One of the biggest concerns of any demolition project on a relatively quiet street is dust. You want the project to occur, but the last thing you want is to have dust settling on your patio furniture or drifting through your doors, or worse, exacerbating any allergies you may have. 

Thoughtful contractors plan for the dust from demolition with the same intention as they would plan for permits and equipment. Here is how you do your best to limit the air-born particles while keeping your neighbors happy. Click here to learn more.

Installing Dust Barriers

Before any of the walls come down during the demolition process, the crew needs to establish a tight “work bubble.” This will keep dust particles from migrating into your living area or drifting onto the next-door neighbor’s porch. You will see plastic sheeting, zipper openings, and controlled pathways to ensure workers can remove debris without furthering the spread of dust.

  • Seal openings and vents – All openings (doors and windows) and any HVAC registers will be taped and covered with poly sheeting wherever the work requires, to have any fine particles stop before they flow into living areas.
  • Use negative air with HEPA – The air scrubbers will vent air to the outside, reducing the likelihood for clean spaces to also have dust collection. This is all completed while the scrubbing unit mechanisms collect everything that is sucked in.
  • Make clean-to-dirty pathways – Tacky mats at exits, shoe covers, and washing stations in the workspace will assist in reducing any debris from being walked into areas.
  • Stage debris wisely – All debris needs placed in bags and staged as close as possible, before moving it directly to roll-off containers. The closer the debris is staged to the truck, the short the dust travel time.

Using Water Mist Systems

Any type of outside demolition, or demolition that is partial to structure, requires using water. This also is directed towards creating a fine mist – Not fire-hydrant flowing – to dislodge the particles from the air. The droplets are tiny enough to capture dust but light enough to prevent puddles from forming into mud or impacting foundations. 

Misters work well when the wind is constant and controlled. Your contractor may place fan-driven atomized sprayers to “chase” along the dust plume, while avoiding overspray towards a neighbor’s windows, flower gardens, or vehicles. On hot or dry days, they will mist more frequently, and you’ll discuss coordinating keeping your windows shut and pets indoors. On small jobs, we see many homeowners pair this approach with dumpster rentals, allowing debris to quickly and efficiently be moved off-site.

If you are planning a small garage or shed tear down, a 10 yard dumpster rental Post Falls can keep debris contained on your property, while keeping the street clear.

Air Quality Concerns

Dust is more than simply an annoyance for you, and it can contain tiny particles that can be irritating to lungs and your eyes. If anyone in your household and on your block suffer from asthma, allergies, or are otherwise compromised, please advise the crew before work begins. Even a small interior demo or junk removal day can cause more dust than you think possible.

  • Keep HEPA air purifiers running in rooms that share walls with the work area, and close the interior doors.
  • Upgrade the filters in your HVAC system to one with Merv-13 or higher, and replace right after the dust phase ends.
  • Don’t hesitate to ask about testing for particulate. Some crews to the use handheld meters and monitors that can show when PM levels are higher than appropriate and adjust controls as necessary.
  • Schedule quieter and dust-heavy tasks for earlier in the day, when windows are closed and the sidewalk is less populated nearby.

Protecting Neighbors’ Property

Good dust management means respecting what’s next door! Your contractor should walk the property line with you before project work begins, take photos, and mutually agree on items that may be covered or moved. A car that gets in the drift path can be given a temporary cover; a patio, playset, or raised beds may receive plastic wrapping, or be rinsed quickly throughout the day to avoid debris from sticking.

The crew should be attentive to potential wind shifts. The misters may be re-angled, if possible, to avoid overspray that might otherwise spot paint, or soak mulch. The crew will sweep the sidewalks and driveways, and if city ordinance requires, a street sweeper may drive by after heavy hauling of construction debris. Good communication is key: print off a simple schedule for your neighbors; let them know who to call if something comes up and when the bulk of the day will be noisier and dustier.

Post-Project Cleanup Tips

Even when the final wall is down, you want your home to be clean and breath easy. Fine dust settles for a day or two, so having a plan for the end of the day or next day is always helpful. Consult your contractor for any final site cleanup checklist and what the contractor may be responsible for.

  • HEPA vacuum any horizontal surfaces (e.g., floors, sills, shelves, etc.) then damp wipe with microfiber cloth; do not dry dust.
  • Change your filter again, even if it was not necessary to change it after when your project work started. Make sure to change your filter again 48–72 hours after the project has ended; your filter often catches the final settling after the work is completed.
  • Rinse any exterior walkways or porches, (or contractor transport path) to lessen dust debris.
  • Do a curb-to-porch walkthrough with the crew and look at fencing, siding, windows and trim for dust/smudge debris.
  • Make sure the remaining debris is hauled off the sweep area, so the container area can stay clean and safe.

With reasonable planning for the site, which includes sealed barriers (dust control-see https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0957582024005834 for more), smart misting practices (to prevent dust), air care (keep air fresh throughout), and respectful cleanup (after work is completed), your project can move rapidly without needing to turn the block into a dust storm. As you keep operational eye on the health of the crew and neighbors, as well as the comfort of your home and structures, as well as good neighbor habits, the next time you decide to take on demo work, the process will feel organized and methodical from the first swing to the final sweep.