FEATURE OF THE MONTH - OCTOBER 2011
Dustless Sanding Process
For many years, sanding a hardwood floor brought visions of dust flying everywhere, plastic barricades across doorways and arches and, even with all the attempts at covering everything up, hours of cleaning fine dust off every surface in the house.
For the past 2 years, Rivershores has been offering an innovative marvel, the Rivershores Dustless Sanding System, as an option for our clients, and we feel that it deserves some special mention on our website. In the following paragraphs, the benefits and advantages of this System will be explained. You’ll find that it’s not only a convenience issue…it is a definite health concern!
The Culprit
Let me introduce you to Mr. Dust Mite. Imagine this little guy living in your home. Now imagine 1,000,000 of them living in your home…90% of those in your carpeting! That’s right…according to the Environmental Health and Safety Agency, the dust in your home is mostly made up of the cast off skin and feces of the house dust mite and a lot of that can be found in your carpets.*
Allergens are also a consideration in any discussion about house dust. According to Darryl C. Zeldin, acting director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, 18-30% of Americans are allergic to dust and dust mites, and almost 50% of American homes have allergen levels that are high enough to cause sensitivity in people who were not previously allergic to dust mites. Dust is the strongest allergenic material found indoors! +
Now, you’re probably wondering what this all has to do with dustless sanding….be patient, we do have a point to make. Because the dust mites live in your home…your carpets, your mattresses and your pillows…the EHSA has a recommendation: Control the dust in your home. Rivershores also has a recommendation: Let us help you control the dust. If you have carpeting, you may want to take it out and replace it with hardwood; if you have hardwood, may we suggest our exclusive White Glove Dustless Sanding system.
The Solution
Let’s say you have already taken our first words of advice…you’ve ripped out your carpet and replaced it with some beautiful hardwood. It’s been 8-10 years and your floors are looking a little worn/scratched/dull from all your family activities. Let us come in, evaluate your floors and, if a full sanding is needed, we’ll use our dustless system. Depending on the condition of your hardwood, we may recommend something less extensive…our screen and coat process, for instance.
The Rivershores Team has developed a method that will eliminate 99% of the dust that is raised when sanding your hardwood floor. The mechanics of this dustless system are housed in a trailer outside. We utilize large, non-marking hoses that connect to the sanding equipment we will use in your home. It will pull 99% of the dust caused by the sanding process, including those harmful particles found in some of the old lead-based finishes used before 1978. It seals them in a unit outside of your home.
So next time you wake up in a cold sweat thinking about scary looking mites in your carpet or fine dust particles over your entire house, think of Rivershores Hardwood Flooring and their dustless sanding system. We’re problem solvers and we’re here to make those nightmares a thing of the past.
*Excerpts from Environmental Health and Safety Online (www.ehso.com/ehshome/dustmites.php)
+Wall Street Journal – January 5, 2010, Pg D2