subject: Choosing The Correct Dust Protection [print this page] When it comes to home improvement some builders can cause more damage than good, especially on larger jobs. When undertaking a large home improvement you should start by using the correct tools. This is not just the correct drill or hammer but the correct protection too. Dust can cause not only health issues but can also cause damage to your soft furnishings.
Some of the jobs that require the use of dust barriers are:
Sanding Floors
When sanding wooden floors a great deal of dust is created and even if you use a dustless system you can still guarantee a great deal of wood dust. If you're doing just one room then make sure you cover the doorways with plastic sheeting and open all windows.
Plastering
If you have ever plastered a room without using some form of dust barrier, you'll know that the rest of the house will end up covered in dust. If you are only plastering one room, you should either tape the doors up so no dust can escape or use plastic sheeting to cover the door. Some products on the market today use a zip system on the plastic sheeting to allow access.
Replacing Fireplaces
When replacing fireplaces the amount of soot can cover a room completely in a thin layer of black dust. I would always section off the room with a temporary plastic sheeting system and use self adhesive sheeting for the floor ensuring no gaps are left so your carpet doesn't get ruined.
Replacing your ceiling
If you've ever had a leek and needed to replace your ceiling the amount of dust and dirt that comes down is vast, especially if it's the old slat and plaster ceilings. I would definitely use one of the temporary plastic sheeting systems that have doorways, this type of job is generally not done in a day and simple plastic sheeting can get annoying to keep on moving every time you need access.
Extensions
When it comes to extensions to the home there are two types of dust protection system I would use, self adhesive plastic film for the floors of all the rooms leading from the extension and a temporary plastic sheeting system that allows easy access for the entrance to the extension.
These are just some of the jobs that require a form of dust protection and I'm sure you'll agree that there are many more, but I hope we've covered enough areas for you to make your own assumptions on what you'll require.
