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September 2011 Moms
NBR: About to have a panic attack (longish)
So some of you may know that we're having construction done to our apartment so that we have a larger living room and extra bedroom for the nursery. Well, we're on day 4, and up until now I've been fine - excited watching the work progress. But today they're going to start the sanding process of the spackle, and I feel like I'm just going to lose it. We have tight quarters, so our couch, tv, bookcases, etc are mushed up against one wall in the living room, which is having work done. I've been able to watch everything as I lay on the couch.
Anyway, DH wants me upstairs, in his parents living room when they start sanding so that I don't breathe it in, which is understandable. But there is going to be a layer of dust EVERYWHERE! I'm getting so anxious over this and feel an anxiety attack coming on, especially since we're still using the living space when the contractors leave at the end of the day. Everything is going to be covered in dust, and it just bothers me. I've already cried once this morning from the anxiety when I woke up an hour ago, and was helping move little things back around for the contractors. Dh says they'll cover everything with tarps when they do sand. But then dust is going to be on the tarps, and when they move the tarps, the dust is just going to be back in the air, and settle on everything un-tarped.
Does anyone have any experience with this - is the dust going to be as bad as my brain is building it up to be? Because I'm imagining like 1/2 inch of dust on everything. And how can they cover everything?? Our fridge, kitchen counters, kitchen table (all of which has stuff on it)?? :::Sigh..goes away to cry:::
Thanks for listening to me vent ladies..I'm sorry this turned out so long; I didn't think it would. My stress is causing me contractions, and I don't know how to get over it - I know I'm probably building it up more than it is.
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Re: NBR: About to have a panic attack (longish)
I honestly would be having a panic attack about it too! Do you have some sheets you can use for covering items as well? There will most likely be a thin layer of dust over everything, and it would be hard to know just how much- it would depend on how big the apartment is and how much they are sanding. If it isnt too hot in PA- maybe you can have them open windows in the area they'll be sanding in the hopes that some of the dust goes out side instead of stying inside.
Try to keep as many doors closed to other rooms as you can (bathroom, bedroom) and maybe they can hang a tarp covering the entrance to the kitchen or other rooms without an actual door...?
I hope the mess isnt too bad!
I was in your boat a month ago! We were doing construction on what is now the nursery.
It was as bad as it looks. The ceiling caved in from water damage that happened upstairs and we had to tear it down and re-drywall the whole room and replace the carpet!
The drywall dust is messy but it is pretty easy to clean up. The tarps really do help a ton and once they are completely done with the project then you can just sweep and use a damp cloth to wipes the walls and everything will be good as new. I know it's stressful while you're in the middle of it but it will be so worth it in the end! Hang in there, if they are drywalling then you are in the home stretch!
Thanks ladies. They just got here (there's two of them, and honestly, they're pretty funny and keep me chuckling all day), and I told them up front that I was really stressed out about the sanding part, and dust getting everywhere (not being too serious with them, but more making light of the situation), and they said that they will do the best they can. We thought they'd be sanding today, but they said most likely it would be tomorrow.
All the drywall is up - they finished that yesterday evening. They have one coat of "mud" (spackle) on the screws already, and said that they will most likely be just mudding everything today, letting it dry, and sanding tomorrow. They also still have to re-hang/fix the 2 exterior doors we have today as well.
Jeepers - We have been keeping the bedroom and bathroom doors closed (the only other doors we have in the apartment). And IL's have the A/C going, but I don't mind opening up the windows and doors when they are sanding, and sacrificing the A/C. Also, I had assumed that they were bringing tarps or sheets or something, since they said yesterday that they'd cover everything in tarps. But if not, yea we have extra sheets.
Dawn - YIKES! Sorry you had water damage, and had to go through fixing everything. What's keeping me semi-sane is that I know we're in the home stretch, and the changes so far are amazing! Well worth the money of having someone do it, and do it right. We were just going to have DH have it, but with him working, Cael would be a year old by the time everything was done. Plus, they ran into some semi-serious electrical problems that they fixed for us, and DH wouldn't have been able to do that.
Thank you so much ladies!
Edit: Good idea with the damp cloths to clean up the dust. The Swiffer dusters don't do anything but push it around (I guess because it's not real dust). They had vacuumed 2 days ago after cutting the drywall, and the dust just got pushed around in the air when they were shop-vacuuming. I tried to Swiffer dust it, but it didn't work, so I just left it..lol
That's what they told us when they started - that we'd be cleaning it up for days. I thought they were exaggerating, but apparently I guess they were serious..Geeze.
That's not a bad idea, but financially out of the question I think, since we're already paying a good amount for the construction. Those cleaning services can get expensive, can't they? I'll just make DH clean it all, although he probably wouldn't do it "right"..lol..Maybe we can get some of those respirator things for me that cover my mouth and nose? We'll have to figure it out. We have so much crap and junk to go through anyway that was in the living room, and we'll be getting rid of so much crap. I can't hang on to it anymore - not when we need all the room we can get. Too much clutter! It's a relatively small apartment, so the cleaning shouldn't be too bad after the construction is finished (I'm hoping). We'll have the air purifiers we have running as well - hopefully that will help to clear the air a little too.
That was another concern of mine, and I'm glad you said that..Before I knew it the other day, one of the contractors had the shop vac going, and it spewed drywall dust (from the trimming and shaving) all throughout the air..I guess the powder was so fine, it went through the filter..The apartment looked like it was filled with smoke. I was kind of nervous about breathing it in, because it's such a fine, fine powder almost.
We don't have one, but the contractors have one..We just have a regular Shark Vac..
We don't have one, but the contractors have one..We just have a regular Shark Vac..
Have H ask if he can use it to run over the areas that aren't in the construction zone where they should be vacuuming up. It will make a world of difference.
Have H ask if he can use it to run over the areas that aren't in the construction zone where they should be vacuuming up. It will make a world of difference.
The thing is - every room is a construction zone. Except our bedroom and bathroom, and we have the doors for there closed all the time. We currently have our bedroom, nursery, kitchen, 2 bathrooms and living room. And construction/drywalling is happening in the living room, kitchen and Cael's room. I'm assuming when all is said and done, they'll clean up and vacuum all around where they worked?
The thing is - every room is a construction zone. Except our bedroom and bathroom, and we have the doors for there closed all the time. We currently have our bedroom, nursery, kitchen, 2 bathrooms and living room. And construction/drywalling is happening in the living room, kitchen and Cael's room. I'm assuming when all is said and done, they'll clean up and vacuum all around where they worked?
They should be vacuuming up every day they're producing dust, especially spackle and sanding days. You might still end up with a white film of dust on some surfaces though (even rooms that were blocked off) so keeping the shop vac around can help get all that up.
No matter what, you'll probably have white boogers too. Very gross but again, not dangerous.
They should be vacuuming up every day they're producing dust, especially spackle and sanding days. You might still end up with a white film of dust on some surfaces though (even rooms that were blocked off) so keeping the shop vac around can help get all that up.
No matter what, you'll probably have white boogers too. Very gross but again, not dangerous.
They have been sweeping and vacuuming up at the end of the day, when they're done with the work. After they're done and gone, DH can borrow a shop vac from work, so that should help. Thanks for all the advice - I had no idea about the white boogers! That should be fun! lol
Thanks for the tip! We'll definitely do this - I didn't think the dust could get in, but I guess it can.