- The dust is relentless. I tried a shop vac with a HEPA filter and even rigged up one of those air purifiers next to the work zone... still found dust in my sock drawer days later.
- Agree on the gaps—old trim is basically a secret tunnel system for debris. Painter’s tape slows it down, but doesn’t stop it.
- Not convinced any gadget really keeps up. Maybe if we could just 3D print new windows and skip the demo mess entirely?
- I’d pay extra for a “dust time-out” button when working on these projects.
Not gonna lie, I actually think the gadgets help more than people give them credit for, but they’ve gotta be used the right way. HEPA shop vac’s good, but unless you’re running it right next to the work and sealing off the room with plastic, dust just travels everywhere. I learned the hard way—did a bathroom reno and found dust in my cereal boxes two weeks later. Now I staple up plastic sheeting, tape every edge, and run a box fan in the window blowing out. It’s a pain, but it cuts dust by half, easily.
Painter’s tape barely does anything on old trim, agreed. That stuff’s so warped it might as well be a sieve. I don’t think there’s a magic solution, but a combo of plastic, constant vacuuming, and just lowering expectations has kept me sane. The “dust time-out” button would be great, but until then, I’ll just keep cleaning... and cleaning.
I hear you on plastic sheeting, but honestly, I got tired of taping up every inch. Ended up trying one of those zippered dust doors—total game changer for me. Still found dust, but way less work than stapling. I’ll take a little mess over spending hours prepping.
Those zippered doors make life so much easier, don’t they? I tried the full plastic sheeting routine once and it was like wrapping my living room in a giant sandwich bag. Still had dust sneaking through, but at least I didn’t spend half a day taping everything down this time. The little bit of cleanup after is worth it for the time saved, honestly.
- Totally get what you mean—
cracked me up.it was like wrapping my living room in a giant sandwich bag
- Tried both methods. Zippered doors save my sanity, but somehow dust still finds a way in...
- Cleanup’s not bad, but I wish there was a way to keep the plastic from flapping around every time someone walks by.
- Honestly, anything that saves me from taping for hours is a win in my book.
I get the appeal of zippered doors—less taping is always a plus—but honestly, I’ve never been totally sold on them for lead dust.
That’s exactly why I stick to overlapping plastic and blue tape, even if it’s a pain. It takes longer, yeah, but I’ve seen way less dust sneak through compared to those zipper setups. Maybe it’s just the way my old house settles, but every time I tried a zipper door, I’d find fine dust trails right at the seams.Zippered doors save my sanity, but somehow dust still finds a way in...
The plastic flapping around is annoying as hell though. One trick that helped me: use painter’s tape to anchor the bottom edge of the plastic to the floor. Not airtight, but it keeps it from billowing every time someone walks by. If you need to go in and out a lot, just leave one corner loose so you can peel it back.
Cleanup’s not bad if you’re careful, but honestly, I spend more time vacuuming afterward than actually demoing. Those little paint chips hide everywhere. I started using a cheap box fan with a furnace filter taped on the intake side—just set it by the doorway and let it run while you work. Catches a surprising amount of airborne junk.
I guess I’m just paranoid about the lead thing after seeing what gets missed even with “proper” containment. The sandwich bag feeling is real, but I’d rather sweat a bit than risk tracking stuff through the house. Maybe overkill for some folks, but with kids around, I don’t mess around.
Curious if anyone’s tried the reusable magnetic door covers? Saw them online but haven’t pulled the trigger yet—wonder if they seal better than zippers or just another gimmick.
I hear you on the paranoia—my place was built in the 40s, so I’m always expecting to find something sketchy behind the trim. I tried those zipper doors once and had the same issue with dust trails, even after double-taping the seams. The overlapping plastic and blue tape combo is more work, but it just feels tighter. Haven’t tried the magnetic covers either, but honestly, I’m skeptical they’d be much better unless your door frames are perfectly square (mine definitely aren’t). The box fan with a filter is genius though... might steal that idea next time.
The overlapping plastic and blue tape combo is more work, but it just feels tighter.
Yeah, that’s been my experience too. I’ve tried the zipper doors and honestly, they never seem to seal up as well as I want—especially around the bottom. Anyone else ever try just wetting the floor a bit to keep dust down? It’s old-school but sometimes it helps more than all the fancy barriers. The magnetic covers sound slick, but my 1938 doorways are basically a funhouse—nothing’s square, nothing fits.
The struggle with old houses and dust control is real. My place is from the late ‘20s, and I swear every doorway is a different size and shape, so nothing prefab actually fits. I tried one of those zipper doors once and just ended up taping the bottom down with extra blue tape anyway. It sort of defeats the purpose, but at least it slowed the dust migration.
Wetting the floor is a classic move. I’ve done it when sanding plaster—just a light mist with a spray bottle, and you can see the dust settle right out of the air. Not perfect, but it definitely helps, especially if you’re working in a spot where you can’t get a full seal. Only thing I’d watch for is if you’ve got wood floors underneath. I had a small disaster once when I got a little too enthusiastic and ended up warping a few boards. Lesson learned: go easy with the water.
On the energy efficiency side, I always get a bit nervous about taping up doorways and vents. It’s great for keeping dust in but can mess with airflow in older homes. I found that closing off rooms actually made my old furnace work harder, which wasn’t ideal in the middle of winter. Now I try to balance sealing things up with giving the house a little breathing room, if that makes sense.
You’re not alone in feeling like the “fancy” solutions don’t quite work in these quirky old places. Sometimes low-tech is just more reliable. It’s a hassle, but that attention to detail really does pay off—less cleanup, less risk. If it feels like more work, it probably means you’re doing it right.
Sometimes low-tech is just more reliable. It’s a hassle, but that attention to detail really does pay off—less cleanup, less risk.
Had the exact same experience with the blue tape and plastic—my “seal” looked more like a patchwork quilt than an actual barrier. I tried those magnetic dust doors too, but the old trim just wouldn’t cooperate. Honestly, a roll of painter’s tape and some patience seems to work better in these old places. And yeah, I learned real quick to skip the water near my original pine floors... warped boards are no joke.