Drywall dust cleanup

Begin by SLOWLY and carefully taking up whatever you can with a broom and dust pan. Lower the pan into the barrel all the way before dumping to avoid having dust kick up. Buy the Drywall filter for your shopvac - presuming you have one - they work GREAT! Again, when emptying the vac, take precautions to minimize dust kick up... you can also use a mist bottle to keep the dust down by spraying slightly the area - this keeps dust down, but makes a bit a of muddy mess as well. ... another thing you can do is buy a "sweeping compound" like these http://www.acehardware.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=sweeping%20compound&origkw=sweeping%20compound&sr=1 .. probably a bit pricey and I've never used it, but I've heard great things.

I simply used my shop vac to clean it up from the floor...afterwards I took the vac outside to clean it...really cleaned up the filter but dropping it over and over in my driveway. I also used a broom to get the dust out of the vac. Did this a few times over the last 3 years and the vacuum is still fine.

To get the dust off the walls I get a rag damp and wipe lightly.

Use a cloth filter over the vacuum's filter and you will not have any dust moving through the vacuum. Sweeping will spread the dust.

gone_fishing said:

I simply used my shop vac to clean it up from the floor...afterwards I took the vac outside to clean it...really cleaned up the filter but dropping it over and over in my driveway.

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I also like the 'hold the filter inside a bag lined trash can and bang it against the sides of the trash can repeatedly' technique.

Put a box fan in a window with a furnace filter in front of it. Close off the rest of the window, plastic,etc. Close all other windows and doors in that room, but one door. Open windows in other rooms, to draw from. Creating a negative pressure in dusty room, wear masks!!!!!! Be safe, GBAR

GBAR in WA said:

Put a box fan in a window with a furnace filter in front of it. Close off the rest of the window, plastic,etc. Close all other windows and doors in that room, but one door. Open windows in other rooms, to draw from. Creating a negative pressure in dusty room, wear masks!!!!!! Be safe, GBAR

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And open the neighbor's windows. Recycling is in!:thumbup:

Sweep Compound, fine sweep push broom is the only way to go, I use this method prior to paint and in commercial areas (hospitals, clinics, and such) where dust control is an issue, almost zero airborn particulate, and super fast prep @ $10 a box.
Trace

Tracymc has the right approach, then vac the rest....

Dampen everything and use. When finishing use a damp sponge instead of sand paper. It's almost as fast, and there's no dusty clean up, thus saving time in the long run.

"Sponging" is fine for a repair or small job, but hardly practical for a whole room or basement size job where 15 - 100+ sheets are involved. There are "dust free" options available for a large job, but a sponge isn't one of them....

bjbatlanta said:

"Sponging" is fine for a repair or small job, but hardly practical for a whole room or basement size job where 15 - 100+ sheets are involved. There are "dust free" options available for a large job, but a sponge isn't one of them....

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Agreed, but seems we have this combination of pros and Joes here. All offer some incite and makes for interesting reading. I use Porter Cable vacuum system and have no dust to pick up. Seems to work fine for me.

Yep, and there are a variety of hand and "pole" sanders that attach to a shop vac for smaller jobs....

bjbatlanta said:

Yep, and there are a variety of hand and "pole" sanders that attach to a shop vac for smaller jobs....

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Yeah , have some to use for smaller jobs, touch-ups and patches.

Thanks, guys.

I got new filters for the shopvac. I vacuumed the ceiling, walls and floor. I then used a slightly damp dust mop. I also had the box fan in the window to help get rid of the airborne particles.

I've been fighting the blue shop vac filters lately. The little plastic ring doesn't stay on and dust will work it's way around the filter. It's frustrating.

Hopefully using a furnace filter in front as I mentioned!! Alas, I forgot to say: use old dryer fabric softeners over your heat supply registers, if forced air, and another furnace filter over the cold air return. Be safe, GBR