10 Useful Safety Painting Tips

Painting is an exciting activity that invokes a feeling of fulfillment. It is one of the most common DIY projects around the home. It may not be highly dangerous, but it has its inherent hazards. However, when you take the right precautions and adhere to industry safety standards, the process tends to go smooth.
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Whether you're a hobbyist or professional painter, it is crucial to follow painting safety guidelines to keep yourself safe. And of course, knowledge is power!

Remember, that exposure to any chemical (even paint) could be hazardous if certain precautions are ignored. To ensure a successful  Jacksonville painting project, follow the painting safety tips below.

1. Open the windows and doors of the area you want to paint for proper ventilation. Use fans to blow out the paint fumes when painting closed areas, and do not allow anyone to stay in a freshly painted room especially children, old people, and pets. This is when the VOC's (Volatile organic compounds) can be most active.
2. If you are painting an area that cannot be ventilated adequately, wear a respirator and do not work for long periods. Take breaks to take fresh air before you start to paint again.
3. Wear safety goggles and a dust mask when sanding to prevent inhaling the dust or having it enter your eyes. Debri can be very hard to remove from the eye.
4. Wear gloves, safety goggles, and a respirator, even when using products containing chemicals like a cleaner or stripper. Unexpected splashes always occur.
5. Use drop cloths to protect the floor and not plastic. Plastic is a slip hazard and allows for paint to be tracked. Rubber backed cloth drops are best.
6. Avoid stirring paint or painting close to a heat source like a fireplace or water heater. And you must not smoke while painting, it's just bad juju.
7. Check the condition of your Werner ladder and ensure it is structurally okay. Before climbing it, put the legs on a flat and even surface, and lock the cross braces. You should not stand on the top of a ladder or lean out to far to reach any spot; rather, get down and move the ladder.
8. After you have finished painting, clean up carefully. If there are rags that have thinner or alkyd paint on them, spread them outside where it is inaccessible to kids and pets to dry and avoid the possibility of instant combustion. Dispose of the rags in a toxic waste dump site.
9. If you have any health conditions, check with your physician if it is safe for you to paint. Some may not be physically adept to painting tasks.
10. Safety first! Whatever process of painting you undergo, protect your health and avoid paint and other contaminants from getting in contact with your skin directly.

Heat Factor: In addition, when exterior painting in harsh climates such as the Jacksonville, Florida area, where heat exhaustion and dehydration can kill, take the proper steps to combat the extreme heat and it's symptoms on the body.

With some common sense and these safety precautions applied; painting your own home can be a safe, rewarding and money saving adventure!
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​Jax Painting is the top painting contractor in Jacksonville, FL specializing in residential and commercial painting.