# Best emthod to seal off a room during remodel



## Adenmoor

What's the best way to seal off a room during demolition, sanding, etc?


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## Mike Finley

For me, it depends on some factors. Am I trying to just keep the dust down or do I have to totally eliminate it, also demo dust and sanding dust can be pretty different in how invasive they can be.

If I'm just trying to keep the dust down, such as a remodel where there is already some dust from other projects and the homeowners know that dust is part of the project, then closing the door might be all that you do, and add a box fan to the window to direct the dust out.

If I need to eliminate the dust from moving into the rest of the house, then I would close the door and tape a plastic sheet on the out side of the door sealing the room with blue painter's tape, add a fan to the window. If there is no door then seal the doorway with a plastic sheet, if there is no door way, then I would look to a product by Fastcap call The 3rd Hand and build a dust wall with those.

There are also powered dust collectors that you can set in a room if you really are a pro.

For me, keeping dust from moving to other parts of the house is just part of the job. When I'm doing stain grade, high-end wood work such as boxed ceilings or custom hardwood panelling or built-ins, getting the dust out of the room I am working in is the main concern so the finish comes out as expected. Vacuum, vacuum and vacuum somemore, after each coat and sanding.


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## Teetorbilt

Need more info. Will you be working in the room? What type of floor covering? Carpet, tile, wood?


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## Grumpy

Simple! Buy a plastic sheet and blue tape it on all 4 sides. Then buy an adhesive zipper that costs about $5. The zipper fastens to the plastic sheet then you cut a slit and you have an instant method of dust prevention.

This is how I am protecting my house from my kitchen dust. I have drop cloths and runners for the high traffic areas and a welcome mat directly as you step out of the zippered room.

If we are replacing a window or something there isn't much dust. We use drop cloths and runners at the high traffic areas and directly at the window location.


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## Mike Finley

I like the zipper idea!


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## Grumpy

Mike I'll post some pics sometime soon. I'm half way through the kitchen project waiting on the cabinets to arive in 2 1/2 more weeks. The first time I saw a zipper like this one I said to myself "why didn't I think of that?!"


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## Adenmoor

Thansk for the ideas!
I'm adding a walk-in-closet and master bath. 
During the process I will need to tear down a section of a wall then put up drywall and sand. Because this is a bedroom I wanted to eliminate as much dust as possible.

I really like the 3rd hand deal. I was thinking about using my floor jack with a stud to hold up tarp with either a pipe or 2x4 - creating a wall.

How does the adhesive zipper work?


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## Grumpy

LOL you stick the zipper to the plastic (adhesive) then cut the opening. When you zip it up the room is damned near dust proof. When you zip it down you can enter or exit.


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## Adenmoor

So can I get a regular zipper, then glue it to a tarp?
Is this how it works, sort of?


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## Crankshaft

We make inexpensive "third hands" by using 1" PVC pipe & adjustable shower curtain rods. Cut PVC 5' long for standard ceilings, drill a hole 10" from the top and put a stove bolt through. Remove largest plastic end from shower curtain rod and insert into PVC, screw out the rod to the length needed to hold the plastic to the ceiling, then install the plastic zipper. Costs about $8.00 each pole.


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## Adenmoor

Danke Schon!!


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## Grumpy

This zipper is available at home depot and many many places online.


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## Teetorbilt

I really like the zipper idea, havent seen one though. I do a lot of work for a hypochondriac who is allergic to almost all types of air. I put visqueen on the floor and then put damp towels on top of it, I don't think that it does much but it puts her mind to ease and she keeps calling me back.


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## Grumpy

Teetor in her situation what about running a heppa air filter in the area you are trying to protect?


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## Teetorbilt

Grumpy, I would if I thought that she had a ligitmate complaint but I see her around town at restaurants with dirt parking lots and out and about when the pollen count is going through the roof. Can't let your maladies interfere with your partying!
I just do as she asks, the damp towels were her idea. Any conception of how much dust is on the rest of you after sanding drywall for a few hours? She doesn't and hasn't said a word, only concerned about the soles of our shoes.
Hasn't had any kind of an attack while we were on the job either.


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## Grumpy

LOL sanding drywall is next in my kitchen project. I have hit a low point waiting for the cabinets and I am not looking forward to the sanding. Sure I have dust control BUT I still have to be in that crap while I am sanding. I hate that. I've done it often enough to know drywall installer is one job I never want.


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## Mike Finley

I haven't sanded a mudded wall in 6 years. I converted to wet sanding with a sponge and texturing long, long ago, never looked back or missed that nasty chore.


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## Grumpy

Mike I do very little interior work. Perhaps the only interior work I do is on my own home. I've no concept of how to wet sand drywall. I have wet sanded metal on automobiles  

Anyways the room is completely isolated. I think I am going to buy a hose extension for my vacuum and connect the sander to it. I may even buy a second wet dry vac and let it run sucking up as much dust as possible


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## Adenmoor

Mike Finley said:


> I haven't sanded a mudded wall in 6 years. I converted to wet sanding with a sponge and texturing long, long ago, never looked back or missed that nasty chore.


How does wet sanding work?
I don't believe I've seen any reference to this before.

My wife doesn't really like the sprayed on texture so whatever I do I will need to sand.


