guarding against dust?

Hi everyone, We live in an old tenement building that is now a cooperative. Whenever an apartment is renovated, dust manages to make its way through the entire building. The unit above ours was just purchased and the new owners are planning a full gut reno. This apartment hasn’t been touched for over 30 years, so who knows what sort of paint, etc. is on the walls. I have two little kids, one of whom has breathing troubles (reactive airway) so I am really anxious to mitigate the spread of dust into our apartment as much as possible, though I don’t know how successful any efforts will be. Does anyone have any suggestions? There are some cracks around our second entry door so I plan to just tape that for the duration as we don’t use it for egress. I don’t really know what else we could do. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

cobbleh

in Construction 11 years and 3 months ago

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jasperpasley | 11 years and 2 months ago

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My house is situated in very crowdy area and we usually have problem of dirt, allergens, dust entering in our house, somewhat similar to your problem. One best solution is the need of a good ventilation system. After searching tons of sites I come across [Ventis](https://plus.google.com/105617639929642638543/about?hl=en) and by reading people’s positive reviews on its working. I managed to buy and is really best.

Springs | 11 years and 2 months ago

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In a building constructed before 1978 the contractor is required to be registered as an EPA certified renovating firm. They cannot opt out of working safely with lead paint laws. Huge fines for them if lead infused dust lands in your apt at all. Make sure they are on the up and up.

cobbleh | 11 years and 3 months ago

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Thanks to you both!

thetinkerswagon | 11 years and 3 months ago

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see what sandyman says about the contractor using neg pressure and place positive pressure ventilation in your unit with the intake on the opposite side of the building from their exhaust. you can even get a fan with a filter on it so you do not draw organic matter (pollen) in from the street.

sandyman | 11 years and 3 months ago

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If it’s not too late, work with the board on establishing the ground rules for the renovation. It’s likely the new owners will be amenable at this point since they are new neighbors and want to make a good impression. Also, the meter is running to get the renovation started and completed. If you are worried about lead, require the contractor submit his lead certification (any legitimate contractor should have this since it is a requirement) and testing be done before work starts. Also, require the contractor use negative air machines during work. These are basically boxes with big fans that draw air, pass it through a filter and then blow it through a tube out the window. The idea is that it draws a big enough volume of air that it will pull air from the hallway and prevent dust from leaving the apartment. To work properly, the windows need to be closed, not an easy thing to get workers to do in the summer months.