# How-to Protect your home during construction



## joecaption

Good tips.
Never ever make the mistake of using the carpet protector on any hard surfaced floor!
You will end up with a sticky mess that only mineral spirits will get off.


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## oh'mike

Cloth painters tarps----as many as you can afford----the use is obvious---and they will hold drywall dust so you can take the dust outside to dispose of it========


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## rossfingal

Remember -
No matter what measures you take to contain any dust generated by the
remodeling project you are doing -
It will get everywhere.

If you're working in one room - some type of fan, blowing out a window will help.
Got to cut drywall/plaster with a saw? - have someone use a shop-vac,
close to the cut - to vac. as much dust as possible.

Depending on the extent of the project - forced air furnace? -
change your furnace filter(s) during or, at least after the project.

rossfingal

(Also - "Dust Masks" are your friend)


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## oh'mike

Plan ahead for trash handling--

The extra cost of good heavy duty trash bags will seem like nothing if you have to clean up a giant mess inside your house when a cheap bag splits.

A dumpster is often needed----best to spend your time doing the construction,rather than filling your garage with heaps of trash that must be handled a second time----


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## joecaption

If your going to use a pick up to haul the trash away lay a tarp in the bed that's big enough to lay in the bed and up over the cab of the truck. Once it's full flip the tarp back to cover the load.
Once your at the dump often times you can pull on the tarp to dump it.
When stripping a roof lay some OSB down on the deck or stoops, lay tarps any place your dropping the shingles to reduce the time picking up the small pieces and nails. The OSB on the decks will stop all the black marks and give you something to run a pitch fork or flat shovel across to clean it up.
Lay a piece of OSB over the top of the


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## rossfingal

If your project involves the use of some type of V.O.C. compounds
(Volatile Organic Compound) - petroleum based.
Use protection for your hands -
We use latex gloves with rubber gloves over them.
Some of these can be absorbed through your skin.
(The result of this happening - I can attest to!) 

Watch out for "fumes" - adequate ventilation, at all times!
If you're working anywhere, near sources of combustion -
furnaces, water-heaters, space-heaters, stoves ...
Anything with a pilot-light/ignitor.
Turn them off!

If you are using "strippers" or acetone, xylene, xylol, lacquer thinner ....
Don't make the mistake of throwing any rags/paper towels.... into a 
bucket or a box, and leaving them somewhere, where you don't want a
fire to start.
"Spontaneous combustion" can occur - no, you don't need a match or spark.

rossfingal


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## oh'mike

During major demolition---cover furniture with plastic and tape it well----especially pianos----dust and grit travel a long way---and paying to clean and tune your spouses piano may cause a divorce---:laughing: ( or sleeping in the dog house)


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## rossfingal

oh'mike said:


> During major demolition---cover furniture with plastic and tape it well----especially pianos----dust and grit travel a long way---and paying to clean and tune your spouses piano may cause a divorce---:laughing: ( or sleeping in the dog house)


Yeah - worked in houses where the homeowner had nice, grand/baby-grand pianos.
They had someone come in and shrink-wrap them - to the extreme.
They had to be moved around - sometimes a lot.

After things were done -
"Piano Tuner"!
Piano tuning is not a "DIY" project! 
Those people who do that piano tuning - got way, better ears than I have!
"RF"

(Remember - "you can tune a piano - but, you can't tuna fish!)


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## oh'mike

We drywalled a basement a few years back---there were several exercise machines----we wrapped them well---moved the dang things countless times --

When the project was about finished the homeowner asked," Mike, would you guys mind moving those out to the curb for me?"


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## oh'mike

When you have plumbing drains open---cap or plug them up---

I don't want you to waste time ripping out drains because a fitting went bouncing down an open toilet hole---

( Don't ask me how I learned ---it was not a fun experience)


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## rossfingal

oh'mike said:


> We drywalled a basement a few years back---there were several exercise machines----we wrapped them well---moved the dang things countless times --
> 
> When the project was about finished the homeowner asked," Mike, would you guys mind moving those out to the curb for me?"


Ha, ha, ha!
Yeah, seen that!

"Why didn't you ask us in the first place"
We've got a Saw-Z-All - we'll disassemble it - very, quickly! 

"Bouncing down an open toilet hole"?
Just reach down there and grab it -
Bust up the floor!
No problem!!
(Got'a tell these kids, everything!)


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## federer

wow you really just reached down into the toilet hole?


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## oh'mike

Soap and water---a little dirt won't kill you--Wait till you find a separated sewage line in a crawl space-----

That's why plumbers get the big bucks!!!! It's a glamorous job.


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## kwikfishron

oh'mike said:


> Wait till you find a separated sewage line in a crawl space-----


Mike...it's still a little early in the morning for those kind of flashbacks. :laughing:


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## oh'mike

Sorry---Here's a memory---

Three mule deer wandering into a meadow in southern Utah early on a cool morning--one wandering over and sniffing my arm--
then flicking it's tail and slowly 
walking off to eat it's breakfast of fresh grass---


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## rossfingal

oh'mike said:


> Soap and water---a little dirt won't kill you--Wait till you find a separated sewage line in a crawl space-----
> 
> That's why plumbers get the big bucks!!!! It's a glamorous job.


