What to do about brick dust from neighbor's construction work?
December 20, 2019 3:10 AM Subscribe
I'm coming home every day to a layer of brick dust on everything in my house from the construction next door. What are my options?
I live in an old brick rowhouse in Washington DC; most of the walls are exposed brick. For the seven years I've lived here, the house next to me, with an adjoining brick wall, has been vacant. It's been problematic. There was a homeless man squatting there for awhile, and people would occasionally show up and do some work for a day or two and then disappear for a year. I talked to one construction worker who told me the previous workers quit because they weren't getting paid.
Now, there are people working there every day. I spoke to a man who appeared to be in charge on day one, and he was evasive and told me they were just there to remove the formstone on the front of the house. He did reluctantly give me his contact info but was not very friendly about it.
As of this week, the whole front of that house is gone. Each day this week, I've come home to a layer of brick dust over everything in my home. It's bad. Also, while they were throwing stuff out of windows they broke my flagpole. Ugh.
My question is, do I have a valid complaint about the brick dust? Who would I complain to? What would they do about it, and is there anything the construction people can do to mitigate it?
It's hard to see how they can be held responsible for it, since I think it might just be part of the deal with attached brick walls and construction.
Ideally I would have someone professionally seal the brick on my side, but that's not going to happen soon with the holidays, etc.
It's totally depressing to vacuum and dust every morning and come home to another layer of dust every night. I have an old cat I'm worried about too.
What would you do in this situation?
Thanks!
I live in an old brick rowhouse in Washington DC; most of the walls are exposed brick. For the seven years I've lived here, the house next to me, with an adjoining brick wall, has been vacant. It's been problematic. There was a homeless man squatting there for awhile, and people would occasionally show up and do some work for a day or two and then disappear for a year. I talked to one construction worker who told me the previous workers quit because they weren't getting paid.
Now, there are people working there every day. I spoke to a man who appeared to be in charge on day one, and he was evasive and told me they were just there to remove the formstone on the front of the house. He did reluctantly give me his contact info but was not very friendly about it.
As of this week, the whole front of that house is gone. Each day this week, I've come home to a layer of brick dust over everything in my home. It's bad. Also, while they were throwing stuff out of windows they broke my flagpole. Ugh.
My question is, do I have a valid complaint about the brick dust? Who would I complain to? What would they do about it, and is there anything the construction people can do to mitigate it?
It's hard to see how they can be held responsible for it, since I think it might just be part of the deal with attached brick walls and construction.
Ideally I would have someone professionally seal the brick on my side, but that's not going to happen soon with the holidays, etc.
It's totally depressing to vacuum and dust every morning and come home to another layer of dust every night. I have an old cat I'm worried about too.
What would you do in this situation?
Thanks!
My guess is the dust is coming from your own bricks, as the vibration of work next door disturbs them. have you vacuumed the actual wall, or just the surfaces the dust is visible on?
Second, I believe there's a brick sealant you can spray or paint on your brick wall. It's designed to waterproof exterior walls I think, but would probably cut down on the dust. Talk to the nearest Ace Hardware, who will be more knowledgeable about DC rowhomes than the big box stores, to learn what your brick wall sealant options are. Make sure to mention your cat, as some options may put out more fumes than others.
posted by postel's law at 4:44 AM on December 20, 2019 [4 favorites]
Second, I believe there's a brick sealant you can spray or paint on your brick wall. It's designed to waterproof exterior walls I think, but would probably cut down on the dust. Talk to the nearest Ace Hardware, who will be more knowledgeable about DC rowhomes than the big box stores, to learn what your brick wall sealant options are. Make sure to mention your cat, as some options may put out more fumes than others.
posted by postel's law at 4:44 AM on December 20, 2019 [4 favorites]
Yes to brick sealant, although a painted layer of clear acrylic will be easier to apply and generally have lower VOC count. And yes to checking the permit - a shitload of DC construction isn't permitted, and that may very well be why they were being cagey.
His comment section is a hot mess of NIMBY bullshit, but Popville has multiple conversations about this every year, and digging around on the forum will find you specific people to contact, in addition to 311.
posted by aspersioncast at 4:58 AM on December 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
His comment section is a hot mess of NIMBY bullshit, but Popville has multiple conversations about this every year, and digging around on the forum will find you specific people to contact, in addition to 311.
posted by aspersioncast at 4:58 AM on December 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
This DCRA page may be helpful. As you probably know, there is a lot of illegal / unpermitted construction happening in DC right now, so I agree w/AlexiaSky that checking to see if they're working with a permit is a good first step.
posted by ryanshepard at 5:19 AM on December 20, 2019
posted by ryanshepard at 5:19 AM on December 20, 2019
You can check to see if there are any permits associated w/a specific address using this DCRA database.
posted by ryanshepard at 5:26 AM on December 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by ryanshepard at 5:26 AM on December 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
If you are anywhere near Capitol Hill, the folks at Frager's Hardware would be good to consult about what you might put on your brick that is lower VOC for interior use.
posted by gudrun at 5:45 AM on December 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by gudrun at 5:45 AM on December 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the responses so far! It does look like they have a permit for interior work, but I'm not sure if that covers the significant exterior work they've done. I've contacted DCRA.
And, duh, I didn't even think of asking someone at Frager's or ACE Hardware. Great idea! If there are other ideas on how to deal with the day to day of being surrounded by dust, please continue to share.
posted by kinsey at 5:57 AM on December 20, 2019
And, duh, I didn't even think of asking someone at Frager's or ACE Hardware. Great idea! If there are other ideas on how to deal with the day to day of being surrounded by dust, please continue to share.
posted by kinsey at 5:57 AM on December 20, 2019
Going to add the info from the MeMail I sent in case it's useful to anyone who finds this in the future:
If you haven't already, make sure all of your windows are locked as well as closed - most double pane windows won't actually seal tight unless they are locked, and can let a lot of dust/outside air in when unlocked.
