A home remodel is a great way to breathe new life into your home and add value. However, bringing a construction site into your home can have wide implications, especially if you are not careful when it comes to controlling the mess. In particular, if you’re knocking through walls and cutting up wood, there will be dust everywhere and it does not take much to spread it to the rest of the house. Therefore, when you’re planning your next home remodel, consider the following dust control methods.
Cover the Floors
There will likely be plenty of footfall in and around your project location, which will spread dust around and make the clean-up task much more arduous. To save time and control the dust, protect the floor inside and around the project. You can protect walkways using Dust Sheets and plastic runners; don’t forget to create a path so that you visit the bathroom.
Use Your Windows
If you have a large enough window in your project area, use it to transport equipment, debris, and other materials through; this will prevent dust from traveling through your home. This is an especially useful tip if you live in a block of flats, since you won’t want to be traipsing up flights of stairs with equipment and waste, leaving a trail of dirt behind you.
Heat Vent Covers
If your home has an HVAC or other ventilation system, this is an open invitation for the dust to travel to the rest of your home. Therefore, before you begin, spend time sealing any vents with a simple stretch of durable plastic and tape. After finishing the project, make sure you change the filter as a preventative measure.
Have One Access Point
The most obvious route for the dust to travel to the rest of your home is through doors, so pick one door to use as an entry/exit point. Using plastic sheeting and tape, you can seal all other access points. For your access point, you can cover it with a plastic sheet with a zip, allowing you to open it only when necessary.
Buy Shoe Guards
Logical thinking may tell you that taking your shoes off to walk around your home will be the best way to reduce the spread of dust. However, putting on and taking your shoes off repeatedly will soon become tedious. Therefore, instead of wasting time, invest in plastic shoe guards and keep the box near your entry/exit point.
Keep a Shop Vac Handy
Try and implement a ‘clean as you go’ policy into your project. This could be as simple as a quick tidy and cleaning before moving on to the next task. A great way to manage this is keeping cleaning supplies handy, like having a shop vac on site. If you are going to be sanding drywall, get yourself a sanding attachment.
Dust build-up can be extremely problematic during a remodel, which is why putting dust management strategies in place is essential. Your home may temporarily resemble Dexter’s kill room, but at least your home will be clean.
