ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Active summer months can play havoc on your home, whether you’ve been
playing host for the neighborhood kids or simply spending more time
enjoying warm summer days. With cooler temperatures on the horizon, it’s
the perfect time to tackle a few do-it yourself projects around the
house and to save some money along the way.
Home improvement expert Lou Manfredini offers tips on affordable
improvements that make a big difference in your home, and how to safely
tackle all your fall projects so you can enjoy them for years to come.
“Smart preparation can make all the difference when you’re taking on
projects around the house,” said Manfredini, host of HouseSmarts TV and
home improvement contributor on NBC’s The Today Show. “Whether
you’re adding insulation to help reduce heating bills or restoring tired
floors or furniture, it’s important to protect yourself with the proper
safety gear.”
Manfredini provides these tips for DIYers to help safely prepare for the
months ahead.
Save money, save energy
There are many ways to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your
home, but one of the best ways is to add insulation to your attic. Your
attic is like a hat on your head; warm air will rise and exit right out
of the vents … air that you paid to heat.
Adding insulation can make a big difference in your heating bills, just
make sure you take the proper safety precautions when installing it in
your home. Wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt, eye protection and
a respirator, like the like 3M™ TEKK Protection™ Sanding and Fiberglass
Valved Respirator. This particular respirator features 3M™ Cool Flow™
Valve technology for heat reduction and easier breathing and will help
protect your lungs from insulation fibers which may escape into the air.
Add some fall flair by refinishing furniture and wood flooring
Save money and add some new flair to your home by refinishing a piece of
furniture. This is a project that you can do yourself, and if you take
your time will produce professional results.
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First, sand down the piece of furniture with medium grit sandpaper or
a sanding sponge to get into the nooks and crannies.
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Use a finish stripper if there are many coats of finish or paint.
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Safety tip: When using chemical strippers it is very important to wear
a proper respirator. The Paint Odor Valved Respirator from 3M TEKK
Protection has an extra carbon layer for odor reduction and is a
perfect option for this type of project. Refinishing Gloves will also
help protect your hands and don’t forget safety eyewear to prevent
possible splashes in your eyes.
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Once all the finish is off of the piece, lightly sand again, choose a
stain in the color of your choice and apply with a brush, let dry,
lightly sand with #0000 steel wool and apply a finish. Three coats
total and you now have a new-old piece of furniture to display in your
home.
Wood floors add lasting beauty to your home and it’s one of the only
flooring options that can be renewed. If you have wood floors that have
seen better days consider refinishing them. You can rent floor sanders
from a rental house and use them to lift the old finish and expose the
raw wood. It does create a lot of dust so it’s important to use a
respirator since those particles that enter the air can be tiny and
easily enter your lungs if you’re not protected. It’s a good idea to
also wear eye and hearing protection and good pair of gloves to grip the
handle of the sanders.
Rev up the kid’s outdoor toys after a long summer of play
You’ve invested a lot of money in outdoor kid’s toys, like the plastic
table and chairs or a little pedal car. But they now look a little tired
after a summer’s use. Instead of sending them to the landfill, breathe
new life into them with a fresh coat of vibrant spray paint. .
When tackling this type of project, clean the toys first and allow them
to dry completely before painting. During the spray paint process, make
sure to use a respirator and eye protection and spray these items in a
well-ventilated area. Apply light coats and allow those to dry about 30
minutes before recoating.
Whatever projects you take on, remember to be prepared and do it
right by doing it safely
In a recent study by 3M TEKK Protection and the National Safety Council1,
results found that 49 percent of DIYers worry about injuring their
respiratory system, yet less than two in five (39 percent) are
consistent about protecting their airways and lungs when working on home
projects.
While more people are quick to put on a pair of safety glasses (73
percent), respirators lag far behind. They’re affordable and offer the
right protection to not only keep you safe during the project but may
also help you feel physically better after the project is done.
3M TEKK Protection brand offers a full line of innovative respiratory,
eyewear and hearing products designed to keep DIYers and professionals
safe when completing projects around the home. 3M TEKK Protection
products can be found at home improvement and hardware stores across the
U.S. For additional information, go to www.3mtekk.com.
For more DIY tips visit, www.3mdiy.com
and 3M
DIY Starts Here on YouTube. Or download videos from http://www.newsinfusion.com/events/3mtekkloumanfredini.
About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms
them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative
collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies
that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops
inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 84,000 people worldwide
and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information,
visit www.3M.com
or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
1 National Safety Council – DIY Safety Survey,
April 2012; An online survey of 509 homeowners ages 3554
who have completed a DIY or home improvement project
3M and 3M TEKK Protection are trademarks of 3M
