What’s the best way to get sheetrock dust up off an advantech floor? So far all I have is the dust and debris from cutting and hanging the rock. It’s probably a bit more than normal cuz of the “technique” the bozos are usiong: They tend to cut the rock way too tight for the space, then while it’s being held in place they use a rotozip to try to cut some clearance. These guys are really hacking the outlet holes, etc.
I’m sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
Replies
I clean up the dust in three easy steps.
1. a thorough sweeping
2. shop vac
3. wet mop (with a real commercial mop)
The mopping works wonders, totally cleans the plywood. I had a carpet guy a little while ago tell me he never saw a sub floor so clean. Of course if the bozos are pro you won't have to clean as much.
have a good day
Cliffy
let'em do the taping first. Globs of mud come up easier when there is dust on the subfloor.
then -
Scrape floor
Broom sweep
shop vac
paint it in with cheap or leftover paint and a roller.
Why is it an issue?
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Hmmm, will that work with people too?
I always seem to get a lot of mud on me when tapeing. Maybe if I just leave all the dust from hanging the rock on me, the mud from finishing will pop right off.
Course, I'll have to sleep outside cause DW won't let me in the house with all that dust and mud on me <G>
I am kind of like the character "Pig Pen" from Peanuts when working with dw and concrete. Just walking by it I get dirty.
Dave
For drywall and crete, you can get in the house if you just walk home in the rainBut leave the roofing pookie alone if you are that messy. You'll still be wearing it to church come Sunday
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It's not an issue. I have been sweeping and vac'ing and it leaves a lot of dust in the pores of the wood. I was just wondering what the best method would be to get the floor clean.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
These methods are good, but the problem is you'll wear out your Shop-Vac in no time, the gypsum dust is super abrasive to the bearings in a shop-vac. A painter friend simply buys a new one every year, as inefficient as that is.
I'd just sweep and mop.Painting over it is a good idea.
Hi Piffin,
paint it in with cheap or leftover paint and a roller
An AdvanTech rep told my DH to never paint AdvanTech. Some problem with reaction with the resin.
kestrel
Hmmm, that's one to think on...
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It seems that I'm a magnet for wet mud or fresh muck. I can walk past a jobsite and the stuff flies across the yard to land on an unseen spot so as to mar a new truck interior or get tracked across the wife's fresh mopped floor!
after you scrape out the job after the hangars leave, go around and make sure they cut out ALL the boxes, recessed lights , find all the thermostat wires, under kithchen wall cabinet wires etc. Make sure every thing is pulled out through. That will save some time later. This way the tapers can patch any holes you make to find stuff.
After the tapers are done, and and you have swept up I highly recommend pouring a bucket of water down the shower liners. ( The ones that get tile). Be careful not to get any splash on the floor in front of the shower pans. If there is a leak, it will show itself immediatly on the little drywall dust that's left on the floor. You will see a small wet spot in front of the shower or on the floor below. Fix these problems now.
I would let the remainder of the trades clean up after themselves. Don't waste your time. The flooring trades usually carry their own vacumes. Let them vacuume.
Edited 5/26/2005 6:24 pm ET by panama red
yeah the trades clean up after themselves...if they can use your gear to do it. And if they're in the u-word then they'll use your people and your time to do it!(here come the flame wars)
I install wooden railings and I don't clean up after I'm done, unless you told me you wanted it that way BEFORE I gave you the price!!Bear
You need to be told to close the refridgerator door after you get a beer out too?
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Good points on uncovering things.
The hangers and the tapers are the same crew ... well they were today, that might change tonight. And the cleanup crew is me. This is just an attic finishout, so there no plumbing or cabs. And I'm the floor sub too, so it's in my best interests to try to keep the floor clean as we go along.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
Most of my work is remodeling and getting the dust up is a major issue. Dust control during hanging and taping is the first factor, however, I always need to clean up after the job.
I have an old (1983) Craftsman shop vac. The vac has always put out a small amount of "after-dust" from the exhaust port. Recently I discovered that I cannot buy replacement filters for this vac. I messed around with some plywood and made some spacers which converted the vac to take Ridgid filters - using the blue 3 ply filters helped.
A client of mine had a small vacuum which plulled the intake air through a water filled chamber to grab the dust. I got to looking at the Craftsman and made a PVC piping rig inside of the tank which pulls the intake air through about 3" of water in the bottom of the tank. The water traps the drywall dust and the resulting exhaust air contains no dust (non-scientific claim). After using the water rig on a drywall job clean-up, the water in the tank looked like white latex paint - white and thick.
I don't think the vac actually cleans the surface any better or worse than before, but it does not "move the dust around" like it did before - in fact I think it is filtering the air in the room as I clean.
Jim
Take a good sized pile of sawdust, lightly dampen with water, spread out in a thick long row then sweep the floor with a push broom. The drywall dust will stick to the damp sawdust, you may have to add more water as you go. I use a sprinkling can or on big jobs a small tank sprayer. After sweeping go over the floor with a shop vac to get what the broom missed. Cheap, fast and no dust, the floor is as clean as it can get. Don't over water to the point you have a wet slurry, damp is all you need. .