After-builders cleaning in Adelaide: homes, stone and rentals
Older homes first
The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency says homes built or renovated before 1990 might contain asbestos. NSW Health adds that it's a low risk while it's in good condition and undamaged. Renovation is what changes that, so ask the question before work starts.
Benchtops and silica
Bricks, mortar, concrete and tile all carry crystalline silica. Engineered stone that's already installed doesn't pose an ongoing safety risk, according to WorkSafe Victoria, but cutting concrete, brick or tile on site leaves dust that needs careful handling.
Adelaide homes
Townhouses, terraces and semi-detached homes made up 16% of occupied homes in Greater Adelaide in the 2021 Census. Dust moves through shared stairwells and from room to room, so seal off finished areas until the clean is done.
Landlords between tenants
If you've renovated a rental, book the clean before the new inspection sheet is filled in. The Law Handbook says the landlord gives the tenant a signed copy at the start, and it's what the end of that tenancy gets measured against.
When each step happens after building work in Adelaide
Trades finish
The last coat of paint is dry and the last fitting is on.
Rubbish goes
Offcuts, packaging and leftover materials leave the site first. Carting them isn't in a cleaner's quote.
Let it settle
Keep foot traffic out of the finished rooms while the last of the fine dust comes down.
The clean
Dust comes off shelves, drawers, light fittings, frames, tracks and floors, and any paint or plaster flecks come off the hard surfaces.
Furniture comes back
Only then does anything you own go back in the room.
Building dust in an Adelaide home is not house dust
Breathing in fine silica dust can cause serious illnesses, including silicosis and lung cancer. Compressed air, dry sweeping and high-pressure water are all out, because they're likely to lift the dust into the air. The safer tools are a mop, a wet cloth, low-pressure hosing or a vacuum rated Dust Class M or H. SafeWork NSW's line is that a household vacuum is never right around silica dust, HEPA filter or not. Older homes raise a separate question: if debris could hold asbestos, don't sweep or vacuum it. Leave it for a licensed removalist.
Questions on dust and vacuums for an Adelaide builders clean
- What vacuum do you use for building dust?
- Do you wet wipe surfaces, or dry dust them?
- Does the quote cover inside cupboards, drawers and light fittings?
- How do you handle paint or plaster spots on tiles and glass?
- When do you need the home empty of trades?
Put the Adelaide builders clean on the schedule early
Put the clean on the builder's schedule from the start, as the last line before furniture. If the home was built or renovated before 1990, get your asbestos answer before the first wall comes down, because a cleaner can't fix that afterwards. Then ask the business how it handles fine dust, and only book one that gives you a clear answer.