Applications / Ultimate Guide to Dust Containment Systems for Construction Sites

June 1, 2023

What is dust containment?

Proper dust control is essential for various projects, including floor finishing and concrete cutting, in industries such as healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, government, education, transportation, property management, and facility management. Effective dust containment solutions help maintain a clean and safe working environment, reducing the risk of health issues and ensuring the condition of other parts of the site remains unaffected.

Construction dust containment is the process of separating an area with a barrier, such as plastic sheeting, to reduce dust or other airborne contaminants from spreading throughout the jobsite. It is important to set up dust containment systems to minimize the risk of fine dust particles and air pollutants damaging other areas on the jobsite. Surface protection and dust containment products play a crucial role in preventing spills and maintaining safety compliance.

Why is dust control important on a jobsite?

Dust is an unfortunate part of any construction, remodeling, or restoration project. And as many of you probably already know from experience, it has a nasty habit of getting everywhere. Even with closed doors, you’ll still find a fine layer of dust in every nook and cranny of the jobsite without proper dust protection.

Maybe you’re working at a medical facility or a tech company with expensive, delicate equipment. Or perhaps you’re renovating a home or office space. No matter the job or scale of work, keeping dust from spreading can reduce clean up time and avoid costly repairs. Likewise, airborne particles can be harmful to those without proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to filter out these contaminants. By setting up temporary walls to contain dust and debris, you can create a cleaner, safer work environment.

Setting up a construction dust containment system

Building a temporary wall with poles, plastic sheeting, and zippers is simple. With extendable poles like Trimaco’s E-Z Up poles, you can customize them based on your ceiling height. We’ve created an easy guide for how to set up a temporary dust containment area. Follow these instructions to create your own dust barrier:

How to Build a Dust Containment System

Other tips for managing dust on a jobsite

1. Wear a respirator. Dust masks are great for larger particulates, but it’s important to note that smaller particles can easily pass through most dust masks. A respirator that is NIOSH approved is better at filtering out smaller airborne particles to keep you safe.
2. Use air filtration machines. Keeping dust at a manageable level during your job not only improves the clean-up time, but also helps maintain better air quality inside the dust barrier. If you don’t have air filtration during your home improvement project, you can set up a box fan to push air out of the space through an open window.
3. Clean up before, during, and after any renovation, demolition, or painting projects. Before the construction dust containment goes into place, remove any equipment or furniture from the area. During the job, keep a dust vac handy to sweep up any dust build-up, and after the job is over, make sure to wipe surfaces down with a damp sponge to catch any lingering dust particles.
4. Use a sweeping compound. A handy material you can use is a dust sweeping compound. A sweeping compound can help collect dust on floors, so they don’t become airborne while you sweep.
5. Save time with a magnetic zipper. If you don’t need to create a negative pressure room and want to save time, try our new Magnetic Dust Door! Instead of a traditional zipper that you need to unzip and rezip every time you enter and exit, a magnetic zipper is hands-free. You don’t need to waste time setting down tools or supplies – just walk right through, and the zipper will close behind you. See how the magnetic zipper is 3X faster than traditional zippers.

Keep dust and other harmful airborne contaminants contained with Trimaco

If you are trying to prevent the spread of sanding, drilling, or drywall dust, building a temporary construction dust containment system is the best option. Trimaco has you and your jobsite covered! From surface protectors, plastic sheeting and heavy-duty poles to traditional and magnetic zippers for easy access, you can find all your dust containment and jobsite protection needs by exploring our catalog.