| If remodeling contractors aren't already aware, the | | | | With the walls now complete, the doorway needs to |
| game has changed due to a new federal mandate. | | | | be installed. It is important to limit the dust that |
| Contractors remodeling homes pre 1978 must have | | | | migrates but also permits workers egress. Remember |
| lead safe training by April 22nd 2010 and comply with | | | | that all bags of debris and materials have to pass |
| the regulation. These lead safe work practices can be | | | | through so make it big enough. As described before, |
| a daunting and time consuming task for inexperienced | | | | a staging area should be planned in containment by |
| remodeling contractor. The extra man hours can add | | | | the door area. |
| up on a given project and consume profits. This | | | | Many times the worker can use an existing door and |
| article attempts to give some insiders "tricks of the | | | | just attach the poly door to it. A time saver is to |
| trade" from a former lead abatement contractor to | | | | make a poly door that is reusable. First, cut a piece |
| help reduce man hours and keep material costs down | | | | to fit over a standard size door. The measurement |
| while complying with the new mandate. | | | | of the poly should be 38" X 84". Cut the upside down |
| Plastic sheeting is your friend. Known as "poly" to | | | | "T" and covering dust flap. Now, apply duct tape |
| abatement contractors, it covers your work area and | | | | around the perimeter and fold over the edges |
| makes for quick clean-up. Always purchase clear poly. | | | | making a "picture frame" around the edge. Duct tape |
| As suggested by the EPA standards, cover the floor | | | | the flap over the "T". The masking tape to attach |
| at least 6 feet out and construct walls with 4 or 6 | | | | the poly to the casings can be removed and applied |
| mil. In addition, place a sizeable scrap of the heavier | | | | over and over without tearing the poly. At the end |
| poly in the middle of the work area before covering | | | | of the job, just roll it up for the next project. The |
| the floor. This scrap will come in handy during tear | | | | reusable door should be able to be installed in 2 or 3 |
| down. | | | | minutes vs. taking 10 to 15 minutes to make a new |
| The author has found 12' widths are most useful. | | | | one every time. |
| This covers nearly any ceiling height, and | | | | Although white suits are not required by the EPA |
| accommodates traditional floor plans for most rooms | | | | mandate, they are nice to protect the worker from |
| so there's less splicing. | | | | bringing home the dust after work. Putting on a |
| Be sure to have two kinds on hand. Painter's plastic | | | | white suit and removing it after leaving containment |
| can be used to cover shelves and articles around the | | | | is far faster than vacuuming off all the workers |
| room. It's far less expensive and comes in handy for | | | | clothing, but there are some things to consider. |
| just covering the odds and ends. | | | | White suits are sized small, medium, large and extra |
| Cut a runner from containment to the dumpster | | | | large. Purchase them at least a size bigger than the |
| before work begins. Make it wide enough to carry | | | | workers shirt size. During years of abatement work |
| supplies and materials. During rainy weather, make | | | | in white suits the author has found "large" is generally |
| sure there is a mat of some kind to wipe workers | | | | the size used by most, save for the most portly of |
| feet before reentering the house. Poly is very | | | | workers that might need an XL. |
| slippery when wet. | | | | During the summer, work in white suits can be very |
| Demo materials are often sharp and heavy. This is a | | | | hot. Working in shorts and t shirts is acceptable but |
| problem when bagging the debris as the sharp edges | | | | the temptation to shed any more clothing should be |
| poke holes in the bag and a trail of dust marks your | | | | avoided. White suits are translucent and nobody |
| path to the dumpster. A solution and time saver is to | | | | wants to see more of their fellow worker than need |
| have plenty of garbage cans on hand. The trick is to | | | | be. |
| fill the garbage can with the liner inside containment. | | | | White suits generally come in one piece with footies. |
| When full or heavy enough, gooseneck it and leave in | | | | These footies tear during work very easily and will |
| the container. The container can then be hauled to | | | | be tripping the worker in no time. Since the EPA |
| the dumpster and disposed of. | | | | guidelines are not abatement the footies can be cut |
| When dealing with heavy dense debris, it helps to | | | | off at the ankles and the ends taped with masking |
| have a container with wheels, as dragging a heavy | | | | tape around the ankle. This will give much more |
| garbage can will eventually wear holes in the poly | | | | traction and ease of movement. |
| runner. As demo proceeds, the bags should be | | | | Negative air is the key to keeping dust from |
| staged at the doorway within easy reach. The bags | | | | migrating past containment. The importance of an air |
| or garbage cans should be grabbed from outside | | | | mover in containment cannot be overstated. It will |
| containment to save time going in and out of the | | | | save the contractor many hours of cleaning the |
| doorway. Also, have one worker in containment | | | | perimeter of the containment due to the inevitable |
| stage the bags by the door and one worker outside | | | | escaping dust through the door. Without proper |
| that can reach in and grab them. | | | | ventilation, the air inside of containment can get |
| For a plaster tear out, an old piece of paneling can | | | | saturated with dust from demo, making the work |
| help workers have a place for the plaster to "land". | | | | dangerous and intolerable. |
| It's also useful to scoop up the debris and bag. The | | | | Many companies sell them in a variety of styles and |
| paneling should be placed finished side up so there is | | | | sizes. They can be readily looked up online and be |
| a sealed side to vacuum up or wipe down. Any wood | | | | purchased ready to go out of the box. These units |
| product is fine as long as it's painted or sealed. Open | | | | can be pricey and the small business owner may |
| wood is one of the most difficult to clean for lead | | | | consider them out of reach. The author has several |
| dust, as the open pores and grain of the natural fiber | | | | units that were all constructed in house costing under |
