sliding of a roof and killing yourself. A roof ladder hooks over the peak of the roof and lays flat on the shingles allowing you to safely walk up the ladder to service the wall and soffit areas above the roof line. They are inexpensive to rent.
9. Never place your ladder on a slope that falls backwards and away from the house. It is extremely important to always notch the ground using a shovel and pick. Carve out a flat spot in the soil to give a level, firm footing for your ladder levelers. You have to lean your latter against the house, sloped enough to allow for you to properly navigate up. This slope combined with the land slopping backward and away from your ladder, can make an extremely dangerous situation. Notch the ground and reseed the area latter. It is always best to play it safe. This is a very important safety tip that professional painting companies teach their workers. Carefully planning your painting project can go a long way in preventing accidents.
Make sure you are properly equipped to maximize safety. Properly plan the time needed to paint your house and decide if you have enough time to safely complete the project. Don’t rush it. If you really find you don’t have the time or are physically unable to safely tackle the project, then hire a professional painting company. They can do the project in a fraction of the time it will take you.
By: Nicky Taylor
Archive for February, 2010
5 Tips on Preparing for Exterior Painting
February 21st, 2010
The biggest thing about painting exterior surfaces which puts most people off is the amount of preparation involved. It’s very true when people say that 80% of the work is preparation.
Despite all the power tools available to buy nowadays most of the work involved in preparing to paint simply involves elbow grease. This prep work will involve aching scraping, sanding and wiping. Not what you’d call fun.
This hard work is a must if you want a paint job which is smooth and will last well. It’s also much easier to paint on a good surface. The amount of effort you’ll put into preparing to paint will depend on the condition on the surface you’ll be painting on.
Amount of Work Required – Paint which is peeling will require more work. Scraping the old paint off and sanding down the wood is essential. Areas of mildew will need to be removed and the wood treated before painting. Normally aluminium siding will just need a wash and maybe some sanding.
Inspect the surface – Use a 6-8 inch scraper for areas of peeling paint. You don’t have to remove every little bit of paint, just areas which you think will continue peeling. When scraping paint in corners then use a small scraper instead. Washing – If the surface area is dirty give it a decent wash before you even think about sanding it. Although you could use a power washer it could be a little too powerful and may damage your wood. You could use TSP (trisodium phosphate) and a regular garden hose. If you are having difficulty reaching the surface, try a car washing accessory which has an extendable arm. Allow to Dry – Avoid sanding wet wood because the fibers can become damaged. Also don’t sand wet aluminium because this will shorten the lifespan of your sand paper. Expect to wait a day or two for the surface to dry depending on the weather. Sanding – If you have left small bits of paint make sure you smooth them down with your sandpaper. If the wood was affected by mildew and/or has putty in it, give these areas a sand. Wash Again – Because sanding creates a lot of dust, you’ll want to wash the area again so that the paint can be absorbed properly. If you don’t paint onto a clean surface the pain will peel and flake before it should.
Now all you need to do it get the rest of the job done is to paint.
By: George Kerr
