Pure Maintenance Austin TeamQuick answer: Seal return grilles and hang dust barriers before work starts, check the HVAC filter weekly during the project, then change it again after cleanup and a month later. New-material fumes (VOCs) fade over days to weeks with fresh air, low-VOC products and humidity at 50% or below.
How does a remodel change your home's air?
A new kitchen or bath is exciting. Getting there is one of the dustiest, smelliest stretches a house goes through. Cutting drywall, sanding, tearing out old flooring and painting all put fine particles and fumes into the air, and much of that dust travels well beyond the work room, carried by foot traffic and by the HVAC system itself.
Most Austin houses keep the windows shut from late spring into fall, so a summer project's dust and fumes have nowhere to go but the nearest return grille. Here's how to plan for that, during the work and after.
Can construction dust get into your ducts?
Yes. Your HVAC system pulls air from every room through the return grilles, and during a remodel that air is full of drywall dust, sawdust and grit. Some gets caught in the filter. Some sticks to the blower, the indoor coil and the inside of the ducts. Fine drywall dust is especially good at slipping past cheap filters.
Signs construction dust got into the system:
- A fine white or gray film on furniture a day after dusting
- Dust puffing out of the vents when the system starts
- A filter that turns gray within days
- A dusty smell when the AC or heat kicks on
How do you protect your HVAC during the work?
The best time to protect your ducts is before the dust flies.
- Cover return grilles in and near the work area with plastic sheeting and painter's tape. Ask your contractor to do this each day.
- Cover supply registers in the work room too, so dust doesn't settle into the ducts when the system is off.
- Hang plastic dust barriers with a zipper door between the work area and the rest of the house.
- Put down a sticky mat or runner at the doorway to catch dust on shoes.
- Ask about a negative air machine. Many contractors can set up a fan that pulls air from the work area and blows it outside.
- Leave the HVAC fan on "Auto," not "On," during heavy dust days.
If the whole house must stay cool during a summer project, talk with your contractor about keeping the system running with the work room sealed off. If your home was built before 1978, also ask how they'll handle old paint, since federal lead-paint rules apply to that work.
When should you change the filter?
The filter catches what the plastic sheeting misses.
- Use a good pleated filter during the project, one your system is designed to handle. Very dense filters can choke airflow in some systems, so ask if you're unsure.
- Check it weekly while work is underway, and change it as soon as it looks gray.
- Change it again after the final cleanup.
- Change it once more about a month later, as dust that settled in the ducts works its way to the filter.
If you have a portable HEPA filter, run it in the rooms nearest the work.
Where do new-material fumes come from?
New materials often come with a smell. That odor comes from volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, chemicals that evaporate from products at room temperature. Common sources after a remodel:
- Paint, primer and stain
- Flooring adhesives, new carpet and carpet pads
- Cabinets and furniture made with pressed wood
- Caulk, sealants and spray foam
- Countertop and floor finishes
Most new-material odors fade over days to weeks as products dry and air out. You can help:
- Choose low-VOC or zero-VOC products when you plan the project. Many paints and adhesives come in low-odor versions.
- Unwrap new cabinets, furniture and carpet in a garage or open space when you can, and let them air out before bringing them in.
- Keep the house a bit warmer and well ventilated during the first few days after finishes go on, following the product directions.
- Keep humidity at 50% or below. Water-based paint dries more slowly in damp air, and our Central Texas humidity guide shows how to hold the level there.
If anyone in your home is sensitive to fumes, talk with your doctor before moving back into a freshly finished space.
How do you air out the house afterward?
Once the loud work is done, give the house a good airing:
- Open windows on dry, mild, low-pollen days. Pair them with box fans, one pulling air in and one pushing air out.
- Run bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans for several hours.
- Vacuum with a HEPA vacuum, starting high (ceiling fans, tops of cabinets, window sills) and working down.
- Wipe hard surfaces with a damp cloth so dust doesn't just get pushed around.
- Wash curtains, bedding and throw pillows from rooms near the work.
- Vacuum the return grilles and floor registers.
Newer, tighter homes hold onto odors longer. Our guide to new homes, tight homes and indoor air has more tips.
When should you call for HVAC help?
If dust keeps showing up weeks after the project, the ducts, blower or coil may need attention. Gold Eagle Services handles filters, coil cleaning and duct work, and can check whether a remodel changed airflow to the new space. A new addition or opened-up floor plan may need duct changes to stay comfortable.
If the remodel uncovered an old leak or visible growth, that's a different job: start with an independent state-licensed professional. We don't measure or analyze indoor air.
When should you schedule a whole-home treatment?
Timing matters. Schedule a whole-home dry fog treatment after the work is finished, the final cleanup is done and the new filter is in. Treating while crews are still sanding and painting would only let new dust settle on top.
The patented VaPURE dry fog drifts into every room, surface and closet, plus the HVAC ductwork, without wetting the new cabinets or fresh paint, and helps reduce the bio-load a remodel leaves behind. It doesn't remove VOCs, so give new finishes time and fresh air first. The job takes one day, start to finish.
What to do next
- Before work starts, agree with your contractor on who seals the returns each day.
- Put fresh filter changes on your calendar: after cleanup and a month later.
- Once the dust has settled, book a free phone consultation about a whole-home fresh start.
Get a free phone consultation
Pure Maintenance Austin, brought to you by Gold Eagle Services, serves all of Central Texas, out to College Station (about 2.5 hours), including Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Bastrop and Marble Falls. Call 512-904-4646 or email IAQ@goldeagleservices.com to book a free phone consultation: a Comfort Advisor calls you, learns about your project and sends a written quote based on square footage. We're open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm.