Home construction is messy.  There is no way around it.  Between dirt, debris, dust, drywall, plaster, and saw dust, the mess builds up.  Here are 4 tips for trying to keep it to a minimum.

  1. Always Protect Your Floors – Tarps and drop cloths are not enough. For tile and hardwood floors, use a non-adhesive, non-slip, tough fabric roll (think heavy duty cardboard).  They are rip resistant and absorb spills.  If you are using it to protect hardwood and you think spills may be an issue, get the kind that has a very thin layer of vinyl on one side.  If you are trying to protect carpet, use adhesive 2 mil plastic and cover the entire surface.  Remember, you can always use a tarp or canvas on top of these materials, but when dust prevention is key, make sure your entire work area is covered.  This also makes clean up much easier.
  2. Remove or Cover Personal Property – It is always best to remove as many of your belongings as possible. However, what cannot be moved (like large, bulky furniture) should be covered with poly plastic sheeting. Contractors will generally do this for you but if the piece is of particular value to you, we often recommend that you do it yourself.
  3. Seal Your Ducts – Seal your AC return ducts to prevent fine particles from entering the HVAC system. Make sure you change your filter regularly.  Depending on the scope of work, we often recommend getting your ducts cleaned after project completion.  You don’t want to be enjoying your beautiful new kitchen while breathing in 50 year old dust.
  4. Isolate the Workspace – You want to keep the dirt contained as much as possible. It is amazing how far the dust can travel! Closing a door to the work area is not always a possibility.  We recommend using a barrier system, such as ZipWall, to contain the dust.  It creates a dust tight seal at the floor and ceiling with the option of adding a zipper “door” so you can still pass through to the next room.  If you will be passing in and out of the space, we also recommend putting a sticky mat of the floor.  Its like a lint roller for the bottom of your shoes.  Once it is full, pull off a sheet and your mat is sticky again!

One special thing we would like you to take note of – if you believe there may be harmful contaminants like lead or asbestos in your home, seek out help from a professional.  It will be necessary to follow local and state, as well as EPA, guidelines to protect yourself.

If you are hiring a contractor, these are important items to discuss ahead of time.  Will you be responsible for prepping the area or is that included in the labor and material costs? Where will the work area be set up? And lastly, is there a post construction cleaning in the proposal or will you be responsible.  It is always a good idea to have a cleaning service come in for a deep clean prior to making use of your new space.