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The risks of DIY tiling projects include unsatisfactory results, poor installation, and personal injury. Although freak accidents happen every day, when you bring heavy tile and sharp cutters into the mix, the odds raise. To do everything you can to prevent a tiling mishap, take every precaution and wear goggles, gloves, masks, hard-toed shoes, and other protective gear. Even so, accidents such as these five common mishaps plague the eager improver.1. Falling wall and ceiling tiles lead to serious injury during the installation process and long afterwards, such as in this New Jersey Church. Moisture behind the wall, improper installation, and blunt force against the tiles can cause them to loosen and fall, and depending on the distance and force of impact, has been blamed for concussions, bruises, broken bones, and even death. The best way to prevent falling tile accidents is to DIY replace them when they start chipping or cracking, before they start falling out on their own. During the installation process, make sure that every tile is securely glued to the wall or ceiling before moving on to another row.2. If not properly secured or balanced, many people fall of ladders. If your tiling project requires some height, make sure to keep one hand on the ladder at all times and remember, the higher the ladder and harder the ground, the more serious the injury. Ladders cause the most DIY deaths and the number of ladder injuries rise each year. Thankfully, this man survived, but his mishap demonstrates the need for sturdy ladders and trustworthy spotters.

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3. Sharp tools, such as tile cutters and power saws, are difficult to use without proper training. The sharp blades can cause lacerations, deep, open wounds, and even amputation of fingers. Also, when you cut tile, pieces can fly off and imbed in your skin, or worse, in your eye, if you don't wear protective goggles.4. Permanent damage to your arm, back, and rotator cuff is common after lifting heavy tile and bending over during an installation project. Use a cart or dolly to carry especially heavy pieces of tile made of stone, marble, or granite. Lift slowly and smoothly and ask for help if necessary. Sometimes years of rehab result from these injuries in which the victim never regains full range of motion.5. Toxins in the home release during the tiling process if the room is not ventilated properly. Lead, asbestos, smoke, fumes, and adhesives can cause headaches, skin rashes, and nausea. More seriously, they can lead to asthma, cancer, nerve damage, and allergies. Before you start a tiling or any home renovation project, identify the hazards and seal off the ventilated workspace from the rest of the home. Practice safe work methods to minimize dust and fumes and effectively clean your workspace at the end of each day. Take heed of this British family's warnings after their loved one died following exposure to tile asbestos. The good news is that these injuries are 100 percent preventable. Always wear protective gear and close-fitting clothing when working in your home. Make sure you know how to operate each tool correctly and be realistic about your skills. Professional consultations never hurt, and if you need to hire the pro, feel no shame.Learning to install tile safely is easy, if you go to Denver Tile Installation's website and click through to the blog.

If you've got a pine trim molding or furniture project, and you need to stain the pine dark, you may experience difficulties obtaining the deep, dark-colored tone or shade you desire.

And even if you obtain the deep, dark stain color you wanted, why is the final finish looking so "blotchy?"

To stain pine wood dark, every time, follow these steps.

First things first, with any staining process, you want to give the piece a good finishing sanding. Do this by hand, not with power tools. Pine wood is a softwood, and by using a power sander, you'll often wind up with some noticeable scratches once you apply stain to the wood. So make it a hand sanding job, and sand with the grain.

To ensure a dark finish, use a medium grit sanding sponge or 100-grit sandpaper. Use the sanding sponger for molding with contours and crevices. It's the most suitable choice for conforming to the curves and getting into the nooks and crannies. For mostly flat surfaces, wrap a small square sandpaper around a sanding block (a basic block of wood will be sufficient) and sand with the grain, but at a light angle.

Why at a slight angle? Pine wood grain is comprised of the light, softer "earlywood" and dark-colored, more rigid "latewood." By not cutting across the grain just a little, you are going to sand down more earlywood than latewood and wind up with a somewhat wavy surface, rather than the totally flat surface you are aiming to achieve.

For a darker final finish color, don't go any finer than the medium grit sponge or 100-grit sandpaper. What you're doing with a medium grit sanding is opening the pores of the pine wood which will allow the wood to soak up more stain. What you don't want to do is use a fine sanding sponge or 180-grit (or higher) sandpaper. This essentially polishes the wood and closes off the wood pores, making it tougher to stain the pine dark.

After a good sanding, vacuum the piece and then remove all remaining dust by wiping it down completely with a tack rag.

Finished pine can look blotchy because of the different growth cycles of the wood (and is also dependent on how the final piece was cut.) To eliminate this unsightly problem, pick up a can of pre-stain wood conditioner at your local home center or paint store. The wood conditioner will close off some of the larger pores so that the stain color appears more uniform.

However, making use of the wood conditioner renders it more challenging to stain pine dark. Nonetheless, as long as you're utilizing a dark oil-based penetrating stain, you can attain the dark shade you're looking for.

Adhere to the recommendations on the can for the wood conditioner. Apply the stain as soon as the manufacturer recommends. (This is usually after about 15 minutes.) Allowing the wood conditioner to dry completely will completely block the wood pores and it will be difficult to achieve the dark color you're looking for.

Apply the stain generously using a foam brush, clean cloth, or natural bristle brush. Try not to get drips, though. Wait the maximum time the stain manufacturer recommends before wiping off the residual stain. Make sure you don't wait too long though, or else the stain will get tacky and difficult to wipe off.

If your piece isn't as dark as you'd hoped for, don't give up hope. Wait a minimum of a day or more for the stain to properly dry. Then follow the steps above to re-stain your project. Your pine wood finish will have taken on a deeper, darker shade.

Typically two or three applications of stain will ensure that you get the finish results you would like. Wiping the piece down with mineral spirits right before you stain is another trick that helps stain absorption.