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## Mike Finley

Wet sanding is pretty easy, however you will never get the perfectly smooth finish you will get with dry sanding. That is why since I texture anyways, sanding perfectly smooth is a waste of time for me and wet sanding works so well.

There is no secret to it, you don't use sand paper, just a sponge, like a grout sponge. Put on your first coat, then let it set up, don't let it dry completely, just let it set up and harden, then with a bucket of water and a sponge go over it and wet sand it smooth, then put on your next coat, do the same, ect.

If you aren't going to texture you can sand the final coat, but save yourself a ton of dust and time by wet sanding the other coats.

Pros don't use this technique because they put their coats on so damn smooth they barely need to sand anyways!


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## Adenmoor

Great info!!!

Thanks!!


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## Teetorbilt

You have to watch wet sanding, and I wouldn't recommend it with paper tape unless you are a pro. I won't regale you with my experience but it involved a wife and a 6 yr old daughter that were trying to 'help'.
You have to be very careful and if you hit the tape, it will start to 'pill' and spread to other parts of the wall.
I'm not an expert and I went back to drysanding, messy but better results.


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## Mike Finley

Not to argue with ya, but if you are hitting the tape, you are sanding over what doesn't need to be sanded yet, the tape should be covered with a skim coat and no tape should be showing. If you are able to pill the tape, you need to stay off of it since there isn't a proper layer of mud over it to sand down yet.

All I use is paper tape, I know exactly what you are saying, been there and done that, just took a minor adjustment in my technique and no more pilling. To each there own I say, but I will never go back to dry sanding. I can wet sand twice as fast, no dust, no achy back or arms, no mess at all, if you are making a mess you have too much water, the sponge just needs to be damp. I'm in an out, quick and clean, haven't dry sanded in 6 years, ya can't make me go back to it!!!! Ya can't I say! :cheesygri 

PS. I love texture, texture makes even a hack like me look like I know what I'm doing. Knock down is a good friend of mine.


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## Adenmoor

I was at Lowes yesterday.
Next their drywall, they had a poster display that talked about the recommended procedure for taping, sanding and painting drywall.
They didn't even mention dry sanding, but rather only listed wet sanding with a sponge!!

I was sold on wet sanding because of the replies to this thread, but now that even home improvement store mention it, it surly seems like the way to go.


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## Guest

*Room Protection*



Adenmoor said:


> What's the best way to seal off a room during demolition, sanding, etc?


There is a company that goes by the name of "Protective Products"(www.protectiveproducts.com)
They have what is called a "Zip Wall" and it seems there is a similar product available from "White Cap" with the 3rd hand system.
In my opinion these are Great systems.


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## Guest

*Error*



Unregistered said:


> There is a company that goes by the name of "Protective Products"(www.protectiveproducts.com)
> They have what is called a "Zip Wall" and it seems there is a similar product available from "White Cap" with the 3rd hand system.
> In my opinion these are Great systems.


It is "Fast Cap" Not "White Cap"


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## Adenmoor

Where in So-Cal are they located?
I've yet to see a White Cap or Fast Cap store.


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## Guest

*Zip Wall*

I believe they are back east. You can find the Zip Wall online at www.protectiveproducts.com
I ordered the 3rd hands from amazon.com and they are now on back order.
Where are you ?


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## Guest

*Where ?*

White Cap has a location in San Jaun Capistrano. Fast Cap is back east although they have vendors in other locations. It is best to go to the website and order from them there.
Do What You Gotta Do ...


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## Guest

*3rd Hand product*



Adenmoor said:


> Where in So-Cal are they located?
> I've yet to see a White Cap or Fast Cap store.



FastCap is actually located on the west coast in Washington. They have distributors all over the United States though, there are also a few up in Canada. They have a distributor list on the website where you can search by state to see which company to purchase through. www.fastcap.com
I've seen the 3rd Hand...great product...they also have a little guy for upper cabinet installation...and recently came out with accessories.


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## Guest

*3rd Hand in Cali*



Unregistered said:


> FastCap is actually located on the west coast in Washington. They have distributors all over the United States though, there are also a few up in Canada. They have a distributor list on the website where you can search by state to see which company to purchase through. www.fastcap.com
> I've seen the 3rd Hand...great product...they also have a little guy for upper cabinet installation...and recently came out with accessories.


Places I've seen in California that sell the FastCap products such as the 3rd Hand are Louis & Co, EB Bradley, MacPac and Charles McMurray


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## Adenmoor

Thanks for the link & info. I'll be stopping by one place in Carson, CA today.


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## mtp

zip- wall


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## paintr56

*water filter for shop vac.*



Grumpy said:


> Mike I do very little interior work. Perhaps the only interior work I do is on my own home. I've no concept of how to wet sand drywall. I have wet sanded metal on automobiles
> 
> Anyways the room is completely isolated. I think I am going to buy a hose extension for my vacuum and connect the sander to it. I may even buy a second wet dry vac and let it run sucking up as much dust as possible



I picked up a setup I think at HD that uses a two gallon bucket with water to trap the dust instead of clogging the vac filter. It works by running the suction hose from a shop vac into the bucket above the water line then running a second hose below the water line to the sander. the dust is caught by the water and never enters the vac. works great, no dust getting through the filter.

Jim Bunton


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