{"id":6699,"date":"2021-03-02T13:36:59","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T19:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/?p=6699"},"modified":"2021-03-02T13:36:59","modified_gmt":"2021-03-02T19:36:59","slug":"tips-to-keep-drywall-dust-at-a-minimum-during-home-remodeling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/2021\/03\/02\/tips-to-keep-drywall-dust-at-a-minimum-during-home-remodeling\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips to keep drywall dust at a minimum during home remodeling"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019ve remodeled your home, you know how messy drywall dust can be.\u00a0Clouds of fine dust can linger in your home and cause cleanup to last weeks after your project is complete.<\/p>\n

Currently, my basement is under construction, and we\u2019re at the drywall stage. To say it\u2019s messy is an understatement. Frequently,\u00a0 I\u2019m downstairs sweeping and vacuuming the dust. While this doesn\u2019t eliminate it completely, it does help keep it a bit under control.<\/p>\n

Here are some tips that can help you through your remodeling project.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Create a plan.<\/strong>\u00a0Before tearing down your walls, make sure you have a plan. While a \u201cdo-it-yourself\u201d project may seem like a good idea, there are many things to consider. Depending on your project, you may need to obtain permits from your city\u2019s inspection department. In addition, when talking with them, they may be able to offer you some project tips.<\/p>\n

2. Hang plastic sheeting.<\/strong>\u00a0Plastic sheeting does a good job keeping the dirt and dust in the work area. It also works well for creating walls to protect other areas of your home. We used it to protect our storage area as well as the area where our water heater and furnace are located. Doing this really minimized the amount of dust in these areas.<\/p>\n

3. Turn off your HVAC system.<\/strong>\u00a0Depending on the time of year, this may be a bit tough. However, turning off the system can help prevent sending dust throughout your home. If you\u2019re remodeling during the winter months, consider using alternative heat sources, such as a fireplace or electric heater. After you\u2019ve cleaned the work site and removed as much dust and debris as possible, you can turn it back on.<\/p>\n

4. Seal your vents.<\/strong>\u00a0To protect your HVAC system and to limit the dust from circulating in the air in your home, seal the vents in the work area. Depending on where you\u2019re working, there may be two types of vents that need to be covered. Registers may be in your floor or ceiling and have the primary job of blowing out the air which keeps your home cool or warm. Returns or intakes suck the air into your HVAC system. Before sealing them off, make sure you\u2019re aware of their function. You may need to unseal them before turning your system back on. To run efficiently your furnace needs air. The last thing you want to do is damage it.<\/p>\n

5. Buy some box fans.<\/strong>\u00a0Again, depending on the season this may also be challenging. However, putting box fans in several windows throughout your home can help remove the dust. Even though we\u2019re experiencing extreme cold right now, I have a fan in my basement window to remove some of the dust. If it\u2019s winter, I\u2019d recommend constantly monitoring the inside temperature. You don\u2019t want your home to get below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n

6. Clean, clean, clean.<\/strong>\u00a0While thoroughly cleaning your work area each day can be a nuisance, it\u2019s a good way to mitigate the amount of dust. I\u2019ve found that using a push broom doesn\u2019t work well. It seems to stir up the dust more than anything. Therefore, I gently use a regular broom followed by my\u00a0Shop-Vac\u00ae<\/sup><\/a>. If you decide to follow this approach, the air filter in your vacuum will need to be cleaned frequently. If you notice loss of suction, it\u2019s time for a cleaning. Unfortunately, drywall dust can clog it up quickly. In addition, cleaning the rest of your home more regularly during the project can help. It\u2019s amazing how fast dust accumulates.<\/p>\n

7. Keep an eye on your furnace filter.<\/strong>\u00a0The purpose of your furnace filter is to trap dust and debris, preventing it from traveling throughout your home. During a project, especially one involving drywall, the dust in the air can be terrible. Clean your\u00a0filter<\/a>\u00a0regularly to prevent blocked airflow as well as the dust from overwhelming your furnace and home. At the end of your project, you\u2019ll want to buy a new one.<\/p>\n

8. Buy an air purifier or humidifier.<\/strong>\u00a0The job of an air purifier is to clean the air we breathe. It can remove pollutants, allergens, and toxins. While a\u00a0humidifier\u00a0<\/a>can add particles to the air; keeping your home\u2019s humidity at the proper level can help. Moist air is heavier than dry air which prevents the dust and other particles from freely floating around in your home.<\/p>\n

9. Protect your flooring.<\/strong>\u00a0There are many products available that can provide protection. Where your project takes place can dictate what type of covering to use. We put down a plastic barrier with an adhesive backing on the stairs leading to the basement. If you have hardwood floors or ceramic tile, you\u2019ll want to use something heavier, such as cardboard. The last thing you want is a dropped hammer denting or cracking your flooring.<\/p>\n

10. Develop a plan for sanding.<\/strong>\u00a0After your mud and tape on your drywall has cured, it\u2019s time to sand. Using a manual sanding pad or an electric sander can create a dust storm in your home. Depending on the size of your project, there may be some alternatives available. The method I used was wet sanding. While it may not do as good of a job, it does help keep the dust down. A damp sponge can smear the drywall compound and make your surface smooth. While it\u2019s a bit more time consuming, I think it\u2019s worth it. Plus, if you\u2019re applying knockdown texture to your wall, that can help hide some imperfections.<\/p>\n

I hope you found these tips helpful and your project goes well!<\/p>\n

Topics:<\/strong>\u00a0Home Safety<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve remodeled your home, you know how messy drywall dust can be.\u00a0Clouds of fine dust can linger in your home and cause cleanup to last weeks after your project is complete. Currently, my basement is under construction, and we\u2019re at the drywall stage. To say it\u2019s messy is an understatement. Frequently,\u00a0 I\u2019m downstairs sweeping […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}