dealing with dust when sanding?

Discussion in 'Painters' Talk' started by Chocdrop4767, Nov 8, 2005.

  1. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    Just wondered what others do to minimise dust when sanding walls/ceilings?

    I just had to sand a ceiling which had some form of filler/artex layer (it wasn't rough). The dust from my bosch sander was so bad I could hardly see 3 feet in front of me. It then took about 30 minutes for the room to clear, even with the windows open!

    How can I avoide/reduce this in future? (shame there isn't a small portable dust extractor/vacuum to filter the air)
     
  2. paintycait

    paintycait New Member

    Chocdrop,
    I have a sander that has an extractor and sand bag that is very efficient, it's a Dewalt and pretty efficient with it's little bag but also has a vacuum adaptor although I've never tried this (mainly as I think it's probably not meant to attached to the hoover but have never worked out if that is OK). I'd probably have used a sanding pole to start this off though, just to see how bad it would get. I don't get the sander out unless it's a realy tough job mainly out of consideration for the client, I'd prefer not to have the dust wizzing round the whole house. I know that you can spray the air with a plant mister and this brings the dust down a bit better, but invariably I'm on a job and have used the plant mister for the ironing or...the plants and have forgotten to bring one.
    Hope you wore a mask!!!
    Cait
     
  3. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    Cheers paintycait.

    Yes I did wear a mask. Its a funny sort of bathroom ceiling. It was peeling a bit due to moisture and had a swirled pattern in it, but it wasn't artex. When I slapped on some paint thickly so I could try and replicate the pattern, it begain to peel and fall off in thin strips as it dried.

    I scrapped the whole surface off in the end, but it left a white powdery surface which had scraper marks in it, hence the need to sand off. I gave up on the sanding and was going to put on polycell's textured ceiling paint- matt ripple finish to cover over the marks. (then it dawned on me, could this be distemper?)
     
  4. paintycait

    paintycait New Member

    Distemper isn't normally swirly but it might be distember under the swirling which was possibly why it was breaking down. One of the things I would have tried is probably just scrubbing it off the surface. Distemper normally comes off very easily unless it is oil bound distemper.
    If you suspect it's there get the bucket and water out and start scrubbing!!!
     
  5. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    can you use a wallpaper steamer to steam it off?

    What i might do, is put on the polycell textured ceiling paint over a one sq ft area as a test patch and see if it sticks?
     
  6. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    Artex sealer would be a good thing to try.

    It's similar to watered down PVA, but different.

    Quite good for chalky surfaces(if the chalky surface doesn't wash off)






    Mr. Handyandy - really
     
  7. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    Cheers Mr. Handyandy,. I'd prefer to seal it with something than have to spend time scraping, washing or steaming off
     
  8. gardm1nt

    gardm1nt New Member

    If it was artex then I hope you wore a P3 mask as most artex up to 1980 contained asbestos fibres.

    My bosch sander conect up to an extraction unit, however I try and avoid doing sanding indoors.
    Paul
     
  9. three-twenty

    three-twenty New Member

    distemper as cait said needs to be washed off. hot water until the water is clear,sealer is not the way.
     
  10. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    how can I be certain that it is/is not distemper?
     
  11. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    how can I be certain that it is/is not distemper?
     
  12. paintycait

    paintycait New Member

    OK, it's a 1950's home yes?? I'm presuming this is the same area that you posted about earlier..am I right?
    In the 1950's distemper was still extensively used in "lesser" rooms - cupboards, servant's rooms, attic bedrooms, the nursery etc. The paint started to dwindle in the 60's and by the 70's was virtually out (although, there are some of us still mixing and applying it now).
    Modern artex has tiny crystaline particles that if you scraped the material onto glass and shone a light through it you would see a sparkle...but then not all texture materials have that and it may be another.
    Distemper mixed up was white and was tinted with pastel shades. Most of the time it still looks whiter than artex powder..unless it was mixed to look grey or off white.
    The whiting that was used for distemper tends to be a finer less gritty feeling substance than artex and when wet is pretty transluscent.

    These are just a few things that are indicators. What worries me is that you may have artex over distemper with a vinyl paint over the top for all we know...nightmare.

    There is only one product that I know of that will bind everything back and that's a product called Gardz made by Zinsser...now, this only works if every layer is water based and you need to know that, otherwise you'll be starting all over again.

    I have a feeling that the best option here is just to get rid. Wash the darned stuff off and then prime with something like Zinsser 123 that will not mind if there is a tiny residue of incompatible material.
    The problem previous to the introduction of the Zinsser type materials was that you had to wash and wash and wash until you were absolutely certain there was no residue left because even a hint of the material would leave the paint raising in little cracks and peeling. So I'd go belt and braces, sand, wash, prime and paint. Then you're done for years.
    Cait
     
  13. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    cheers cait, I'll check it out again as I've still got the stuff i scrapped off. I actually reckon its a very think layer of artex with a light swirl in it, but that doesn't explain why the coat I applied reacted to the exiting surface, if it was just artex.

    Another thread I saw on SF talked of distemper and a decorator there highly recommended stabilex by artex...have you heard of this before?

    here's that thread...not sure it will work: http://www.screwfix.com/talk/thread.jspa?forumID=26&threadID=13357&messageID=122814#122814
     
  14. paintycait

    paintycait New Member

    Sorry Choc drop, never used the stuff. Could be that what you have is distemper, PVA, then artex - the PVA has broken down...I don't know, it's difficult to tell over the internet, it would probably be difficult to tell in person. I do think you should get us much off as possible. I'd probably scrub it myself, only because I wouldn't want it coming back to haunt me and I'd also prime with a suitable primer even if I thought I'd got it all off....I'm a belt and braces girl.
    Why not phone Artex tech services and have a chat with them. Sorry not to be of more help.
    C
     
  15. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    Cait

    I'm going to scrap off as much as I can (all the surface stuff and paint is off, all that is left is 1-2mm of the powdery stuff), then wash down and apply stabilex. That should do the trick

    Thnaks for all your advice
     
  16. paintycait

    paintycait New Member

    Good luck with it, I hope the stabilex works. Interesting to hear of the product.
    Cait
     
  17. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    paintycait

    Your advice worked a treat, thanks for all your help. I washed down and then scrapped off any remaining gunk. Then sealed it with stabilex (good stuff), painted with polycell textured ceiling paint and then a final coat of bathroom/kithen paint....and no peeling ...so far!

    cheers
     
  18. paintycait

    paintycait New Member

    Well sweet tasting thing, I hope very much it stays that way. I've never used Stabilex and it's always good to hear of a new product. I'd like to say let us know if it stays that way but I'm probably better to say, let us know if it fails...out of interest did you phone Artex and ask about the product or not and if you di, what did they say?
    Cait
     
  19. Chocdrop4767

    Chocdrop4767 New Member

    cait
    I did phone them and explained my problem. Because I couldn't confirm either way whether it was distemper, they did say it was a good stabilising solution to use if in doubt of the exact problem/cause and that with any powdery surface, Stabilex would do the trick (and better than PVA)

    Thanks again cait
     
  20. handy hobo

    handy hobo New Member

    Hi,

    i had a nightmare like this also

    the dust was travelling all over the house when i was floor sanding - so i got a dustguard from Jewson for £10

    works a treat! - its on the net - www.dustguard.co.uk

    hope this helps!
    hobo
     

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