Safety in the Summer By Debbie Ellison Summer has finally arrived. The kids are home, the pools are open, but, unfortunately for all you working stiffs, life in the fast lane goes on. For faux finishers, summer has its drawbacks. Lugging and climbing ladders and dragging equipment in the heat is a drag. And it’s no fun to work in new construction when there’s no air conditioning – and it’s 99½ degrees! What’s an artist to do? The main goals are to be cool and safe this summer. Here are some scenarios that may sound familiar. These stories are true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent! Sweatin’ to the Oldies Hey, Dave’s a cool guy! He pulls into the driveway of his job, a newly constructed house. He unloads his SUV, drags in all his equipment, his buckets, his paint, his ladders, his supplies. It’s a scorcher outside and he’s already tired and sweaty. He turns his battery-operated radio to his favorite oldies station and is ready to paint when he notices, it’s hotter inside the house than outside. Say it isn’t so! No electricity and no air conditioning! Hey, Dave’s not such a cool guy now. With or without AC, take precautions:
There are several “ragging” techniques that
might also work.
One day, Martha’s leg muscles were caught off guard when they began noticing a strange sensation. Having been asleep for years, they were suddenly tossed, jolted, and strained when Martha, while faux painting a two-story foyer, began her ascent up her 20-foot extension ladder. After using all the paint on her roller, she began her descent. Much to the chagrin of her back muscles, they too experienced a shooting pain as Martha moved a heavy bucket of paint and bent to re-fuel her roller. Again, she ventured up the ladder and soon proceeded back down. Her muscles wailed (the ligaments weren’t too thrilled either!) as, up and down she sped, retrieving this brush and that tool, this glaze color and that texture. Alas, the descent and ascent continued repeatedly as she re-fueled, re-tooled, and re-cooled. The muscles, having endured the limit of abuse, have since reported Martha to MA - Muscles Anonymous. She is, as we speak, in therapy for her abusive behavior. If only Martha had known how to prevent the pain, she might still be a productive member of society. But, for you, there is still hope. Muscle strain from reaching, stretching, climbing, twisting, and lifting may be an occupational hazard for faux artists, but it can be lessened or prevented:
Getting High Samantha likes to “get high” (she was a mountain climber in a previous lifetime). So, faux finishing provides her with the thrills she seeks and the heights she craves. She climbs ladders and scaffolding on her job, daring to go higher and higher. She’s a risk-taker, a dare devil, some may say, a little dense! A smarter person may take precautions. Like a mountain climber, Samantha carries lots of gear - a roller, chip brush, badger brush, sponge, who knows what else. That takes at least five hands, which makes one wonder, which hand’s holding on to the ladder?
When working on an A-frame (free-standing) ladder, never
climb past the second rung from the top. On an extension ladder, never
climb past the third rung from the top. The Contortionist Even as a little girl, Jenny dreamed of being in the circus. She imagined jumping into center ring and twisting her body into every imaginable shape and position. Jenny never made it into the circus, so she did the next best thing - she became a faux finisher. Ladies and gentlemen, cast your eyes high above center ring, where Jenny the Pretzel Girl is twisting and curling her body into a ball small enough to fit into that tight space under the bathroom cabinet, where she will create a beautiful faux finish with minimal range of motion. Now, the excitement turns again to Jenny, high on a ledge above the kitchen cabinets where it is almost impossible for a person of average dexterity to reach. Watch in amazement as she climbs the ladder and steps onto the ledge, where she will glaze the hard-to-reach wall in record time. For her next feat, she will flex, extend, and stretch into a space so small and far away, you will wonder how she achieves it with such ease. See her reach behind a corner oven into a tiny spot five feet away from the oven front with only one foot of space above the cabinets in which to maneuver. As a faux finisher, you’re an acrobat, a contortionist,
a dare devil, a mountain climber, and an artist all wrapped into one.
If you get injured on the job, you’ll be out of work - and money
- so be creative, be resourceful, but above all, stay cool and be safe. Susie Goldenberg owns Paintin' the Town, Faux, a faux finishing showroom and Atlanta’s premier school for decorative finishes. She has been a professional decorative artist for 13 years and teaches classes at her school and from coast to coast. Contact her at Susie@PaintinTheTown.com. ___________________________________________________________ This article may be shared with
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