Newspaper Page Text
Page IB - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Stay safe when working in the yard this spring and summer
A day spent working
in the yard is an ideal
way to pass the time on
spring and summer after
noons. A pristine land
scape can add value to a
property and instill pride
in homeowners who put
a lot of thought and ef
fort into their lawns and
gardens.
A sun-soaked day can
make it easy to overlook
potential threats when
working in a lawn or gar
den. But safety precau
tions are of the utmost
necessity when working
in the yard, where the
risk for serious injury is
considerable. For ex
ample, the American
Academy of Orthopaedic
Surgeons reports that, in
2016, more than 90,000
patients, including nearly
5,000 children, were
treated in hospital emer
gency rooms for lawn
mower-related injuries.
Lawn- and garden-
related injuries can be
prevented without going
to great lengths.
• Know your terrain
before mowing. Knowing
the terrain in your own
yard can reduce the risk
for accident or injury.
This can be especially
important when mowing
the lawn with a rid
ing mower. Adhere to
manufacturers’ recom
mendations regard
ing inclines to reduce
tip-over accidents that
can pin riders beneath
the mower. Study hilly
areas of the yard prior
to mowing so you know
which areas are safe to
mow with a riding mower
and which areas are best
mowed with a walk-be-
hind mower. For greater
control when using a
walk-behind mower on
an incline, mow parallel
to the slope.
• Apply and reapply
sunscreen. Sunburns
may not require trips to
the emergency room, but
they can still be serious.
In fact, the Skin Cancer
Foundation notes that
sunburn is a leading
cause in the majority of
cases of basal cell carci
noma, squamous cell car
cinoma and melanoma,
which is the deadliest
SPECIAL PHOTO
It’s important to
know the terrain
where you will be
mowing before you
start cutting grass
as riding mowers
can cause serious
injury. For larger
yards, apply sun
screen. Inspect for
hives before prun
ing cleaning up
overgrown areas.
form of skin cancer. The
SCF recommends apply
ing sunscreen 30 minutes
before going outside
to allow the sunscreen
to bond to your skin.
Reapply sunscreen at
least every two hours,
and more often if you’re
sweating excessively. The
SCF recommends broad
spectrum sunscreens,
which protect the skin
from both UVA and UVB
rays. Though a product
with a sun protection
factor (SPF) of at least 15
is acceptable when walk
ing the dog or driving to
work, the SCF advises
using a product with an
SPF of 30 or higher when
engaging in extended
outdoor activities like
gardening or mowing.
• Employ the buddy
system. Use the buddy
system when pruning tall
trees or performing any
tasks that require a ladder.
The Orthopedic Institute
of Pennsylvania reports
that more than 164,000
people are injured each
year falling off a ladder.
Ask a significant other
or neighbor to hold the
ladder in place while you
climb up to reduce your
risk of falling. If cutting
large branches, cut them
piecemeal to reduce the
risk of being injured by
heavy falling branches.
• Inspect the property
for insect hives. The OIP
notes that the most com
mon insect stings in spring
come from bees, wasps
and hornets. Homeown
ers can come across
hives when doing spring
cleanup, making them
vulnerable to bites and
stings. That can be very
dangerous for anyone,
and especially for people
with a history of allergic
reactions to insect bites or
stings. Inspect areas you’ll
be working to make sure
insects haven’t put down
roots in your property. If
you discover any hives
and are hesitant to remove
them on your own, contact
a local landscaping firm.
Lawn and garden ac
cidents and injuries can
be serious. Thankfully,
accidents and injuries are
preventable with a few
simple safety precautions.
Know your timeline before starting
spring home improvement projects
Home renovation proj
ects are significant un
dertakings. Working with
skilled and experienced
contractors can ensure
projects go smoothly and
are completed promptly.
Timing is a big consid
eration for homeowners
as they begin renovat
ing their homes, and
the home improvement
experts at HomeAdvisor
note that the following
are some general time
lines for popular renova
tion projects.
HOME ADDITION
Short of a full-scale
demolition and rebuild,
home additions are the
most time-consuming
projects homeowners
can undertake. Ho
meAdvisor notes that
its survey of customers
who recently completed
home addition projects
reported that the aver
age time from start to
finish was between three
and four months. Certain
variables, including the
scale of the project and
the local permits pro
cess, can extend the time
it takes to complete a
home addition.
KITCHEN REMODEL
Scale is a big factor to
consider when estimat
ing the time it takes to
complete various home
improvement projects,
and kitchen remodels are
no exception. Some Ho
meAdvisor users reported
projects taking as long as
four months, though the
average time reported
was roughly six weeks.
Projects that require
major overhauls like rear
ranging the plumbing and
moving walls will likely
take longer than more
cosmetic projects that are
limited to replacing cabi
nets and countertops.
BATHROOM REMODEL
More than 1,000 home-
owners reported that
bathroom remodels took
about 4.5 weeks from
start to finish. Small-scale
remodels that focus on
painting the walls and
replacing existing tiles
can be completed in less
than two weeks. But like
with kitchen remodels,
bathroom remodels that
involve replacing plumb
ing fixtures and removing
walls figure to take much
longer than that.
NEW SIDING
HomeAdvisor users
report that new siding
projects take roughly two
weeks from start to finish.
That estimate is the same
regardless of which ma
terials homeowners are
replacing and installing.
WINDOW UPGRADE
Homeowners who
want to replace all the
windows in their home
can expect such a project
to take roughly three
weeks. HomeAdvisor
notes that such a time
line need not concern
homeowners worried
that they will be forced
to brave the elements
during the length of
the project. Much of a
contractors’ time during
a window replacement
project will be spent on
up front measuring and
then ensuring a tight fit
once the windows have
been installed.
Spring is the perfect time for home improvement projects.
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