Safety First when painting

When you decide to paint and decorate there are some very important considerations to take into account. Many people would say that the most important is the preparation of the surface to be painted and whilst that is a very important point the most important and the one that is sadly often overlooked is SAFETY.

That has to be the most important consideration looking after your self and your family has to be the number one priority after all there would be little point in yo having done a great job and you can not enjoy it as you are in hospital with a broken leg.

That said with any decorating or refurbishment project, the five P principle applies namely:- PERFECT PLANNING PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE.

As in all things good well thought out planning makes all the difference between success or failure. So before one even starts to paint or even think about painting you need to check the various points set out below to make sure you have the all the bases covered. If you take your time and take one move at a time you will complete the job in safely.

You do however need to watch out for any small helpers like children who may get in the way so just keep small children and pets away from the areas that are going to be painted or perhaps even better try to arrange that they may be out for the day perhaps visiting grand parents etc.

Keep your materials, paint and any tools in a safe place well out of childrens' reach.

Do not allow children to play with any tools or indeed play or hide underneath scaffolding or a ladder..

Also you need to ensure that any dust sheets that you might be using are carefully deployed and do not become a hazard that may trip you up in your work. Using ladders is an area where safety has to be the highest priority.

Firstly you need to consider how your head for heights is?

You have to make sure that you feel confident up a ladder if you do not get somebody else to do these aspects. What ever you do not take any risks.

As I'm sure you can guess you do not have to fall very far to cause real harm.

So always use ladders with extreme care and ensure that they are fit for purpose.

An extension ladder is probably the most important piece of kit that you will require for exterior painting.

You need to have a an extendable ladder that when in the required position is 65-95cm higher than the tallest point that you need to paint.

This may seem obvious but you most ensure when using a ladder that it is safely, securely and properly secured.

When positioning the ladder against a wall the recommended distance away from the wall is approx 25cm for each metre of the height of the ladder. . If you are unlucky enough to be working on say a soft or indeed uneven surface you will need to use a board which is strong enough where you place the ladder.

What ever you do safety first is the main priority.

Now you need to consider what paint to use. I am going to briefly mention paint for the exterior.

1. Which paint? Re-painting the outside of ones home will ,of course not only give it a whole new visual look but also protect it from the elements. In order to provide long lasting durability and help the walls stay cleaner for longer it is worth considering those brands which allow the walls to breathe the moisture out but do not allow the damp or rain in. These are a very clever idea and usually add to the life of the painted surface as damp is allowed to pass out through the outer surface rather than bubbling under the surface and causing problems later.

2. How much paint? This type of masonry paint usually cover some where between eight and twelve square metres per litre but of course this does depend on the condition of the surface being painted and relates directly to the preparation of the area to be painted. Preparation is in many ways much more important than painting because any underlying imperfection will be magnified many more times in the final finish.

3. What else do you need?

There is nothing worse than starting a job and then having to stop at a key point for yet another trip to the shopping mall.

So with all kinds of large or small projects it is best practice to ensure you have everything before you commence makes sense.

For the best finish possible, you need to ensure the surface you are painting is properly prepared.

This brief article sets out a few basic steps to follow and is one in a series of articles on painting and decorating.