Builders dust

[Madblondedog]

As expected when a wall is knocked down, there is a hell of a lot of dust in our house now.

Would an air purifier improve the situation quickly? I can feel the dust in the air and it's making me cough loads and feel crap.

[FreeWorker1]

We have had this in our house.

The only way to prevent it was to have sealed off the area with plastic sheet but as it has now happened the only way is to open all the windows and let the air blow through. Then leave for a week and very thoroughly clean. An intense deep clean. All surfaces wiped with a damp cloth. You will see a very fine layer of pink brick dust on the cloth.

[Madblondedog]

Yeah, I've been doing that and its getting there. Its not as bad as I thought it would be but I can feel it in the atmosphere and its made my chest feel very tight. I don't mind the cleaning aspect really, more that.

That's why I was wondering if an air purifier would help the situation

[PigletJohn]

You need a canister vac first because there will be a vast amount of gritty dust. The air purifiers are good for the remaining tiny particles.

Hoover everything including lampshades, and damp-wipe tops of doors, cabinets etc. Wet-mop floors.

Buiilders dust is not good for household vacs.

[Madblondedog]

The builder keeps leaving his Henry hoover at ours over night so I keep using that for now

Would it be worth getting another vac? We do have more work to do in the house

[PigletJohn]

here is an example

The price includes a take-off socket for a power tool, a cartridge filter and a dust bag (which delays clogging of the filter). You can clean the pleats of the filter with a dry brush, and eventually wet wash it, but get a spare cartridge and a pack of bags. Don't buy a vac if you can't get spare bags and cartridges for it.

My view is that if you don't use it a lot, a cheap tool like this will probably last, but get one with a good guarantee in case it doesn't. Two years will mean you get your money's worth.

It will suck broken bricks and buckets of dirty water, also socks and screwdrivers if you let it.

[Madblondedog]

Wow, sounds like a good investment so will get one. Thanks pigletjohn

Is it worth getting an air purifier do you think?

[PigletJohn]

I use them, they remove invisible fine dust. They will quickly choke with builders dust. The ones I am thinking of are electrostatic with a small fan, and they make the dust particles cling together and fall out of the air, making a dirty mark on the floor or wall around them, so you need a surface that will tolerate violent cleaning.

I wear a dustmask around builders dust. Get a pack of disposable ones with a plastic valve on the snout. It will be in your clothes and hair and you will stir up invisible dust clouds. Piriteze may help with the cough.