Dust, debris, dirt, and equipment are all part of any home construction project. Whether you’re remodeling the kitchen, upgrading a bath, or putting on a home addition, protecting your home from the inevitable mess is one of our top priorities.
Home protection during construction is typically a three-pronged approach: keeping dust to a minimum, protecting walls and floors, and preventing damage to furniture and furnishings.
Keeping the Dust Down
Construction dust is a lot different from the everyday stuff that accumulates on your furniture and monitors. It can include dirt and debris, drywall, and sawdust. Over the years, we’ve learned that protecting your home as part of the remodeling process can mean the difference between an unhappy or satisfying experience.
There are five areas key to adequate dust protection:
1. Floor protection has advanced from the days of laying rosin paper. Today, we use 1/8″ Masonite for hardwood floors and tile, taping the seams and edges to ensure nothing reaches the floor beneath it. It’s easy to put down, much safer than tarps, and the hard surface is perfect for areas where tools could be dropped, or equipment is used.
2. Air vents and return ducts are sealed to prevent fine dust particles from entering the HVAC system and spreading throughout your home. This important step also keeps the furnace filter from getting clogged.
3. Not all work areas can be sealed off by closing a door. If the work is being done in an open area, we isolate the workspace to contain the dust, forming a tight seal along the ceiling and floor.
4. Construction can produce inhalable particles that are regulated pollutants, so it’s crucial to capture airborne dust during remodeling. While no system eliminates dust altogether, solutions like dust extractors and air scrubbers work to catch dust before it can travel further into your home. Air scrubbers are ideal for pulling in dusty air, filtering it, and then sending out clean air which can be vented out a window.
5. Whenever possible, we recommend removing as many personal items as possible from the area. Dust can make its way into everything – even between the pages of books and behind the glass in picture frames! But for bigger pieces or items that can’t be removed, everything is covered with plastic sheeting or taped off with cardboard.
Over time, we’ve come up with some pretty creative ways to protect a client’s home. We’ve built tents in rooms with vaulted ceilings and even constructed little tent cities, all in the pursuit of keeping the dust to a minimum.
Though plastic sheeting may be perfect for most items, sometimes you need something a little different. For one of our projects, the homeowners didn’t want to move their pool table from the basement that was being remodeled. A crate was built around the table and put on wheels so it could be moved around during construction. The same could be done for a piano, or any other heavy piece of furniture, appliance, or art that would be better off staying in place.
One final note: the landscaping around your home can also be vulnerable to construction crews, especially during outdoor projects like an addition, patio or deck. Protective measures include putting down a plywood track, relocating fragile plantings, suspending a canvas tarp over flower beds, and covering pathways that will see a lot of heavy equipment traffic.
Learn More
To date, nothing’s been invented to ensure a 100% dust-free construction environment, but we make every effort to have the best containment strategy. The solutions may not look pretty, but they get the job done and the result is always worth it!
When you choose J.T. McDermott for your bathroom, kitchen or other home remodeling project, you’re are also getting a supportive network of people who are dedicated to making your remodeling experience a clean and happy one. Want to learn more about who we are and what we do? Drop us a line today. We look forward to meeting with you!
