I’m on my way out the door right now. I sanded a bunch of joint compound yesterday and cleaned up, except for the drop cloths. When I get there in a few minutes I’m going to shake the drop cloths off from over the back porch rail (3rd floor apartment) and let the dust cloud fly. Should be quite a spectacle, with about 10 drop cloths to shake out.
In some areas where I work this would not be acceptable and could even earn me a fine. But even here, where I can get away with it, I would rather have a less messy way of dealing with dusty drop cloths. Any suggestions how to maintain the dust cloud? What do you do?
Thanks
~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! – MyToolbox.net
See my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Replies
You would really upset the people around here with that dust! I know one guy who made a lot of dust and the residents ganged up on him! He ended up paying for 23 car washes! For real, in Ventnor NJ.
I would start with less sanding. Better Spackle technique = less sanding. Use a vac when sanding. I use a random orbit sander hooked to a vacuum and that grabs 99% of the dust.
If your drop cloths are the coated type you could hose them down. Single use drop sheets might be better.
That dust will be all over the place and in all things.
builders paper and tape or
carpet mask
vac it in place first.
Then fold to center.
When I get home,it goes over the line and gets beat off then hosed down.
Once a year more or less they go tho a laundrymat with big machines!
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
When I get home,it goes over the line and gets beat off then hosed down.
You living the dream aren't ya, bro?http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
I got a screen sander with a vacuum attachment. It was $10 - 15 a few years ago at the local Pac NW hardware store (McLendons).
We scraped popcorn off the ceilings about 4 months back, and afterwards mudded over the old drywall joints. It involved a lot of sanding. What was cool was that the screen sander was just lightweight enough, and the vac (Fein Turbo II) was just strong enough to where I could leave the sanding pad stuck to the ceiling or wall when I needed a break to shake my arm out. It's one of those low tech./high performance doo-dads that makes me wonder why you'd do it any other way.
My only complaint is that I haven't found one that has an attachment for both a pole AND a vacuum. Mine only has a handgrip.
As for dropcloths:
1. fold them up and make a stop at a commercial laundry mat
2. wait for a good rainstorm to do the shaking
3. use the cheap thin plastic ones, wad them up and throw them away
3. secure one end to the front of a pickup bed and let them unravel at 60MPH out on the freeway - the cops and a few angry "followers" can help you fold them up when you get to your exit...
-t
wash them.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I found washing them allowed the paint to soak through and make a mark on the floor. Haven't you had that issue? Maybe you're a neater painter than me:)
I generally avoid painting.
and when I do it's strictly the old drop's that get used.
I'm touchy about my drop cloths ... they're mostly used to keep the customers stuff clean ... so if the drops themselves are dirty ... they don't work.
runners are for walking on. Drops are to protect whole floors and countertops and such. If there's to be alos of walking in and out of a drop'd room ... a runner goes on top of the drop.
One big benefit as I was just telling a potential customer ... I set runner from the point of entry to the preapproved bathroom and/or tool storage room and of course to the work area ... and all the help knows ... you don't set foot off the runner.
set foot off the runner ... and you're walking somewhere you shouldn't be. And you're generally fired. Helps keep the carpets clean ... also helps keep potential thieves outta rooms they shouldn't be in. There's no roaming around if everyone sticks to the runners.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I generally avoid painting, and when I do it's strictly the old drop's that get used.
All my drops are my old ones. =)~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netSee my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Dusty Dropcloths!
My favorite band!
AitchKay
Dusty Dropcloths! My favorite band!
Yeah... didn't they play Beat It, Shake Shake Shake, Under Cover and some other minor hits? I think they went broke and became painters. =)~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netSee my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Lol, tie the edge of the dropcloth really well to the ladder rack on the truck and take off down the road. -- I 'm only kidding!!!
Webby
Well, so I made my dust cloud - And it was HUGE!
Most of the areas I work in there's no way I could get away with that. I hope I nobody reports me for doing it here, but I think I'm safe. From now on I have to look at taping (or in this case, plaster repair), and painting as 2 separate stages of the job, and keep my canvas tarps away from the dust activity. ~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netSee my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Just because you can get away with it doesn't mean you should. Dust gets airborn and will wind up in people's lungs, on their windows, cars, etc.
