Dustless sanding

Keeping up to date with the newest releases and cutting edge technology is important to me as a decorator. It is always encouraging to hear both customers and peers within the trade asking me for advice on the newest products to hit the market. I often find customers asking what I am carrying when I am unloading the dustless sanders and extractor from my van. That is why I have decided to write a few paragraphs on exactly what they are and how they work.

Decorators, especially in the Yorkshire Dales, have being stuck in their ways for years, using the same products and the same methods for both preparation and paint application. Its no secret that new innovations and fashions take a while to catch on, especially when they include investment. This particular example has hindered the quality of finish, the lifespan of tools and most importantly the health of both decorators and their customers.  

Introducing dustless sanding into my standard working practice has revolutionised the way I work. It makes preparation work cleaner, faster and more thorough. The very nature of dustless sanding cools down the sanders as they are being used, this means that the abrasive discs, hook and velcro attachments and tools themselves last longer. The vastly reduced airborne dust means decorator and customers alike are not breathing in potentially hazardous materials.

The sanders I use are connected to a dust extractor. This means that any dust that would have usually ended up as airborne contaminates for hours, sometimes days, are collected as they are being created. This is a great advantage as it allows preparation work to be completed without the huge clean up. The air and subsequent dust that is sucked through the sander helps keep the operating tools from overheating during use to ensure a long lifespan for the tools.

Using mechanical sanding, rather than manual sanding is the safer way to work. The dust extractors I use help keep my customers and myself safe. By keeping the air dust-free it creates a working environment not enjoyed by decorators until now. This makes interior domestic work less of an ordeal, perfect for those customers who now work from home.