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Can anyone recommend a good shop vac for cleaning up post-renovation drywall dust? I'm finding drywall dust everywhere from the minimal sanding that was done.
The vac itself doesn't matter nearly as much as the filtration in it. You need to get as fine a filter as possible. Personally, I use the paper filters when I'm vacuuming drywall dust. I go through several on an average job, but it does get the dust up.
The vac itself doesn't matter nearly as much as the filtration in it. You need to get as fine a filter as possible. Personally, I use the paper filters when I'm vacuuming drywall dust. I go through several on an average job, but it does get the dust up.
Is there a specific name for this kind of filter?
Also, what are your thoughts on the toxicity of drywall dust? Our contractors did not do a good job of containing the dust, though I'd say it was minimal sanding.
As Jim said- any vac will do; it's the filter!
With d/wall dust it's caked-up in no time. I got tired of cleaning the filter all the time so I devised a simple plan to make the cleaning a little easier.
I use knee-high stockings that my other half doesn't want anymore. As long as there are no runs, they greatly reduce the amount of dust that actually gets to the filter.
Some shopvacs sell paper liners that go inside the canister.....along with a GOOD filter...usually not the one that comes with it, both help.
Make sure the discharge air does not show dust coming out of it, or else you will be doing nothing but recycling dust back into the room.
I've been known even to lay a thin wet rag over the discharge just to catch any dust that gets through. Better yet, if you have or borrow another hose, hook it to the discharge and send it outside through a window.
I HOPE you turned off your furnace, A/C unit and covered vents. If the A/C turned on, you may now have dust all through your duct system.
I HOPE you turned off your furnace, A/C unit and covered vents. If the A/C turned on, you may now have dust all through your duct system.
Frank
I tried to keep the A/C off as much as I could, but it's been almost 100 degrees here--my contractors would have been unable to work in the heat if I did that. As it was they complained when I kept it off as much as possible, so I had to run it. I tried to cover as many vents as I could. But I do believe I have dust all through my duct system, as I'm finding dust in rooms that were not worked on.
As Jim said- any vac will do; it's the filter!
With d/wall dust it's caked-up in no time. I got tired of cleaning the filter all the time so I devised a simple plan to make the cleaning a little easier.
I use knee-high stockings that my other half doesn't want anymore. As long as there are no runs, they greatly reduce the amount of dust that actually gets to the filter.
I gotta try that one. Think the wife will notice if half her knee-highs go missing?
Bass - if you were running the A/C while they were sanding, it probably wouldn't hurt to have the ducts cleaned. At the very least I'd change the filter and check the A-coil for caking.
Bass - if you were running the A/C while they were sanding, it probably wouldn't hurt to have the ducts cleaned. At the very least I'd change the filter and check the A-coil for caking.
Will definitely change the filter, and was thinking strongly of having the ducts cleaned but have heard mixed things about this. I have no idea what an A-coil is.
An A-coil is what the air passes through to make it cold. May be called something else, it's been about 20 years since I worked on A/C for a living. If you have a really good filter, you probably don't need to worry about it.
As Jim said- any vac will do; it's the filter!
With d/wall dust it's caked-up in no time. I got tired of cleaning the filter all the time so I devised a simple plan to make the cleaning a little easier.
I use knee-high stockings that my other half doesn't want anymore. As long as there are no runs, they greatly reduce the amount of dust that actually gets to the filter.
This is a good idea. I got sick of the filters plugging up every ten minutes and just bought a long hose, removed the filter and stuck the vacuum outside and let it discharge into the yard. I am always adding gypsum to the soil anyway to try to break up the clay.
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