Just because you don't see it anymore doesn't mean it vanishes. This reminds me of the guys who use leafblowers to simply scatter their leaves out for others to deal with.
Okey.Here is how I deal with drop-clothes. There is only one type that I will buy any more. The 9' x 15' vinyl backed high thread count cotton nylon mix. I have 15 (went out and counted) of them in my Tile trailer and on average use between 5 to 7 on any given job. I am a Tile and bathroom specialist). They run about $35.00 a piece and are worth every penny. Provided you care for them, they should last at least 2-3 years of daily use. Because they are tightly woven and backed with a nonslip liquid proof coat, dust does not penetrate through. This is important because you now have a "Clean side" and a "Dirty side". And clean to dirty Need never touch.Folding and storage. Fold The 9' side in 1/2 with the backing side out this is the clean side. The dirty side folds in on it self.
Now with a helper even a vice clamp or your 10 yr old will do. With the center fold at the top, pull the length tight, and fold the 15' in an accordion fold, at about 16" folds, then fold in 1/2.
They are now about 3 1/2 thick and will fit nicely in a Rough Tote.To use. Unfold to the accordion then lay it so the center fold is toward the room and pull. It will unfold while laying on the floor. Then open to the full width.
Hallways pull it and then open it just enough so the dirty side is edge to edge.Clean up. When you are finished, bring your dirty corners together. #### falls to the middle of the tarp. Fold the tarp to contain it. when you get back to the office/home, stretch the tarp by the center fold and the #### falls to the floor, shake it a couple times and refold for next use. The Clean side will stay white carpet clean as long as you apply this system. When you get a cut tape to both sides with a high quality duct tape.The payoff. On-site Roll-out and Cleanup are super quick with this system.
The BIG payoff Everyone who sees you and this tarp ritual will think you are totally anal about Dust and Flooring protection. That is exactly the impression you want to leave with your clients.Rambling in the evening Craig Edited because i cant type worth ####
Edited 5/20/2009 10:38 pm ET by chairmon
i just use cotton bedsheets for (small) drop cloths, one layer for dust, doubled if i'm painting. i find them easier to move around, and store, and clean.once i was painting the porch at this lady's house, and was using the cloths to protect some bushes. come friday, i left them bunched up with my other tools and supplies in a corner of the garage.when i got to work monday morning, she had laundered and neatly folded all four of them.
I got about a hundred drops. I foldem up dirty and bring them home , put them in 1 corner of the garage. The other corner holds the clean ones that I take in the AM. If there aint no clean ones, the wife gets one hell of a beating.
OOOH, you're such a MAN!AitchKay
Actually if my wife read that post, methinks I'd be getting the beating and I only got a handfull of drops that I shake out in the woods at home.
That's OK, this is BT, and of course, we're ALL Real Men here.But remember, Don't Ask, Don't Tell.AitchKay
If you really did that, I would call you a hack.
If I was a neighbor watching what was going on, and if I needed some work done, you *wouldn't* get the call.
The people on the 2 floors below would have every right to report your butt to the office and give you a cleanup bill.
Roll or fold the darn things up, take them back to the shop, then shake them out.
Take them to the laundromat, or wash them at home.
I can fit 3 of the 4' x 15' tarps in my front load wash machine no problem... but I usually do 2 at a time. Shake the big stuff out outside... sweep up the mess on the driveway... not a big deal.
I did 2 of the larger ones and felt bad about it. The rest (1/2 doz) are still dusty, not sure what to do about them.~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netSee my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Shake em out at the shop outside (driveway) and sweep up the mess.
That's what I would do.
They don't make as much dust when you shake them out at night.
Billy
"Dusty Dropcloth" sounds like the name of a tidy cowboy. I picture him cleaning his bunkhouse every time I see the name of this thread.
Sand the compound with a vac sander.
Do what Piffin suggested. It's what I do too. Don't beat 'em out as is, vac them first.