Dust: why it matters and how to control it

Learn what dust hazards actually are and how to stop them harming your lungs, your home and your family.

DC-01Know what you're breathing inDust from cutting masonry, concrete, brick or tiles contains silica, which can scar your lungs permanently if you breathe enough of it in over the years. Wood dust, especially from MDF, causes similar long-term harm and some types are also flammable in a cloud. Plasterboard dust (gypsum) is less toxic but still irritates your lungs and eyes. The mistake beginners make is treating dust as just mess to hoover up later, not as something that can hurt you.

DC-02Fit a proper mask before you startA thin paper mask from a multipack does not filter fine dust. For masonry or wood dust, use an FFP3-rated mask (FFP stands for filtering face piece - the higher the number, the finer the particles it stops). Pinch the metal strip over your nose and check it seals against your cheeks with no gaps. Put the mask on before you start work, not once you've already begun and dust is in the air.

1 each · FFP3 disposable dust mask

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DC-03Seal the room before you make dustCover furniture and the floor with a dust sheet (a large sheet of cloth or plastic that catches falling debris). Shut the door to the room and tape plastic sheeting over the gap, or lay a damp towel along the bottom, to stop dust drifting through the house. Beginners often cover only the floor and leave the door open, then find fine dust on surfaces two rooms away.

1 each · Dust sheet

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1 roll · Masking tape

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DC-04Cut and drill with the right cautionBefore you drill or cut into any wall, floor or ceiling, remember there could be a cable or pipe hidden inside, even in a wall you think is safe. A cable/pipe detector helps, but it does not guarantee safety - it can miss cables that run deep, sit in metal conduit, hide behind metal-backed plasterboard, or run outside the usual safe zones, and older or amateur wiring often ignores those zones anyway. Treat every wall as if something is there until you've proved otherwise, and if you have any doubt at all, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn the water off at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water. Only once you're confident it's clear should you start cutting, wearing your mask throughout.

DC-05Catch dust at the source, not afterWhere you can, use a drill or saw with a dust extraction attachment, or have someone hold a vacuum nozzle right next to the cutting point as you work. Catching dust before it becomes airborne is far easier than chasing it round the room afterwards. The common beginner mistake is doing the whole job dry and dusty, then trying to clean up at the end - by then it's already settled everywhere and some has been breathed in.

DC-06Ventilate, don't stir it upOpen a window to let dusty air escape the room. Do not switch on a fan or leave a door open to "clear the air" while you're still cutting - this just blows fine dust further into the house. Let the air settle for a few minutes after you finish before you take your mask off or start tidying.

DC-07Clean up wet, not dryDry sweeping just lifts settled dust back into the air for you to breathe. Instead, vacuum with a machine that has a fine filter, or lightly mist surfaces with water from a spray bottle and wipe with a damp cloth so the dust sticks rather than scatters. Wipe surfaces in one direction rather than flicking a duster around.

2 each · Cleaning cloths

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DC-08Check you've actually controlled itYou've done it right if there's no fresh layer of fine dust in rooms next to where you worked, and you can't see dust drifting when light shines across the room. Check your mask afterwards - if there's dust visibly caked on the outside but your face and lips feel clean, it did its job. If you find dust on surfaces elsewhere in the house, go back and seal doorways more thoroughly next time.

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