| harbor and lock in the dust. 5 gal buckets can be | | | | $100.00 a piece. The following is a guide to |
| used for dumping the old broken plaster. Just line | | | | constructing one in house for the small business |
| them with 6mil small kitchen size bags and carry the | | | | owner. |
| bucket to the dumpster. | | | | Whether purchased or built in house air movers all do |
| When work is done, take the walls down first and | | | | the same thing, move air. The higher the air |
| collapse them gently on the floor poly. Then simply | | | | exchange rate, the better but since they are carried |
| roll up the walls and the floor on the scrap you first | | | | to every site, size becomes an issue. The typical |
| laid down to dispose. This scrap catches the | | | | width should not exceed 30" and best if the total |
| inevitable debris that escape from the roll when | | | | width is less than 24". Most interior doorways are |
| fitting it in the garbage bag and saves the time of | | | | smaller than the 36" standard entry door. Remember |
| vacuuming. The scrap can now be rolled up and | | | | the EPA's mandate is homes pre 1978, and as most |
| disposed of also. After a contractor gets a few jobs | | | | remodeling contractors already know older homes |
| under their belt, set up and tear down should go | | | | doorways can be small. The size of the unit is not as |
| quickly. | | | | critical as the volume of air it moves per hour with |
| The new EPA standard expects the remodeling | | | | the squirrel cage. |
| contractor to isolate the work area, utilizing | | | | Squirrel cages from residential HVAC systems can |
| temporary poly walls. This is a standard in the | | | | normally be purchased cheaply to move the air and |
| abatement industry, and can be done quickly and | | | | are a good choice for an air exchanger. Make sure it |
| efficiently no matter what the size or shape of the | | | | is clean and in good working order. The squirrel cage |
| project. | | | | can be mounted to any material of choice, but the |
| The method of affixing the containment walls must | | | | unit must be air tight and be able to be wiped down. |
| first be addressed. Many contractors often tape the | | | | Wood is fine as long as a quality semi gloss is applied |
| poly to the ceiling, forming a perimeter around the | | | | for clean up. Handles and wheels are very useful and |
| work area. This is acceptable and common, but has | | | | should be included; remember the unit has to be |
| several issues. First and foremost it is very time | | | | portable. |
| consuming, also it can be very difficult to attach the | | | | The intake for the dirty air should be filtered to save |
| tape to a textured ceiling or uneven surface. Due to | | | | the squirrel cage from clogging up with dust. Although |
| the weight of the poly, the tape can fail and bring | | | | an exhaust tube can be used to expel the dirty air, |
| the wall down. The work must then be halted and | | | | there are times when there isn't a nearby window or |
| time taken to reattach it. Finally, upon removal, the | | | | door to use and the air inside of containment must |
| tape can peel and destroy the surface it was stuck | | | | be expelled indoors. In that situation, the air must be |
| to. These issues can be costly and add many man | | | | HEPA filtered to remove potential lead dust. A typical |
| hours to a simple project. | | | | home furnace filter unit that holds two standard air |
| Consider extendable poles. These poles are reusable, | | | | filters can be incorporated in the air mover for this |
| reducing labor and issues associated with using tape. | | | | issue. The first air filter should be a less expensive |
| Often marketed as cargo bars for pickup trucks, | | | | model that filters out about 90% of the airborne |
| these ratcheting poles extend and clamp the poly to | | | | particles. This filter will save the second expensive |
| the ceiling no matter what the height or surface. The | | | | HEPA filter behind it from clogging up quickly. It can |
| poles also negate the problems of disturbing the wall | | | | also be vacuumed off every so often and cleared. |
| and tape destroying the surface upon removal. | | | | The cheaper filter can be thrown away after the job |
| Although prices differ throughout the region, | | | | is complete where the expensive HEPA can be |
| extendable ratcheting poles can be purchased | | | | reused. After the work is complete, the HEPA should |
| inexpensively. | | | | be vacuumed and stored in a clean, sealed plastic |
| Plan the containment area by ratcheting the poles in | | | | bag. |
| place where the wall will be. Give yourself plenty of | | | | A standard metal duct work fitting can be installed on |
| room to work, and plan an area by the containment | | | | the air mover to attach the exhaust tube to. The |
| entrance to stage the bagged debris. Once the poles | | | | tube is taped to the fitting and exhausted out a |
| are where you want them, roll out the poly and wrap | | | | window or door. The tube itself can be purchased at |
| it around the poles, defining the perimeter and | | | | an abatement supply house or found online. With the |
| determining the length. Give yourself a little extra, it's | | | | unit caulked and painted it's ready for the first job. |
| no fun trying to stretch poly to the wall. | | | | The air scrubber should be mounted to the poly wall. |
| Having the poly cut to size, start unfolding it at one | | | | Placing the air scrubber in the containment area gets |
| end to the full width. With a step ladder, take the | | | | in the way and the exhaust tube can be tripped over |
| tension off the first pole and tuck the plastic over | | | | and damaged. Furthermore, the unit will have to be |
| the pole. Then ratchet the pole up, trapping the poly | | | | vacuumed and wiped down after every use. A far |
| between the ceiling and the pole's top foot. Repeat | | | | better and faster way is to attach the air scrubber |
| the process going down the length of the wall. Finally, | | | | to the poly wall outside containment. Simply wheel |
| tape the edges to the walls to seal the containment. | | | | the air scrubber up against the poly wall and with a |
| The time it takes to set up the walls is of course | | | | sharp utility knife, cut around the filter area. Blue tape |
| determined by the size of containment but is far less | | | | or masking tape can be used to seal the cut opening |
| then taping the poly to the ceiling without the issues | | | | to the metal air scrubber's filter housing. |
| of tape. | | | | |