Every hobby has it's danger (even a quilter gets a needle in the finger once in a while) and furniture rehab is no different. There are safety precautions you should take to protect yourself from harmful chemicals.
When you're rehabbing a piece of old furniture - whether it has paint or is solid wood - there are lingering chemicals from whatever was done to it before you came along. That wood may look bare but, trust me, at some point in that furniture's life it was a finished piece. Which means varathane, or lead or God knows what is still lying within the grain.
When you come along with your sand paper you're releasing all that into the air. If your face is uncovered, then you're breathing all that into your lungs.
Wood itself can be a harmful chemical - cedar can be very hard on your lungs when inhaled... and there's no way of knowing if you're allergic or sensitive to a certain kind of wood until it's too late.
So protect yourself with a dust mask or a respirator. I prefer my respirator. The difference between the two is night and day.
A dust mask will stop 'dust' particles from getting into your nose and mouth. It's sort of what a Dr wears when he's performing surgery.
A respirator stops the particles and chemicals you can't see from getting into your nose and mouth.
*When you wear a dust mask while painting - you can smell the paint.
*When you wear a respirator while painting - you smell nothing.
It stops everything. I love my respirator - and I won't let anyone else use it because it's kind of a personal item and that grosses me out. lol
The below photos show me with a dust mask on the left and my respirator on the right.
When you're rehabbing a piece of old furniture - whether it has paint or is solid wood - there are lingering chemicals from whatever was done to it before you came along. That wood may look bare but, trust me, at some point in that furniture's life it was a finished piece. Which means varathane, or lead or God knows what is still lying within the grain.
When you come along with your sand paper you're releasing all that into the air. If your face is uncovered, then you're breathing all that into your lungs.
Wood itself can be a harmful chemical - cedar can be very hard on your lungs when inhaled... and there's no way of knowing if you're allergic or sensitive to a certain kind of wood until it's too late.
So protect yourself with a dust mask or a respirator. I prefer my respirator. The difference between the two is night and day.
A dust mask will stop 'dust' particles from getting into your nose and mouth. It's sort of what a Dr wears when he's performing surgery.
A respirator stops the particles and chemicals you can't see from getting into your nose and mouth.
*When you wear a dust mask while painting - you can smell the paint.
*When you wear a respirator while painting - you smell nothing.
It stops everything. I love my respirator - and I won't let anyone else use it because it's kind of a personal item and that grosses me out. lol
The below photos show me with a dust mask on the left and my respirator on the right.
At first wearing protection was annoying. I'd be sweating and uncomfortable and even get claustrophobic. But I'm used to it now. I get to wearing it and forget to take it off. I have a family that needs me, plus I want to be around for a while longer and of sound mind and body - so I don't take chances with my health.
I always wear a helmet when I ride horses, I wear a seat belt when I'm in the car, and I read labels when taking medications. Wearing a respirator is no different. It's just part of the deal of furniture rehab. I've seen first hand what chemicals can do to people (skin rashes / seizures / brain damage) from working in an industry (grooming) that doesn't take chemicals seriously (flea products are harsh - do you know how hard it is to kill a flea?).
I always take chemicals seriously.
I hope you will too.
I always wear a helmet when I ride horses, I wear a seat belt when I'm in the car, and I read labels when taking medications. Wearing a respirator is no different. It's just part of the deal of furniture rehab. I've seen first hand what chemicals can do to people (skin rashes / seizures / brain damage) from working in an industry (grooming) that doesn't take chemicals seriously (flea products are harsh - do you know how hard it is to kill a flea?).
I always take chemicals seriously.
I hope you will too.