Trying to swap out a couple of ancient windows, but the last time I did this it felt like my entire living room turned into a construction site—dust everywhere, chunks of plaster, you name it. Anyone got tricks for keeping the mess contained? Is it just about drop cloths and a shop vac, or am I missing something smarter? Would love any tips before I go at it again and wreck my floors (and patience).
the last time I did this it felt like my entire living room turned into a construction site—dust everywhere, chunks of plaster, you name it.
Been there. I once found plaster dust in my toaster a week later. Drop cloths help, but honestly, plastic sheeting taped around the work zone is a game changer. Also, if you’ve got a box fan, point it out the window you’re working on—blows a lot of the dust outside instead of into your couch cushions. Shop vac is good, but I’d avoid sweeping—just stirs stuff up more.
I get the whole plastic sheeting idea, but has anyone actually managed to keep all the dust out that way? Every time I’ve tried, there’s always a gap or two, and somehow the fine stuff still gets through. Maybe I’m just not taping it right. Also, does running a fan out the window really make a big difference, or is it just moving the mess around? I’ve had mixed results—sometimes it feels like it just spreads the dust further. I do agree about the sweeping though... learned that one the hard way.
Every time I’ve tried, there’s always a gap or two, and somehow the fine stuff still gets through.
Same here—no matter how careful I am, that fine dust sneaks past the plastic. I found that using painter’s tape plus a layer of duct tape helps seal up weird corners, but it’s still not 100%. One thing that did help was wetting down the area before starting. For the fan, I’ve had mixed luck too. If you point it out the window and seal around it, it pulls air out, but if there’s a gap, it just stirs everything up. Still ended up vacuuming for days...
I hear you on the fan thing—tried that last time and just ended up blowing dust into the hallway. Wetting things down is interesting though, hadn’t thought of that. I’m still skeptical it’ll help much with the super fine stuff, but maybe it’s worth a shot? My big fear is that all this taping and sealing just delays the inevitable mess... but maybe that’s just me being impatient.
- I get what you mean about taping and sealing maybe just dragging things out. But honestly, I’ve found it makes cleanup way less overwhelming—at least the mess is contained to one spot.
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I used to think the same, but after skipping it once and having dust everywhere (even in my cereal boxes), I’m all for taping now.“My big fear is that all this taping and sealing just delays the inevitable mess...”
- Wetting things down does help a bit with the superfine stuff, but yeah, it’s not magic. Maybe combine both methods? It’s not perfect, but at least it’s not total chaos.
I feel you on the taping—it always seems like such a hassle at first, but man, the one time I didn’t bother, it was like the Sahara in my living room for weeks. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather spend an extra hour taping than wiping dust off every surface for days. Anyone else ever find dust in places you didn’t even know existed?
I get the whole taping everything off, but honestly, after doing a handful of window swaps over the years, I’ve found it’s not always worth the hassle—especially if you’re just pulling a couple of units. What’s worked for me is setting up a couple of box fans blowing out the nearest window and using a plastic drop cloth taped to the floor right under the work area. Keeps most of the dust corralled without spending an hour taping every nook and cranny. Sure, you’ll still find some stray dust behind a radiator or two, but it beats peeling tape off painted trim later. Just my two cents…
- Swapped out three old windows last spring—totally get the urge to skip taping every inch.
- Used a drop cloth and a fan, like you said. Worked well, but I did end up with some sneaky dust in the baseboard gaps.
- My only hiccup: the fan sometimes blew fine dust further into the house. Maybe I didn’t angle it right?
- Still, way easier than scraping tape off old trim paint that’s already chippy... Been there, not fun.
- For just a window or two, your method’s hard to beat. For bigger jobs, I might still tape up doorways just to save myself a headache later.
the fan sometimes blew fine dust further into the house. Maybe I didn’t angle it right?
I totally get this—when I did my first window, I thought the fan would help, but I ended up chasing dust bunnies all over the hallway. Did you ever try one of those zip-up plastic doorway barriers? I’m curious if they’re worth the hassle or just overkill for a couple windows.