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Making a dust screen

RogerS

RogerS

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Hi chaps. After a bit of a brainstorming session.

I need to replaster an area on our landing (well, I mean GALMI to do it) and he's suggested removing the existing plaster and laths in the area, fixing plasterboard and then he will come along and skim.

This is the area concerned and, as you can see, finished.


The area to be worked on is from the skirting board up to the ceiling.





Just filling in the cracks is not an option as the two surfaces on either side of the crack are not co-planar anymore and so will stick out like a sore thumb. Besides, the house is still moving and I'd rather have nice straight cracks where the plasterboard is!

Radiator comes off, of course.

So I was thinking about making up a frame like this


using pocket screws. The frame will have those window draught seals stuck on the sides that touch the wall. The verticals will be screwed then to the wall on either side of the working area and the other side part floating, part screwed to the ceiling.
I then plan to take a single sheet of builders polythene and fit it to the inside of this frame using more wood to fix it dust-tight down onto the frame. That should give me a dust-proof membrane on two sides and the floor. The ceiling can be dusted down afterwards as it will be repainted.

It's the entry point that is giving me grief. I was thinking about making a dust-lock with two plastic sheet doors of some description but how do you make them as dust-free as possible yet OK to walk through? Do I simply have two hanging sheets that overlap each other and if so by how much should they overlap?

Have I missed anything out ?
 
I will probably have to do some angle-grinding so dust in that enclosed space is going to be a nightmare.

I might bring in my dust extractor. It's got a good filter which probably needs replacing. Cut a 4" hole in the plastic and seal the hose to it. Have a hole diagonally opposite in the other wall - how to seal it though when the dust collectors not going? One of those flappy vents that you stick on the outside wall for a tumble dryer hose maybe?
 
Breathing apparatus!

I once did something similar, breaking through a wall and nearly choked on the dust!

Rod
 
Good idea making an enclosure. I've tried it before and it reduced the spread of dust but didn't really stop it getting out.

Only thing that might work is ducting air out of the enclosure with a fan so the enclosure stays at negative pressure. Maybe perfect seals won't be so important then. Dust extractor might be overkill and collapse the 'bag'.

As to getting in and out can't you hinge one end or just make it a separate frame and clamp it on... or something.

Good luck and as rod said a good mask and goggles at least.
 
I did something similar, removing old lathe and plaster. Didnt worry about a door, just stapled the poly from the inside once I was in. Good motivation to get the job done in one go. However, as has been said, dont underestimate breathing problems, I had a professional quality mask with cartridge filters, but they clogged.
 
When the plaster is off, have a look at why it has cracked - it could be structural
 
MCLUMA":2g0a2jb8 said:
When the plaster is off, have a look at why it has cracked - it could be structural
Click to expand...

:lol: It is! Very old house on a hill. No foundations. Front half very, very very slowly moving downhill ever so slightly faster than the back half. But it will outlast my lifetime. And probably many others afterwards.
 
RogerS":1btwng5t said:
MCLUMA":1btwng5t said:
When the plaster is off, have a look at why it has cracked - it could be structural
Click to expand...

:lol: It is! Very old house on a hill. No foundations. Front half very, very very slowly moving downhill ever so slightly faster than the back half. But it will outlast my lifetime. And probably many others afterwards.
Click to expand...


:lol: :lol: nice that you are so light about it

However if this is the point where old meets new, than make a wooden strip in the middle, so that either side can move independable from each other
 
MCLUMA":2pfz50is said:
RogerS":2pfz50is said:
MCLUMA":2pfz50is said:
When the plaster is off, have a look at why it has cracked - it could be structural
Click to expand...

:lol: It is! Very old house on a hill. No foundations. Front half very, very very slowly moving downhill ever so slightly faster than the back half. But it will outlast my lifetime. And probably many others afterwards.
Click to expand...


:lol: :lol: nice that you are so light about it

However if this is the point where old meets new, than make a wooden strip in the middle, so that either side can move independable from each other
Click to expand...


What? A bit like a London Bendy-Bus ? :lol:
 
Well you can cover the jointing strip with a piece of oak, but yes it will look better than all these cracks.
 
A bit late to this but I would ask how long and how often do you envisage being inside? If the answer is not too long and not too frequent I might be tempted to make a loose door frame and bolt it in place once inside.
 
Yes, I did wonder about that. But then I'll also need to get the spoil out etc.

Having said all that, I did a little exploratory investigation to see where the verticals were so that I could figure out exactly (a) where to put the end of the dust screen and (b) how the spacings matched a sheet of plasterboard and how good a fit aka how much faffing about I'd have to do. Thing is I really thought that this part of the wall was like other internal walls and basically old lath and plaster on manky old elm verticals of indeterminate width/straightness.

To me pleasant surprise I see now that someone had got there before me and the area in question is actually modern plasterboard. So I reckon 20 years or so ago before we bought the place that the farmer/owner patched up this bit to hide the cracks maybe!!

Anyway, I think that with enough Fein blades and a vacuum cleaner I might get away without too much dust. If I can avoid using the angle grinder then that will help.
 
So I made a start on the frame. Hardboard sheets on the floor to protect the oak flooring. Plastic sheet on top of that - slightly larger than needed as I hope to be able to roll up the remaining dust and plasterboard inside it. Frame Pocket-Hole screwed together - dead easy.



Add some builders plastic with screwed battens to keep it in place



Good job neither of us are fatso's.

I decided the airlock was OTT. Just a door will work fine



What you can't see is an old Axminster extractor plate that lets me plug in the shop vac to maintain negative pressure inside and also suck out as much airborne dust as possible.
 
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