I finished the first portion of my work on a job site just in time for Holy week -- which for me meant lots and lots of singing. I finally have the opportunity to relate some thoughts.
The House is off the 7th tee of a golf courses, but small by golf course standards. The Homeowners are moving from a larger house (dropping a thousand square feet or so), and making a lot of changes.
One of the things in which I pride myself is a clean work area. This really impresses the customer, and helps them feel comfortable. But not so on this job. Sure my work was clean, but the floors were being redone. ALLLLLL the floors. Slate was going in the living room, hardwood in the bedrooms, travertine in the room where I was working, etc. Unfortunately the flooring guys were messy messy messy. The only advantage I had in using dust extraction was that my cleanup was easier. But the house, including my area was covered with flooring dust.
It made me wonder about the value of HEPA filters (I have one but rarely use it). Sure they can capture minute particles but there are still particles that don't make it into the extractaction system, and if there are other contractors on site, does it really matter? (assuming one is not working with something toxic)
The flooring guys were enamored by my Fein Multimaster, but they didn't get the point of the guide rail and TS55. I wish they were enamored by that.
I watched as they laid solid oak on a 45 degree angle in the center of the master bedroom. The ends of the boards were left wild -- to be cut later. It looked kind of neat (although none of them had hearing protection). I observed how they snapped a chalk line to mark where the planks were to be cut, so that center section ( the 45 zone) could be wrapped with wood which paralleled the wall. All very nice.
Then, they went to the cut the wood. Freehanding with a skill saw.
Not only were they spewing saw dust all over the place, but the cut wavered by a 1/4". They informed me that that would be filled with wood filler.
If it was my house, I would have politely told them that would redo the cuts so that they were perfectly straight and if that meant they had to re-lay a new floor, that they would do that too. But it wasn't my house so I kept my mouth shut.
I could see how remarkably fast, accurate, easy, and clean it would have been for them to use a TS55 with a guide of any length (although they would have benefited from the longer versions) to make those cuts. I don't want to go back while they sand the floors -- I shutter to think of the mess.
Two different views:
To me dust extraction means a cleaner work environment for a happier customer, cleaner air for me to breath, faster clean up when leaving.
Happy customer + clean air + fast clean up = save money.
To most contractors it seems like dust extraction means: Dust comes with the territory; so its a waste of time, an added expense.
Dust is expected + lost time + added cost = lose money
I think I'll start carrying catalogs to hand out.
The House is off the 7th tee of a golf courses, but small by golf course standards. The Homeowners are moving from a larger house (dropping a thousand square feet or so), and making a lot of changes.
One of the things in which I pride myself is a clean work area. This really impresses the customer, and helps them feel comfortable. But not so on this job. Sure my work was clean, but the floors were being redone. ALLLLLL the floors. Slate was going in the living room, hardwood in the bedrooms, travertine in the room where I was working, etc. Unfortunately the flooring guys were messy messy messy. The only advantage I had in using dust extraction was that my cleanup was easier. But the house, including my area was covered with flooring dust.
It made me wonder about the value of HEPA filters (I have one but rarely use it). Sure they can capture minute particles but there are still particles that don't make it into the extractaction system, and if there are other contractors on site, does it really matter? (assuming one is not working with something toxic)
The flooring guys were enamored by my Fein Multimaster, but they didn't get the point of the guide rail and TS55. I wish they were enamored by that.
I watched as they laid solid oak on a 45 degree angle in the center of the master bedroom. The ends of the boards were left wild -- to be cut later. It looked kind of neat (although none of them had hearing protection). I observed how they snapped a chalk line to mark where the planks were to be cut, so that center section ( the 45 zone) could be wrapped with wood which paralleled the wall. All very nice.
Then, they went to the cut the wood. Freehanding with a skill saw.
Not only were they spewing saw dust all over the place, but the cut wavered by a 1/4". They informed me that that would be filled with wood filler. If it was my house, I would have politely told them that would redo the cuts so that they were perfectly straight and if that meant they had to re-lay a new floor, that they would do that too. But it wasn't my house so I kept my mouth shut.
I could see how remarkably fast, accurate, easy, and clean it would have been for them to use a TS55 with a guide of any length (although they would have benefited from the longer versions) to make those cuts. I don't want to go back while they sand the floors -- I shutter to think of the mess.
Two different views:
To me dust extraction means a cleaner work environment for a happier customer, cleaner air for me to breath, faster clean up when leaving.
Happy customer + clean air + fast clean up = save money.
To most contractors it seems like dust extraction means: Dust comes with the territory; so its a waste of time, an added expense.
Dust is expected + lost time + added cost = lose money
I think I'll start carrying catalogs to hand out.
