- My name's Aaron Massey from mrfixitdiy.com,
and today, I'm here to share with you my top 10 ways
to keep dust down during a remodel.
(upbeat rock music)
This video is brought to you by Trimaco,
makers of an extensive line of surface
and job site protection products since 1906.
For a complete list of their products and where you can
purchase them, check out their catalog at trimaco.com.
One of the fastest ways to drive yourself
or your spouse crazy during a DIY remodel project
is to have the dust carry over into the rest of the house.
Dust can seemingly travel
to the farthest corners of the house,
coating furniture, flooring, windows, and electronics.
Now, I can't sit here and lie to you and tell you
that it's possible to keep remodel dust 100% contained,
but with a little bit of prep work on the front end
and some maintenance throughout the project,
it is possible to keep it under control
and limit it to the areas that you're remodeling.
Number one is budget for dust containment.
Now, this seems like a no-brainer,
but most people I've talked to about this failed to consider
dust containment as part of their estimated remodel cost.
And in my opinion, it's one
of the biggest mistakes DIYers make.
Now, we're not talking a ton of money here,
but plan to budget around 100 to 200 dollars,
depending on the size of your project
on the front end to dedicate towards dust containment.
If you don't budget for it, you will have spent
at least that amount by the end of the project anyway
in time, cleaning products,
or cleaning services to clean up after you.
Number two, plastic is your best friend.
Before I get started on demo for any remodel,
I always try to contain the project
as much as possible in its own little bubble.
I recommend stapling it in place wherever possible
for added strength, and then sealing the edges with tape.
You can use duct tape or a more friendly wall painters tape,
depending on if you're keeping the wall or not.
I recommend at least a four-millimeter
to six-millimeter plastic, because it's thin enough
to be manageable, but thick enough to withstand
the duration of your project without getting destroyed.
If you poke a hole in it or tear it
during your project, fix it right away.
This is the maintenance part I was talking about.
Throughout your project, you'll have to continuously check
and make sure your enclosure is staying dust-proof.
Number three is to do your demo strategically.
If you're doing a bunch of demo as part of your project
or maybe removing a wall to open up a space,
focus on the areas away from the rest of the house first
before moving towards the separating wall.
The longer you can keep a permanent barrier
between rooms, the better.
Before you take out that final wall, build a temporary
plastic wall on the other side using some thick plastic
and some dust containment poles, or a basic wood frame.
This temporary wall will serve as your main
protective barrier for the rest of your project,
so make sure you're checking it regularly
to make sure it's staying dust proof.
Number four, utilize your windows.
If you're lucky enough to have a window
in your project area, they can be really helpful
as a place to remove demo materials.
In addition to that, they can be used to create
a positive pressure room by building a box fan enclosure
to have the dust blow outside while you're working.
Thick cardboard, scrap plywood,
or thick plastic and some tape work great for this.
Crack one window open opposite your fan
to keep air flowing throughout.
Keep in mind that if the windows are open,
there's likely to be a breeze blowing
in if the fan is not running, so make sure
everything else in the room is sealed up tight.
And also remember to remove your screens
so you don't end up with them caked in dust.
Number five is to cover your vents.
Not only will dust get in there and get blown around
the rest of your house covering every inch of your
belongings, but it'll also clog up your air filters.
Seal around all your registers in your work area
to make sure it doesn't become an issue.
I still recommend replacing your air filter
on your system after any remodel.
It's something you should do
to maintain your system every few months anyway,
so you might as well do it after a remodel.
Number six is to create single entry and exit points
for your work area.
There is no faster way to have dust travel
throughout your house than to have a bunch of places where
you or your crew can go in and our of your project area.
Limit it to one doorway or entry point
and thoroughly seal all the other access points.
Use the windows as places to remove materials if you can
so you don't have to go in and out a lot.
At your access point, install a solid dust
containment door kit with a zipper like this
E-Z UP Dust Containment Door Kit from Trimaco.
Make sure you keep it closed up at all times.
Even leaving it open for just a few minutes
while creating a lot of dust can be enough to have it flow
into the rest of your house and make a mess.
If you have help on your project, make sure your crew
is as diligent about containing the dust as you are.
Number seven is to protect your floors.
Taking a little bit of time up front to protect your floors
both inside and outside your project area
can save you a huge headache down the road.
Create singular pathways to and from your project site
and to the restroom you're using throughout the project
to protect your floors and make sure you and your crew
are using only those pathways.
When it comes to carpeting, you may not realize
how dirty it has become,
because your carpet will suck up the job site dust.
If you have kids or pets crawling around on it,
it can be dangerous.
Protect it with some cling wrap
like the E-Z Mask Protective Carpet Film.
It's easy to install and keeps your carpet protected
from tracking and absorbing dust.
Keeping the dust off of harder surface floors
like hardwoods, linoleum or tile is pretty simple
by using some thick cardboard floor protectant
like Trimaco's X-Board.
It'll keep your floors from getting dirty,
scratched, or damaged, and your boots
from tracking dust through other areas of your house.
Number eight might seam a little counterintuitive,
but I encourage you to keep your boots on.
One of the biggest culprits of spreading dust
is the bottoms of your boots or shoes,
and it just doesn't make a lot of sense
to try and take them on and off as you go
in and our of your work area all day.
It might work for the first few hours, but eventually,
you'll get sick of taking your shoes of and on.
Utilize show guards as much as possible,
or if you wanna splurge and try out an awesome new product,
check out the E-Z Guard Floor System from Trimaco.
This thing allows you to step in, slide back,
and tear off a sticky protective plastic membrane
for the bottom of your boots.
Think of it like a box of cling wrap in your kitchen.
It's super easy to use, and you can just stash it
next to your door to make sure you can always
walk through the house without fear of tracking dust.
The dust is trapped to the bottom of your shoes
by the plastic wrap, so you have nice, clean feet
when going through the house.
Number nine is take your cuts outside as much as possible.
Many people think that dust containment stops
with the demo portion of the remodel, so they take down
any dust containment they've put up and throw it away.
But few things generate more dust
than cutting and sanding drywall.
Keep your dust containment up for the duration
of the project, or be prepared to rehang it
once you get to drywall.
I recommend doing as much of the cutting of your drywall
and building materials outside
and then bringing the pieces in and hanging them.
Keep as much dust outside initially as you possibly can.
And lastly, I encourage you
to keep a shop vac handy at all times.
Drywall dust is prolific and one of the reasons
why I absolutely despise doing drywall.
I recommend doing everything you can
to minimize your dust while you're sanding.
The pro's don't generate a lot of dust doing drywall,
but if you're an amateur like me, consider investing
in a drywall sanding dust attachment for your shop vac.
Keep that shop vac on hand, and suck up
any dust that starts to accumulate throughout the project
at least at the end of every work day.
You'll be extremely glad that you did.
And, of course, if you're generating a lot of dust,
make sure that you wear a respirator
or a dust mask to protect yourself.
Well, that's it for this video.
I hope you guys enjoyed it, and hopefully,
it gave you some ideas on how to keep your house
dust-free for your upcoming or existing remodeling projects.
I wanna say a quick thank you to Trimaco for supplying
many of the products shown in this video,
and if you'd like to see their full line of products,
I encourage you to visit their website at trimaco.com.
And as always, if you wanna check out more
of my DIY or home improvement-related projects,
visit my website at mrfixitdiy.com.
Thank you guys so much for watching,
and I'll see you next time.
(steady electronic music)