work hasn't even started yet and I'm stressed!

[BasinHaircut]

Ok, I'm having a little building work done, starting in a week and lasting probably 2.5 weeks.

Having a dividing wall put in, a doorway knocked through and a chimney breast (unsupporting) knocked out. Plus plastering.

The builder has said he will put the wall up first and effectively trap himself in the room to knock out the chimney to minimise dust. I've bought out the local B&Q stock of plastic dust sheets and 2yo DS and I are going away for the first week.

We have just got a new massive shed and will be putting as much of our stuff in there as possible, plus I am going to completely tape up DS's room while we are gone to try and stop dust.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me? Or tips for cleaning up? By the end of week one we have to come back and live there but I'm hoping that as the wall will be up and the dirtiest job (chimney) will be done it should be ok as DS won't have access to the room where the work is.

Cover everything. Keep doors shut. Get somebody to mop the floor every night in the rooms where the work is happening. Be prepared for everything still to be dustier than you would ever imagine. It's not nice, but you get used to it .

It's only a few weeks. Just do the essentials, lower your standards, expect to eat out a lot, and don't expect to clear the dust as you go. Plaster dust gets everywhere, it is amazing stuff, accept it as the price of having the builders in.

When it's all over do a massive clean including hoovering the ceiling, walls, furniture, everything.

Then enjoy your lovely new home!

Hang dust sheets from nails in the top of door architraves and seal them all round. Ask your builder to provide Roll and Stroll for the floors, especially carpets. If you have carpet in the hall near where the work is being done, consider getting a carpet fitter to take it up so it can be stored out of the way and put back afterwards. Remove light shades and curtains. Have curtains cleaned so when you put them back it's all nice and fresh. Put dust sheets over the banisters. Ime cloth dust sheets are better than plastic and some of the plastic ones are stupidly thin and prone to ripping as soon as you look at them.

Thanks all!

wow the carpet is going so my plan was to leave it down to collect dust and then remove. Good idea?

I was going to plastic dust sheet and then cloth over the top. I've saved all old bedsheets and curtains to use as dust sheets too.

I have an American fridge freezer that is at the moment unused but has to be kept in the house. I was thinking of cling filming it completely up like shrink wrap. Is that a bit OTT?

Covering and sealing will be key. I see what you mean about leaving the carpet to soak it up, but imagine how you are going to get the carpet out when the time comes. Dust gets everywhere, its always going to be easier to bar it than to remove it again later.

Take out the carpet you don't want - much easier to clean the subfloor than move a filthy carpet. The fridge freezer - hmm - they should be stored with the doors ajar to stop them stinking if they are not plugged in and working as far as I know. If you wrap it up whilst it's on it will overheat and the motor will probably go. I'd ask the manufacturer what would be best. Maybe someone else has experience of storing one?

Our builders sealed off the upstairs rooms with masking tape when they were knocking walls so upstairs was totally untouched by dust. They only put sheeting down on the floors though so the carpets got a bit ruined. My neighbour had some kind of special flooring laid over her wooden floors to protect them when she had works done and I'm definitely going to investigate that on our next project.

Oh really?! Ours has been just sat in the lounge since we moved in April with the doors shut! I have scrubbed it out 3 times though so it shouldn't stink. I will investigate later though....

It's not turned on, I don't want to shrink wrap my working fridge or else I wouldn't be able to get to the tonic for all of the G&T's I'm going to need to get me through.

Good point about the carpet actually. We'll rip it up first then.

I will seal DS's room up but won't be able to seal any others as DH will still be living there.

We were still living there so they put the masking back on the doors every day. Honestly, we had no dust upstairs so it's really worth the effort.

Great thread, by the way, as we are about to start on a similar job so I'm picking up some good tips here and hoping for more!

Oh right, thanks for the tip then! I'll tell DH to tape up our bedroom each day.

If only I was going to be there to make sure he actually does it!