subject: Living On A Building Job Site [print this page] Now it is never easy living somewhere when renovations are being carried out and I am sure that most of us, if having the choice would move out while the renovations are being completed. But moving out can be costly and how do you keep a check on those builders if you're not there?
The reasons most of us would not want to be on site whilst the work is being done would be because of the dust, dirt and noise. Although we should not forget the health issues that airborne particles can cause, like asthma or mesothelioma and lung cancer from asbestos. Thankfully if you do have to stay at home there are a lot of products on the market today that help with these problems. Temporary screening and plastic sheeting are probably the most common forms of dust and dirt protection.
If access is not continually required through the home, then sectioning of the designated area with plastic sheeting would be the more obvious choice. This type of work could be installing a new window or replacing a fireplace, messy work but contained to a small specific area. Depending on the frequency of required access to the area, you could choose from either simple plastic sheeting for infrequent access or using the more professional dust barrier systems that have doors in the sheeting for regular access.
If access is required through the home, then temporary plastic sheeting systems with zip doors are available, which provide a way of allowing access for the tradesmen while keeping the dust and dirt in the areas where the work is being carried out. I would also combine this with self adhesive plastic film for the floor areas being worked on and for the areas where access is required.
Having a good dust barrier protects your carpets, curtains and other soft furnishings from being ruined by the dust and will reduce the amount of cleaning and dusting required during this process.
Unfortunately this type of protection does not offer you much in the way of protecting you against the noise that building works create, but as the old adage goes 'two out of three isn't bad'.
Writing and using protection materials is what I have been doing for some time now and I am always open to new suggestions and ideas. If you have any questions regarding dust protection or dust barrier system you can contact me by following the link at the bottom of the page.
