Dust, Noise and Protecting the Home

DemolitionDemolitionKnocking down or stripping out whatever has to go before a renovation: walls, tiles, render, bathroom fittings, old floors or old insulation. is the noisiest and dirtiest stage of a renovation. Dust from renderRender (plaster)A layer of mortar (sand, cement or lime, and water) spread over brick or concrete to give a wall a straight, sound surface ready for paint or tiles., brick and cement is very fine: it gets under doors and settles on every shelf in the house. With a little preparation, though, it stays mostly where the work is.

Before it starts

• Empty the room being stripped of anything that can be moved, and the rooms around it of anything fragile or valuable.
• Whatever can't be moved is covered with plastic sheeting.
• The doors to the other rooms are closed and sealed with plastic sheeting and tape.
• The floors that stay, in the hallway and along the way to the front door, are protected with cardboard or dust sheets.
• In a block of flats, the stairs, the entrance and the lift car, where the rubbleDebris (rubble)The waste that comes out of demolition and building work: broken tiles, render, bricks and concrete. It is collected in bags and has to be disposed of legally. will pass, are protected too.
• Find out where the main water valve is and which fuses serve the room being worked on.

While the breaking goes on

Where possible, the room's windows stay open for ventilation while the doors to the rest of the home stay closed. The people doing the work need dust masks, goggles, gloves and ear protection. Children and pets are best kept away, because broken tiles, nails and loose cables are everywhere.

In one kitchen stripped back to the brick, rubble covered the whole floor and the cables hung loose until they were run again. At this stage the room is a building site, not part of the home.

Living at home

You can stay at home during a strip-out, but it takes a plan. If the only bathroom is being stripped, think ahead about where you will wash. If the kitchen is being stripped, set up a makeshift place to eat somewhere else. The water and power may also be off for a while in other parts of the home when the work needs it.

Noise and neighbours

The noise from hammer drills and breakers travels through the building's frame, so the neighbours hear it even when it is only a small bathroom. Tell them in advance, and the building manager too, and keep to the quiet hours and whatever the building's rules say.

Keep in mind

• Dust keeps settling for days, so a good sweep and mop at the end is part of the job.
• Air conditioners in or near the room are best covered and kept off while dust is flying.
• Ask which days will be the noisiest, so you can tell the neighbours.