Heard a wild fact about drywall dust at a supply house in Phoenix

I was picking up some 5/8 firecode at the yard yesterday and got talking with the old timer behind the counter. He mentioned that a standard 4x8 sheet of drywall, when sanded down completely, can make about 2 pounds of fine dust. That blew my mind, I never thought about the actual weight of all that powder we create. It really hit home how much we're breathing in if we're not careful. He said he saw a study from a trade school that measured it, which got me looking up better masks right after I left. My old disposable ones probably weren't cutting it for that much stuff floating around. What's the best respirator you guys use for long sanding days in a closed room?

2 comments

2 Comments

uma30626d ago

Honestly that sounds like a scare story to me. I've been sanding for years with a basic mask and never had a problem, feels like overkill. You really think that much dust stays in the air?

the_piper26d ago

Wait, you've been using a basic mask for years? That's wild, @uma306. I saw a video where they used a black light to show how much fine dust hangs around for hours after sanding, it was everywhere. That stuff gets deep in your lungs and doesn't come out.