AllGo

We are dealing with this too.

I went to a big box and bought a dust mop and used that. (These are the big furry ones you see people at stores using to sweep the floors. Big flat head with mop like fibers)

We put a fan in the window facing outwards and then used the dry dust mop a few times and then basically beat the dust out of the mop in front of the fan and then on to the next section. You can also take it outside and beat it or take the cover off and wash it. Was about 25 dollars and worked great.

No dust residue and no ladder climbing :thumbup:.

I know some people use the dry swifter and some vacuum (shop vac not house vac) but I had too much dust for the swifter and didn't want to mark the walls with the vacuum. If you vacuum you need a drywall filter - they are about 31 dollars for a good HEPA filter but work really well and the one I got has a one year guarantee. A regular filter will not cut it (found that out the hard way when demoing)

Best of luck

Robyn

 

Yes, a DRY broom works best. Just start at the top and push downward so most of the dust falls to the ground. Some painters will use a HEPA vacuum to get the dust off the walls. I never worried too much about getting most of the dust off because the primer coat captures the dust and then I always sand the primer to remove any burrs, boogers, etc. leaving me with smooth walls for topcoating.

 

I'm a little more picky about dusting Sheetrock. You can vacuum it with a brush attachment and not scratch it up. To me using a bag in the shop vac is a must. The dust mop idea works pretty good too. It is ok to dust with a damp cloth or sponge, but personally I like to keep it dry.

Drywall primers usually have ingredients like calcium carbonate or limestone to help bond to the calcium sulfate in gypsum, so a little dust won't hurt much if you are priming. It's much more important to dust thoroughly if your using a self priming paint, as any dust on the surface will affect the bond.