skip to main content

Home Disasters Cleaning Tips Design Dilemma

Removing Dust from ceramic tile demo

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

GC did not put plastic coverings on bedroom and bathroom doors during demo of ceramic tiles in the kitchen, hallways, breakfast and foyer to contain ceramic tile dust. What do you recommend homeowner would do after the reno and before moving back in the house. Main concern is the silica dusts on walls, doors, closets, top of cabinets, everywhere in the house. Please help based on your first hand experience or professional expertise. Thanks so much!

Featured Answer

PRO

BeverlyFLADeziner

2 years ago

Servpro's pricing is based on the concept that insurance is going to pick up the tab. You cannot imagine how $$$$ the fees are.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
2 years ago
Always start with a Shop Vac with Hepa Filter to capture the majority of the dust. Then you can try using one of the many microfiber mops that are just damp to capture the rest of the dust.
M Gas thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
L P
2 years ago
Please also consider, if applicable, your air conditioning system. Hopefully it was not running during the demo, as all that dust would wreak havoc on the a/c. If you are running it now, definitely check your filters and change them frequently. How frustrating for you to come back to all that dust. I hope it can be remedied quickly.
M Gas thanked L P
Related Discussions
Removing Ceramic Tile
Q
Comments (13)
weedyacres & floorguy - thank you for telling me about the electric hammer idea. Lowes doesn't rent tools, so I called my local Home Depot this morning. The guy said that they do rent an electric hammer with a chisel attachment, but it's broken : ( He gave me a number of a Rental store in a neighboring city to give them a try. The rental store said they have a Trozel grinder and it's a walk behind unit. We may eventually go and get something electric to help out with this job, but today we made some progress with our little sledge hammer. My husband tried just pounding on the tile (without using the chisel) and we found that bigger chunks are coming loose. We're careful not to damage the concrete slab. Sometimes, the thinset and the tile crack & come loose together as one unit. Sometimes, the thinset remains. So far, I think about 1/3 of the tile is off. oruboris - you were wise to forwarn about using eye protection! Flying tile chips can be dangerous! Here is a picture of day 2. We worked about 3 hours today.
...See More
How much dust from removal of tile floor?
Q
Comments (10)
Get a good respirator and wear it when you are removing the tile and grout! Recently, I removed the dried grout from a small tile sample board with a hand grout saw ( in order to try another color of grout), and then when I went inside to mix up the grout, I noticed these horrible warnings on the grout package about not breathing the silica dust in the grout and how it can cause deadly silicosis and lung cancer, etc! Afterwards, I ended up with such a terrible hacking cough that lasted for over a month from breathing even just that little bit of grout dust. I hope I didn't permanently damage my lungs. Hope this helps you!
...See More
Removing a Stubborn Ceramic Tile from Bathroom Wall
Q
Comments (3)
More likely a real hardware store. They are usually about 1/4 inch wide to clean out mortar joints in brick. A big box might have them around the masonry/brick supplies. If you cannot find on a 1/4 inch cold chisel can be made to work, they are just harder to hit firmly.
...See More
Removing glue on wall from 60 year old ceramic tile
Q
Comments (5)
Edit above post: How to remove mastic glue from plastered wall. I am planning on hiring a plasterer to skim coat the wall before I paint it and will save money if I remove what looks like old trowel stripes.
...See More
M Gas
Original Author
2 years ago
The ac has not been running. We turned it off. I hope the crew has never turned it on. We are not running it yet until the air ducts/vents are cleaned.
L P
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
That’s great, Maria! You will know for sure if you check the filters and they are loaded with dust. Good luck!
M Gas thanked L P
suedonim75
2 years ago
I'd look into hiring a cleaning company to come in and take care of it. Maybe something like ServPro?
M Gas thanked suedonim75
M Gas
Original Author
2 years ago
suedonim75

what type of cleaning services should i inquire and request from Servpro?
suedonim75
2 years ago
I would call and ask if they have a "Post Construction Clean-Up Service". If they don't do it, maybe they could recommend someone who does?
M Gas thanked suedonim75
L P
2 years ago
Did your contract state that plastic sheeting or similar would be installed prior to demo? If so, maybe the GC would be responsible for paying the clean-up bill. If you have to do it yourself, wear a mask as that dust is not safe to inhale.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 years ago
IMO you pay for the service done right and if that is servpro then that is the way to go. If you want to tackle it yourself then a good filter mask for you all the bedding washed and put awy until the rest is cleaned up your furnca filters will be needing to be changed at least twice and you need to live somehwere else u ntil you are done. IMO probably cheaper to hire Servpro but get a quote . As for the contract you had I guess read it over .

Related Stories

TILE Top Tile Trends From the Coverings 2013 Show — the Wood Look

By Becky Harris

Get the beauty of wood while waving off potential splinters, rotting and long searches, thanks to eye-fooling ceramic and porcelain tiles

TILE Porcelain vs. Ceramic Tile: A Five-Scenario Showdown

Explore where and why one of these popular tile choices makes more sense than the other

BATHROOM DESIGN Bathroom Surfaces: Ceramic Tile Pros and Cons

By By Any Design Ltd.

Learn the facts on this popular material for bathroom walls and floors, including costs and maintenance needs, before you commit

MATERIALS The Latest in Tile Trends From Coverings 2018

By Becky Harris

Hyperrealism, tile as wallpaper, seamlessness and even a tattooed bulldog are hot in tile now

TILE Tile From Around the Globe Adds Out-of-This-World Panache

By Samantha Schoech

Go ahead, let color and pattern run wild in your tile. Your walls, floors and countertops will say "thank you" in a whole new language

TILE Let’s Talk Tile: An Alphabetical Guide to Tile Terminology

Get set for a tile project with this handy glossary of shapes, materials, finishes and more

EVENTS Look What Tile Can Do Now: 9 Versatile New Finishes

By Antonia Solari

See exciting new stoneware looks from Italy’s big ceramic tile and bath show

HEALTHY HOME What to Know About Controlling Dust During Remodeling

By Mitchell Parker

You can't eliminate dust during construction, but there are ways to contain and remove as much of it as possible

EVENTS Tile Goes High Tech at Italy's Big Expo

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Cutting-edge methods are creating tile looks from handmade to avant-garde, as seen as CERSAIE 2013

REMODELING GUIDES Get Stone and Ceramic Surfaces Super Clean

Keep your kitchen or bathroom looking as good as on installation day with the right cleaning methods for counters and tiles

Sponsored

More Discussions

Can a marble countertop be removed without breaking it?

5

cleaning cement splatters from painted metal window frame

2

Island Countertop Seam but slabs are different thickness!

22

This is about a remodel disaster

2

WHAT is Slimy looking red stuff coming out of front steps???

2