Clean Up

dumplin1078

Just wondering what you guys do for clean up. On new construction I scrape mud off floors, and sweep. Remodels I try to leave the job at least as clean as it was when I got there. I was just wondering since my back is killing me from scraping floors today. Also if anyone has any ideas how to keep mud from sticking to floors when dropped I would like to hear them. Someone told me they have heard of putting sand in the floor, but I'm not sure I want to walk in sand on stilts.

steve-in-kville

I've gotten into the habit of laying newspaper or cardboard along the walls to catch the mud. Masking tape keeps it in place. Would be kinda unhandy in stilts, but works well for me.

steve

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Double-A

We have some 1/4" luan ply cut into 2' sections, 8' long that we've waxed. When it comes time for the rockers, we set these in the area and ask them to use them along the bottom of the walls.

Nothing sticks to the wax. We just drag to the middle of the room, pick them up, smack with a hammer and the mud falls off. They then go back into the truck to be stored until next job.

We shovel, broom, and vac up the debris and we're ready for trim and paint.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

joasis

Since we are going to be doing stained concrete floors for the next spec homes, I have been watching how the other guys do this and they use heavy drop cloths taped down after the framing is up...since the dust from drywall will affect the floor. As for us, since we are in the home from start til completion, we keep it clean with constant clean up.

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bassmaster

I keep long rolls of plastic drop cloths, cut it to size. Pick up when done and throw away.

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BASSMASTER

AtlanticWBConst

For scraping,

We use a floor scraper (Long heavy replacable blade on an aluminum pole. Great investment. Also like to leave the sheetrock-hanging dust on the floor so the mud comes up a little easier.

Other than that, not much you can do....putting covers on the floors:
they end up some where else. Tapers are busy looking up when they are taping the ceilings, everything on the floor gets kicked all over the place.

If you are dead set against clean up, try what we do for plastering: Roofing Felt over the floors.

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- Build Well -

d.janvrin

Roofing felt or builders felt Tape down Leave untill Sanded roll up Throw away Question do You Guys Mark Studs On Floor Before Sheetrock I Use Bright Orange Upside down Marking Paint From Dollar Store Save Time Time Time Stays Untill Flooring is Laid Atleast
Thanks Dave

mdshunk

Doesn't putting felt or plastic drops on the floor make mudding on stilts hazardous? The reason I ask is because I almost got my tail kicked by a finisher one time for leaving conduit scraps on the floor of a room he was working in. Ever seen a guy on stilts sprint? They can really cover some ground.

jmic

Jeesh Md,
Should'a just thrown out your bag of marbles.

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___"Remember You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression"______________________
Joe

dumplin1078

Plastic on floors is definetly out! I almsot killed my self this way on a job once. The HO put plastic down because they were going to stain the concrete floors, when we roll in and glaze our angles we keep the roller and angle head in a bucket of water. Water, plastic and stilts bad combination. The felt would probably work, but I wonder how cost effective it would be. I guess I was looking for an easy way out after a couple hours on the business end of a floor scraper. I believe I am the only drywall contractor who still cleans up in my area. I have heard some horror stories from HO's. Since my cleanliness sets me apart and has actually gotten me business through word of mouth I guess I should stop whining.

maj

Whole floor is covered with rosin paper. roll it up and burn it after evrything is textured & painted. It's not slippery like plastic.

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AtlanticWBConst

Absolutely, do it the same way, especially helps for putting in the baseboard.

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AtlanticWBConst

Messiest job requires clean up tools. We have a 14' cube van for drywall use. In it is a good shop vac. multiple floor scrapers, rolls of plastic, masking tape, buckets, various cleaning solutions, sponges, mops, rags, Roofing felt, etc.
Besides new construction, we get calls for patchwork repairs in occupied, carpeted and furnished homes. Thus the need for all the cleaning tools.
I like the way one painter put it: "We like to leave a job looking like we were never there".
We also try to apply that in all our contracting work, especially with people's yards whendoing re-siding.

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MikeT

I We clean up everything, all screws nails, excess materials, floors mud on floors everything ... related to the job ....
Dump fees are included in the quote...

Brushslingers

Wow, you guys never saw old school rockers... pump up sprayer and water, I think... is what they used. Those dudes would spray the floor and go to town, at the end of the day everything would just sweep up. I've used the technique a few times with both rock, and paint. Think they may have added something else though since it works great on crete, but not on wood.

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Benn