As my friend Carlos the plumber told me -
(What a great philosopher!)
"Your poop, smells like MONEY to me"!!


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## federer

wow. you guys dont get enough credit. too many guys in white collars jerking off all day. what a shame


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## creeper

federer said:


> wow. you guys dont get enough credit. too many guys in white collars jerking off all day. what a shame


Can you please elaborate. I'm sure some of us delicate ladies don't know what this means:huh: :chinese:


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## BigJim

federer said:


> wow. you guys dont get enough credit. too many guys in white collars jerking off  all day. what a shame


Now ya done it, just wait till Barb gets here too, Jan and Barb will clean your clock for talkin like that.


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## BigJim

Speaking of plumbers, a friend of mine who is a plumber was telling me of a time he went to a doctor's house on a call. He was there about 15 minutes and handed the doctor's wife a bill for $75 (it has been a while back). She went ape, what is this! My husband doesn't make this kind of money, Ronny looked at her just as serious and said, well if he had gone to school for a couple more years he could have been a plumber.:laughing: True story.


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## Red Squirrel

When demolishing drywall, as fun as it might seem to just go at it with a hammer like they do on TV, take it slow, use a jigsaw to cut it into square panels that you can just pop out. Easier to transport to the truck, and less dust. 

I demolished my whole basement like that. Sure it took longer to demolish, but it went 10x faster to cleanup after. There will still be dust, and bits here and there, but at least the majority of the material can be handled in larger chunks. 



I never said perfect squares, but at least this was easier to carry out than tiny chunks!


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## federer

creeper said:


> Can you please elaborate. I'm sure some of us delicate ladies don't know what this means:huh: :chinese:





BigJim said:


> Now ya done it, just wait till Barb gets here too, Jan and Barb will clean your clock for talkin like that.


doh! :laughing: um......when i said guys i was referring to the 'guys' inclusive of the ladies too, of course


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## federer

Red Squirrel said:


> When demolishing drywall, as fun as it might seem to just go at it with a hammer like they do on TV, take it slow, use a jigsaw to cut it into square panels that you can just pop out. Easier to transport to the truck, and less dust.
> 
> I demolished my whole basement like that. Sure it took longer to demolish, but it went 10x faster to cleanup after. There will still be dust, and bits here and there, but at least the majority of the material can be handled in larger chunks.
> 
> 
> 
> I never said perfect squares, but at least this was easier to carry out than tiny chunks!


why did you demo the basement?


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## creeper

"why did you demo the basement? "


Because he is not a jerk in a white collar obviously:no::laughing:


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## Maintenance 6

On top of protecting your home, protect yourself. Get yourself a half face respirator. Not a paper "dust" mask. Get a real respirator that will protect you. Get one that is N95 rated and be sure it fits properly. The kind with replacable filter cartridges. Use P100 cartidges for dust protection. Use organic vapor cartridges if you are going to be using any nasty chemicals, like epoxies or paint strippers. Second, get a good shop vac and use a HEPA rated filter in it.


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## federer

creeper said:


> "why did you demo the basement? "
> 
> 
> Because he is not a jerk in a white collar obviously:no::laughing:


:laughing::laughing:


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## federer

Maintenance 6 said:


> On top of protecting your home, protect yourself. Get yourself a half face respirator. Not a paper "dust" mask. Get a real respirator that will protect you. Get one that is N95 rated and be sure it fits properly. The kind with replacable filter cartridges. Use P100 cartidges for dust protection. Use organic vapor cartridges if you are going to be using any nasty chemicals, like epoxies or paint strippers. Second, get a good shop vac and use a HEPA rated filter in it.


isnt it true back in the day the guys (and ladies) always just went about the work without protection? and now they got lawsuits and such


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## Maintenance 6

Back in the day, materials were almost completely natural products. Asbestos was probably one of the first all natural materials found to be causing health issues. Today we use a lot of synthetic materials and chemicals on even the most simple construction jobs. Breathing dust and fumes from these does who knows what? People today should be a lot more educated and aware of the kinds of things they are inhaling and ingesting. 

Of course there are those who just don't believe and think they have iron lungs and nothing has happened in the 20 years that they've been sawing out asbestos insulation, so there must be nothing to it. They are your lawsuit people.


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## Red Squirrel

federer said:


> why did you demo the basement?


Mold/rot and overall poor construction, and needed access to the ceiling to run data cables. Also found hidden junction boxes etc. So like Holmes would say "take it all down". :laughing:


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## soberjulie

We plastic'd off our doorways to protect the room we weren't renovating....but hubby installed zippers in the plastic so that when I needed in there, I didn't have to tear the plastic sheet down.
They are pretty cheap and we got them at HD


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## leenamark1

Consider installing a strike plate into the door frame to guard against the door being kicked in. You can consult your construction manager for this while installing.


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## alexjoe

mike these steps are very helpful, I have protected my home during construction.


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## roofingquotes

Thanks! Wonderful tips. :thumbsup:


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## gma2rjc

I'm a little late finding this thread, but just wanted to say, "great ideas guys. Thanks!"



BigJim said:


> Now ya done it, just wait till Barb gets here too, Jan and Barb will clean your clock for talkin like that.


... :laughing: ... now THAT'S funny!

Barb


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