One of the biggest concerns for our clients during a remodeling project is keeping the job site clean and the house free of dust and debris. To address this issue, we developed strategies to isolate the dust to the portion of the house under construction and to limit the amount of dust created at the source. Here is a list of some of our standard remodeling procedures, which you should expect from any contractor with whom you work.
1) Protect the Floors
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Before we protect the floors, we try to clear the work area of any items that do not need to be there. Any items that remain are covered with thick drop clothes to prevent dust from accumulating on them, as well as preventing any dmage.
- For carpet we place self adhesive carpet protector over all work areas.
- For hardwood or tile flooring we cover the work area with thin hardboard sheathing, such as masonite, which is placed over a thin foam laminate floor underlayment. We then tape the seams to prevent any debris from working its way underneath.
- We designate one door to be used by employees and subcontractors, and lay down heavyweight drop clothes, that overlap at least two feet, that run from the door to the work area.
2) Seal the Work Area from the Rest of the House
- Once the floor is protected, we seal the work area off from the rest of the house. First we seal all doorways except for the door used to enter the work area. Special care is taken to seal all the gaps around the door with blue painters tape.
- It is easy to isolate a room with walls and doors, but when a room does not have existing walls, we put up temporary plastic dust partitions to prevent dust from escaping. The temporary walls are taped to the floor and ceiling to eliminate any path for dust. An entry to the area is created in the plastic wall using specialized zipper doors.
3) Using a Good Vacuum is Key
- Tools have come a long way, and now the majority of tools that produce dust come with an integrated dust-containment system. We like to take this one step further by attaching the vacuum’s hose to a specially designed port on the tool to capture the dust at its source. If the tool does not have a port, like a drywall saw, we hold the vacuum up directly to the tool to catch as much debris as possible.
- At the end of the day we clean up the work area by putting away all tools in a predetermined area as well as vacuuming the whole area, rather than just leaving it broom clean. All of the vacuums we use are equipped with a HEPA filter so no vacuumed particles are allowed back into the air.
- If the remodeling project is particularly messy, we make it a point to vacuum our clothes before exiting the work area.
4) Additional Items
- If your house has forced-air heating or cooling, it is best to shut down the system for the length of the job. If that is not possible, we often seal the vents.
- Placing a fan in the window blowing out creates negative air pressure which keeps any airborne dust from escaping the work area as you enter or leave the room.
Providing excellent dust control requires a modest amount of time, but it pays big dividends in the end for you and your home.
Posted by cpiremodel 
