A builder's guide for the home renovator

A Heavy-Duty Vacuum Cleaner is a Must Have for Renovation Jobsites

by Paul
February 2021

Keeping your work site organized, clean and tidy maximises your efficiency and safety on site. This is why having a heavy-duty, industrial vacuum cleaner on hand is your biggest asset. Whether you intend to buy or hire, to choose the best jobsite vacuum cleaner you need to ask yourself a series of vital questions.

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    DIY home renovations can be an exciting and creative adventure for the family or with your partner. And yes, they will provide a lot of hard work too.

    But what about the mess that’s going to be left behind at the end of each day and when the job is finally finished?  These questions will help you decide which vacuum is the right one for you to get the job done – the first time.

    1. What are the materials that will be required to be cleaned by the vacuum?

    Before exploring features like capacity and filter types, make sure you understand exactly what you need your vacuum to do.

    • Will there be a need to remove dust and powders?
    • If there will be dust, are any of the materials expected to be hazardous?
    • What about liquid spills? If so, what types of liquids will need removal?
    • What about timber cut-offs, plaster remains, concrete pieces, etc.?

    Knowing the answers to these questions will definitely make it easier to choose the brand and model you need.

    2. What size or strength am I going to need to get the job done?

    Once you’ve identified all of the material types, you need to understand how much each kind will need to be cleaned. This is important as vacuums are not a one-size-fits-all type of solution. Heavy-duty vacuum cleaners can contain a range of material from 5 to 100 litres. If you choose one that’s too big, you’ll lose out on efficiency. If you choose a vacuum that’s too small, you’ll spend more time than you’d like continuously emptying the collected waste.

    3. What about hose attachments, or accessories?

    While the vacuum is the core solution, it might not be the entire one. The right hoses and accessories will be needed to maximise its efficiency so you can clean all of those hard-to-reach places. Ensure you have your requirements adequately defined to discuss this with the experts before you rent or buy.

    4. Where can I get a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner?

    All of the major retail chains will have a wide range of vacuums for hire, and a quick search will give you all the key businesses you need. There are also smaller businesses that specialise only with hiring or buying their vacuums. Overall, you’ll have lots of options where you need to source from. As per any thrifty purchase practices, always shop around, compare prices and services, and ask many questions from the experts. I would also highly recommend doing a test-drive of the ones that appear the most suitable.

    5. How much will all this cost me?

    This question is an obvious one, but an important one too. One of the attractions of DIY is saving yourself money, so you need to ensure you can stay within budget – and choosing the vacuum for the post-construction clean-up should be planned for and costs estimated. 

    You’ll need to factor in the following costs (the assumption here is that you will need to rent a vacuum, rather than buy one)

    • An initial deposit
    • Daily rate for renting
    • Operating expenses (water, electricity, the number of disposable baggage containers to be buy)
    • Clean-up costs for filters, etc.

    Needless to say, that you’re aiming to have your deposit returned to you post-cleaning, so make sure you have a thorough visual inspection of the unit and look for any indentations, marks or previous damage.

    Take photos on your mobile for proof if need be.

    Also, make sure the salesperson gives you a demonstration with the actual unit you will be renting, so there are no apparent operational issues.

    Finally, if there are any issues during the rental period, please contact the company right away and explain the situation then.

    6. Are they difficult to operate? Do they require considerable strength to move about and manoeuvre? 

    Safety is paramount with all DIY tasks – and this task is no exception. Surprisingly you will find that heavy-duty vacuums are much safer than their smaller commercial counterparts, as they are continually used. Some of the critical factors that make them more comfortable and safer to use:

    • As they are used repeatedly, you expect them to be balanced designed and quite sturdily built
    • Larger machinery tends to be strictly regulated to satisfy compliance requirements, and to abide by safety standards as stipulated by governmental bodies,
    • They are designed to be user-friendly: heavy-duty vacuums possess a comfortable system to release the collected waste, either by a detachable container, or bag,
    • Typically (but not generally) they are quieter for safety reasons –both the operator and anyone else nearby.

    7. What about disposing of all the waste that has been collected?

    Depending on who you talk to, most experts will push bagless over the bagged models all day. Bagless models do need to have their canisters emptied, and if you choose this option, then you need to consider the following:

    1. This is an easy or uncomplicated task to perform
    2. An adequate filtration system will help keep dirt trapped inside the canister both during the cleaning process, and once you attempt to remove it. This is so all the dirt remains where it should be – in the bag and not on your floor.
    3. There is a valid argument that cleaning and replacing the filters on bagless vacuums may be asexpensive as buying and replacing bags; however, this will be a choice for the consumer.

    8.What else should I know?

    Below are a few itemised tips you might want to consider that did not belong in any of the above categories:

    1. Minimise the clean-up effort before you start those home Renos, and properly seal off all those rooms that will not be affected by the renovations. You will save considerable time if this is performed correctly from the beginning,

    2. How noisy will the vacuum be during operation (and do you care – what about your neighbours?)

    3. Determine if any logistic factors need considering such as the following:

      • Is the vacuum required to be transported to and from a high floor for an apartment or a large dwelling?
      • If so, will it fit into the lifts, and will it be under the maximum weight for that lift?
      • Do you need to discuss transportation with the Strata management beforehand, and receive any written agreements for safety purposes?
      • Is there parking available outside, or nearby, for transportation purposes?

    Summing it all up

    The key to a successful clean-up operation is to identify and understand all of your requirements beforehand – and that starts with understanding the type and amount of waste materials you are going to need to be collected and removed resulting from your DIY renovation efforts. We hope that this article will significantly assist you with all of your post-construction DIY clean-up efforts.

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