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Extension dust - Help!

5 replies

Hapideo · 30/11/2025 20:50

Hello. I’m coming to the end of a downstairs extension project and the past two weeks of work has been really dusty. Whilst it’s just downstairs the work, the dust does seem to have got everywhere.

For the first week I tried to hoover and dust it but must admit gave up last week.

what is the best thing to do - wait until it’s all complete and do a massive clean up or try and do bits for the next two weeks until it’s complete?
We are living in the house and I don’t think it’s healthy to be in so much dust?!

OP posts:
Buscobel · 30/11/2025 21:37

Unfortunately, after an extension, or any remedial work in a house, the dust just returns and returns for quite a while. Damp dusting helps, but it really does take a long time to get rid of it. It will be lovely when it’s all done though!

PigletJohn · 01/12/2025 00:04

I recommend you buy a builder's canister vac. It's like a giant Henry, and should have a replaceable cartridge filter but be able to take huge paper bags as well (mine is 30 litres but some are bigger). It can eat nails and broken bricks as well as sawdust and plaster and insulation. It is rather noisy.

Titan brand from Screwfix is adequate and quite cheap, and they have a good returns policy if it goes wrong (if it does, get a refund, not an exchange, and buy a new one, which will have a new 2-year guarantee period). Get a pack of bags and at least one spare cartridge filter. You can brush it clean when clogged, and, eventually, wash the dust out in a bucket of water. The bag will delay clogging but can get torn by broken glass or brick. I recommend a wet and dry, which will also suck up water from a leak or a blocked drain.

Examples https://www.screwfix.com/c/auto-cleaning/wet-dry-vacuums/cat810212?brand=titan

Plaster dust is very fine and abrasive and will clog your domestic vac, and may damage the motor, so don't use it, and hide it from the builders.

When you do your post-build clean, you have to do the lampshades and bulbs, curtains and blinds, and the tops of doors and doorframes. The dust gets everywhere, including inside wardrobes and drawers. Invest in a roll of plastic garment bags from Ebay. It can damage electronic equipment like TVs and computers.

PigletJohn · 01/12/2025 00:10

BTW, make a special effort to keep the bedroom dust free, and wipe your feet before you go in. It is unpleasant to be coughing all night.

Geneticsbunny · 01/12/2025 07:33

You can buy zip things to put over door frames to stop the dust getting in. And you could hire an industrial extractor fan to cut down the dust in the air.

MotherofPufflings · 01/12/2025 07:41

Possibly too late now, but we're part way through building work and we bought an air purifier because I was concerned about the health effects of breathing in fine particulate dust. It ramps up automatically when it detects high concentrations of small particulates and filters them from the air. It seems to have done a good job because none of us has been coughing or seeing dusty gunk when we blow our noses (sorry tmi), unlike when we had a rewire.

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