Replies

1. 
   DanH | Oct 16, 2014 08:19am | #1

   Unfortunately, amateur tapers will apply about 4 times more mud than required and hence 4 times as much dust.

1. 
   nkhandyman | Oct 16, 2014 09:36am | #2

   drywall dust

   The taping and mudding was done by a pro.  A lot of dust remains so what is the best way to get rid of it?

1. 
   sapwood | Oct 16, 2014 11:26am | #3

   Get some sweeping compound. This is sawdust that has been treated so that really fine dust will cling to it. Spread it around and sweep it up along with the drywall waste. You can find it at major hardware stores, some lumber stores, and at janatorial suppliers. 

2. 
   spclark | Nov 20, 2014 09:39am | #9

   Agreed

   at least until the amateur gets sick & tired of the dust from sanding off what never should have found its way onto the project surfaces in the first place.

   After adding a 2nd floor to a house (while living there and before discovering EasySand... I was using DuraBond 45) I've gotten more proficient with taping & finishing.

   Also discovered that keeping control of what dust gets generated from sanding before it settles out everywhere it's not supposed to is a time-saver. That P-C tool looks great but not for occasional use so this is where what I found at Grainger is a worthwhile tool:

   http://m.grainger.com/mobile/product/HYDE-Vacuum-Hand-Sander-Kit-24Z437

   Pretty much any shop vac will work well with it as long as you keep the filter clean.

2. 
   deadnuts | Oct 16, 2014 05:55pm | #4

   Shop Vac. They sell 'em all day long at the box stores.

3. 
   Mike_Mahan | Oct 17, 2014 05:17am | #5

   Dust

   Brush the dust off the walls. Your floors should be covered with mud which also needs removing. Sprinkle a little water on the floor to soften the mud then remove it with a floor scraper. The dust will get mixed in with the damp mud and you can pick it up and put it in a trash can.

4. 
   BossHog | Oct 18, 2014 06:38am | #6

   Ditto on the sweeping compound. Lots of it.

   Also - If you have to use a shop vac to clean up some of it - See if you can scrounge up a 2nd hose. Run the extra hose on the exhaust side of the shop vac, and run the other end outside.  that way if the shop vac doesn't get everything whatever dust it misses is blown outside.

1. 
   [email protected] | Oct 18, 2014 08:54pm | #7

   Shop VAC filtering

   Better than running a longer hose out of the building, try better filtering.  A dry wall filter bag, and a hepa filter get 99.99% of the dust out of the air. 

   You can get even better filtering by putting a dust deputy in front of the vacuum. 

   We use this setup with a Porter Cable dry wall sander.  As an un-scientific test we held a dark blue cotton rag over the outlet on the vacuum, while sanding dry wall compound.  There wasn't any discoloration of the rag in about two minutes.  Which indicates that very little of the dust is making it through the filter system.  Plus, having the vacuum picking up the dust as it is created does a very good job of keeping the dust from getting free in the building as it is produced. 

   When I first bought the sander the guys were pretty sceptical about it.  Since they have used it, the one who remodels homes on the side, has bought one for his own use. 

1. 
   BossHog | Oct 20, 2014 06:41am | #8

   Better filtering is fine if you have the time to get the stuff and the money to spend.  On volunteer jobs you're often making do with what's at the jobsite.

5. 
   junkhound | Nov 20, 2014 01:24pm | #10

   Obviously, sweep/vacuum up what you can first.

   There is always dust left clinging to ceiling and vertical surfaces, for that blow it off.

   What I do is set a big ol' furnace blower in a door or window, then use compressed air to blow off the walls and ceiling. 

   Blower pulls it all out of the house. 

   habitat house - 'free' volunteer labor, bucket and rags, wipe everything down.