Best vacuum for builders dust

[didireallysaythat]

I recall the collective wisdom is buy a cannister vacuum, get two filters (one in use, one washed and drying) and bags for the dust.

What's the best value one out there ? And is getting a wet & dry one worth the extra £ ?

Henry or Hetty hoover.

Hetty here, with a new/alternative filter and paper bags for the crap and hepa filter ones for the bits of the house you actually want to remain properly ok.

In our house, we put plastic sheeting over every doorway (just cheap dust sheets stapled across the top of the door frame, weighted with old towels at the base once we were safely 'out' of a room for the day) and hoovered upstairs with filter/hepa and downstairs with different filter/paper bags. We lived through it

Initially we had a really old cheap hoover for downstairs, but it died. (it was a roughly ten year old Hoover Telios, which cost about £40 new so we were not too upset).

If I was dong a whole house without living in it I would wait until the end on one filter and cheap paper bags then get a new filter for a final clean up.

if you have a Screwfix within reach, get one of their cheap ones. If it goes wrong you can take it back under guarantee. I have had their Titan tools before, they are unsophisticated and noisy but very sturdy.

Or you may have a Toolstation near you or some other chain.

I hear B&W are more argumentative about returns.

Cheap tools need a good guarantee service as you can't expect them to be as well made as something five times the price.

I like a wet and dry vac, as you may need to clear up water or suck out drains. You want a plastic tub as metal ones rust. AFAIK wet vacs always have the pleated cardboard filter that you can brush or hose clean. Filters and bags are often cheap on fleabay. Mine is an Aquavac by Goblin and quite old but sturdy. I don't think that brand is sold any more.

B&Q, not B&W

p.s.

adagio, the reason i say get a spare filter, is that builders plaster and cement dust can clog a filter in minutes, so it is useful to have a spare that you can wash clean. Sweep up the plaster with a dustpan before you start vacuuming

don't have advice about a hoover but do have a tip about getting rid of plaster dust or dust from building work - if there is lots of dust about damp the floor before sweeping it up, all you need is a little spray bottle, stops the dust being swept into the air - makes a huge difference.