I received a wonderful article from Loan Officer Sidney Stonecypher at People’s Bank yesterday that I thought was more than worthy of passing along to our homeowners and renters on our blog.  Below are some helpful tips for staying safe when making repairs or renovations to your home.

WITH HOME FIXES, SAFETY FIRST!

More and more people are doing their own home upgrades. Here’s how to be safe:

1. Always wear safety glasses.
2. Wear earplugs if it’s noisy.
3. When spraying paint or herbicides or installing insulation, cover up head to toe and wear a respirator.
4. The 4-to-1 rule with ladders–for every 4′ of height, place ladder bottom 1′ away–and don’t stand above the third rung from the top.
5. Store power tools, other sharp tools and paints and dangerous materials on high shelves or in a locked cabinet, out of a child’s reach.
6. Don’t rush.

Be especially careful with power tools:

1. Read the User Manual and manufacturer’s warnings.
2. Check power cord and casing for cracks, missing pieces, exposed wiring–if a tool needs repairs, use a qualified technician or replace it.
3. Remove necklaces and bracelets that can get caught in the tool.
4. Before you plug in the tool, make sure the switch is “off”.
5. Use a saw with a blade guard and watch for blade kickback–if a blade starts to bind, stop immediately. 
6. Don’t leave a plugged-in power tool unattended–unplug before you leave.
7. Only use heavy duty extension cords.
8. Keep children and pets away from projects with power tools.

Thanks Sidney Stonecypher at People’s Bank for the helpful tips!

For more information on Bellingham Real Estate or to search for homes in the Bellingham and Whatcom County area visit www.JohnsonTeamRealEstate.com, your one stop Bellingham real estate and community information resource!