Dust control, negative air, cleanliness
Here’s my problem: I’ve been spoiled. My former outfit (out of biz) used a fancy asbestos remediation machine to control dust in remodeling. And the outfit I’ve been working for: bought that very same machine, used.
It’s the creme de la creme of dust control. Stick it in a doorway to the next room, put up some plastic, and it creates negative air pressure while pushing ZERO contaminated air into the adjacent space. It’s good stuff.
So. . . . What should someone without a $2k machine do? Fan in window? Any other ideas?
Replies
I bouight an air scrubber with negative air capabilities. Cost me $800. Made by JonDon.
But fancy equipment aside, the most important thing is well-done surface protection & dust walls. I treat this as seriously as i do the rest of the project. It says something to the customer and really makes a difference in their experience.
Yeah, box fan in the window(s) is what I use. Fast and simple it keeps all the dust and fumes from moving back into the rest of the house. We open windows strategically for make-up air and use fans to direct the direction of air flow. Very handy especially with plaster dust or urethane fumes. It is a problem when it is really cold outside though.
Same here, but I plan on getting a couple of heavy duty window fans some time. With a regular box van I have to cardboard and tape all around it to get the full effect, and even then I wise it moved more air. I'll probably upgrade when I start a job that will justify the expense.--------------------------------------------------------
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I've also got a couple of squirrel cage fans that I salvaged from old furnaces. They move an unbelievable amount of air but are noisy, heavy, have to be fastened down and often require some type of custom stand to align with the window. They do a great job on urethane fumes though. I have a large barn fan, 34"dia?, that has similar characteristics and probably moves even more air. Just like any other tool, more power=more weight and usually more noise.
I wonder if it's possible that a fan might cause an explosion when moving air heavy with combustable fumes? One thing that comes to mind is shellac based floor sealer. Is it worth while to get a spark-free fan?--------------------------------------------------------
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Explosions are certainly possible with urethane fumes. A family I know had an explosion in their house when their floor was being refinished. I never inquired about what products or techniques were involved and apparently nobody knew what triggered the event. It could have been the fridge or a pilot light or? As long as the concentrations of volatile elements is below the lower explosive limit (LEL) it is not a problem. No doubt a spark-free fan would be a nice upgrade, whether it is necessary in the real world I don't know. I am so sensitive to fumes, after decades of exposure, that it is tough for me to spend much time in Home Depot etc. let alone a stinky job site. Thats why I ventilate heavily and hence I am confident the vapour levels are below the LEL.
Sawdust is a different issue and it can also, apparently, explode if the concentration is above the LEL and below the upper explosive limit.
Edited 6/1/2008 11:32 pm ET by sisyphus
I'm on a kitchen job right now with three different access points and four windows. I heavily taped 4mil plastic and used a couple of Third Hands on two of the openings and the other has a pocket door. Put a heavy duty floor fan in one window. Set it on medium and it damn near pulls the plastic down. I also opened one of the other windows a crack for fresh air. Outside the pocket door there is a 50" LCD TV on a stand and after demo which involved a wall coming down and all the rock going out there is only a very barely noticeable film of dust on the stand (I covered the TV with painters plastic).
The dust film couldn't have been from your work, they way you had it sealed and vented. Assuming it was clean (new) plastic covering the TV, and you had the fan going and the doors sealed at all times, there is no way dust could have made it out of the work area.--------------------------------------------------------
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