What could be more exciting than a long awaited home renovation finally happening? Knowing your home will look, feel, and function better can be a huge relief. However, there is one concern you should keep in mind while embarking on your home renovation – dust!
Whether you are redoing the kitchen, replacing floors, or renovating your basement, lots of dust and debris are sure to be kicked up. This dust can seriously affect your home’s air quality, causing sneezing, coughing, and irritation for you and your family. It could also have a negative effect on your ductwork. This dust can coat the inside of ducts leading to long term air pollutants and damage to your ductwork. It could even travel to your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and cause it to malfunction.
Curious about how to protect your ducts from dust during a renovation? Here are a few of our best tips!
Protect vent openings
A great way to control the dust during a remodel is by keeping your vents protected. If you can, close vent coverings and keep them covered with a drop cloth or sheet. Clean around the vents as much as you can so that no sneaky dust and debris make their way into ductwork.
It’s important to note that you should not use this tip if your renovation is happening during a time of year when you need your HVAC system to be running. Keeping your vents closed while your cooling or heating is on can cause damage to your ducts and HVAC system.
Turn off your air
As we mentioned above, don’t follow this tip if your renovation is occurring in the depths of winter when heating is a must. But, if you can, keep your air off for the duration of your renovation. This will keep dust from your renovation from spreading throughout your ductwork and travelling to different areas of your home.
Implement dust control
Dust is a messy substance, but there are a few hacks that can keep it isolated in one area. You can protect and cover furniture using plastic sheets so that it doesn’t become a secret hiding place for dust. You could also keep plastic covers over doors and other openings to keep dust isolated in the area where the renovation is taking place. Dust control is definitely something to discuss with your renovation team, as they’ll probably have some good ideas about how to stop the spread.
Keep it clean
If you can, keep your home as clean as possible during the renovation. Renovations can take a long time, and you probably aren’t motivated to keep your home as tidy during the process as it normally is. However, cleaning can be a good way to keep dust under control and out of your ductwork. Ensure you implement dust-busting cleaning practices. Vacuum, dust, and wipe surfaces down – starting at the highest point and working towards floor level – to keep dust at bay.
Change your filters
No matter how careful you are to limit dust from spreading through your home and ductwork during a renovation, chances are some of it will find its way into your vent filters. After your renovation has been completed, it’s a great idea to check your filters and replace them if they appear dirty.
Get a duct cleaning
It’s inevitable that some of the dust created by your renovation will end up in your ductwork. If you are worried about damage to your HVAC or want to prevent your family from being exposed to harmful contaminants, book a duct cleaning. A duct specialist will be able to give your ducts a thorough cleaning, ensuring that no dust, debris, or potential irritants remain in your system. A duct cleaning will keep dust from travelling to your HVAC system and potentially cause it to decrease in efficiency or require preventable repairs.
Getting a renovation done is exciting, but it can also put a strain on your ductwork and HVAC system. There are many steps you can take to protect your ducts – and lungs – from the dirt and debris caused by a home renovation.
Scheduling a duct cleaning immediately after your reno is a great way to limit the negative effects of excess dust. If you’ve already scheduled your renovation, book a duct cleaning to go along with it.