Your Home Improvement Resources

When we purchase new furniture be it a leather sofa or new recliner we’re always left with a piece of furniture that we are replacing. What to do with the old furniture though? In the eco-friendly world we’d like to do what we can to keep that furniture out of a landfill if at all possible. In this article we’ll touch on some green ideas for recycling your furniture.
Furniture can last for a long time. There comes that day though when it’s time for a change. Buying new furniture is often a great way to spice up your home décor. Often we’re left with older furniture that we’re just not sure what to do with though. If you’re like me, I’d prefer to keep that furniture out of a landfill if at all possible and recycle it. So the question becomes what to do with that old furniture?

So you have that new leather sofa in your home. Your sofa is arranged the way you want it along with your coffee table, end tables and sofa table. You have an old sofa now in the garage and it is simply sitting there with nowhere to go. It’s easy to put the old sofa out to the curb for trash pickup. However there are better ways, more green ways to recycle that sofa. Here are some ideas on how to be more green with old furniture that you’re ready to part with.

• Donation – By donating your old sofa to any number of groups like Goodwill, Salvation Army or others, your furniture can provide use for others and find new life in a new home. The proceeds from the sale of items goes to help projects and community goals that these organizations support and fund. Sometimes they are able to pick your off furniture up as well depending on the location.
• Give To Family – Perhaps someone in your immediate family or a relative could really use your old sofa or furniture. Always ask family if they could use that old sofa. You’d be surprised that they may actually need your old furniture and may have even enjoyed sitting on or using it when they were over. Ask around and see if anyone needs it.
• Let Friends Have It – You may have friends in need of your old furniture. Maybe they have a spare room or family room that could make great use of your furniture. Never hurts to ask so discuss it with your friends and see if they may have a need or a place they can use your old sofa or furniture.
• Have a Yard Sale – Maybe you have clothing, kitchen items or other things that may be ready for a yard sale. If so this would be a great time to bring out the old furniture into the driveway and see if you can generate some interest in it. Be willing to accept a reasonable offer for the furniture. If it’s in good shape don’t be afraid to put a price on it but be flexible on offers. Remember the goal is to find a new home for the furniture.

Any painting job is dangerous or hazardous, if the right safety precautions and the appropriate safety equipment are not employed. In essence, there are several types of safety equipment at your disposal for your next home improvement painting job. If you think that investing on safety equipment is not within your budget, then the best option is to hire a professional house painter or decorator. It may be the best option available for you in the long term.

You may wonder what safety equipment are necessary for any painting job. Any painting professional may recommend the following areas to be protected during painting:
1) Protective clothing for the skin
2) Goggles and breathing protectors for eyes and lungs respectively
3) Neoprene gloves for protection of your hands
4) A cap to protect your head and hair

The above safety equipment are mainly to avoid exposure to solvents or dangerous chemicals that contain in paints. The greatest risk is the damage to your eye during painting. For example, paint chips from scraping of existing paint or dust from sanding or paint dripping can damage your eye if not properly protected. To prevent damage to your eyes best thing to wear safety glasses or goggles. To prevent your lungs from dust and paint fumes, better to use a protective breathing equipment. Hence safety equipment is an absolute essential for many painting situations. Special care should be taken when working on old finishes, where lot of dust and debris can emanate. The other most important safety category is preventing falls, as painting involves working at heights. For these types of safety measure you need to use correct ladder types.