Agree some of this may actually coming through the party wall, though - if you have exposed brick, another thing to do if you haven't yet is to look for gaps in the pointing between the bricks.
I had to learn the hard way, unfortunately.
Would add that, if you are in a historic district, exterior alterations may in part be subject to Office of Historic Preservation review and specific permitting before construction/demolition can begin.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:10 AM on December 20, 2019
If you haven't already, make sure all of your windows are locked as well as closed - most double pane windows won't actually seal tight unless they are locked, and can let a lot of dust/outside air in when unlocked.
Agree some of this may actually coming through the party wall, though - if you have exposed brick, another thing to do if you haven't yet is to look for gaps in the pointing between the bricks.
I had to learn the hard way, unfortunately.
Would add that, if you are in a historic district, exterior alterations may in part be subject to Office of Historic Preservation review and specific permitting before construction/demolition can begin.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:10 AM on December 20, 2019
You could temporarily cover your brick walls with plastic taped on with painter's tape. Of course that would mean moving everything away from the walls.
posted by mareli at 6:24 AM on December 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by mareli at 6:24 AM on December 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
I don't know if brick dust is like ceramic dust (from cutting tiles), but we've had massive problems with our furnace and air vents ever since some contractors cut tiles inside our house (NEVER let them do that - they could have gone outside, they were just too lazy, and it's been a load of trouble since). If you can, check that your furnace is somewhat protected.
posted by jb at 6:53 AM on December 20, 2019
posted by jb at 6:53 AM on December 20, 2019
We used to get a lot of sand coming out of the mortar of our interior brick walls. Fragers recommended a sealant to cover the brick. I think it was marketed as a wood sealer but it worked great. Putting it on was simple, like painting, and it has done a great job over the years.
posted by exogenous at 7:05 AM on December 20, 2019
posted by exogenous at 7:05 AM on December 20, 2019
While you are at Ace, see what they recommend for your interior air filters, furnace and otherwise. Look at the filters in your vacuum as well. Some have HEPA options.
Also, is there any way to look up the owner/ownership history of the property and say hello, things could be better? Maybe it’s the same owner and an inelegant path to having better neighbor options. It could be more bearable if you know when disruptive things will happen next door, and when they won’t.
This past summer we did a loud outdoor improvement over 3 days when my neighbor was away on vacation, but we have a well-established relationship. Extend a branch, even if it’s a business entity. They are made of people and often they realize that relationships matter.
posted by childofTethys at 7:12 AM on December 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also, is there any way to look up the owner/ownership history of the property and say hello, things could be better? Maybe it’s the same owner and an inelegant path to having better neighbor options. It could be more bearable if you know when disruptive things will happen next door, and when they won’t.
This past summer we did a loud outdoor improvement over 3 days when my neighbor was away on vacation, but we have a well-established relationship. Extend a branch, even if it’s a business entity. They are made of people and often they realize that relationships matter.
posted by childofTethys at 7:12 AM on December 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you are a the typical 1880s-1920s-era rowhouse, depending on the type of brick, waterproof sealants may not be a good idea at all. The interior surface of the brick is not meant to be waterproof. It's a good way to get mold and mildew problems that would never occur in a million years otherwise. A sealant to cut down on dust is fine, it just shouldn't be exterior-grade.
Please be very cautious taking any advice from someone who is not specifically experienced with older rowhouses. (Even if they work at a hardware store.)
posted by desuetude at 7:24 AM on December 20, 2019 [11 favorites]
Please be very cautious taking any advice from someone who is not specifically experienced with older rowhouses. (Even if they work at a hardware store.)
posted by desuetude at 7:24 AM on December 20, 2019 [11 favorites]
> desuetude: Please be very cautious taking any advice from someone who is not specifically experienced with older rowhouses. (Even if they work at a hardware store.)
This a million times. One of the best things about traditional brick-and-mortar is that it permits moisture to pass through the mortar while protecting the brick. Do not seal up the wall permanently without a better understanding of the situation. Consider tarps to contain the dust temporarily. If you completely seal the wall on your side and your neighbor allows their side to get wet (like from steam in a kitchen or bathroom, or a humidifier) it could cause major internal damage to the common wall.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:56 AM on December 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
This a million times. One of the best things about traditional brick-and-mortar is that it permits moisture to pass through the mortar while protecting the brick. Do not seal up the wall permanently without a better understanding of the situation. Consider tarps to contain the dust temporarily. If you completely seal the wall on your side and your neighbor allows their side to get wet (like from steam in a kitchen or bathroom, or a humidifier) it could cause major internal damage to the common wall.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:56 AM on December 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
A relatively powerful fan with an attached filter which could suck in outside air, clean it, and generate positive pressure inside your house would probably do the trick — such as a vacuum cleaner attached to a cat door or a partially opened window, for example; but I don't know of any vacuums that could stand being on for eight hours a day.
posted by jamjam at 11:51 AM on December 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by jamjam at 11:51 AM on December 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
Not old row house specific, but the only brick sealers I will specify (IAAA, I am not your Architect) are the breathable siloxanes.
A water proof sealer will be no end of problems. Moisture moves through brick. You are not going to change that. When the moisture hits a surface that is non-permeable, it just lifts the sealer off along with whatever brick and mortar the sealer is adhered to.
Jamjams comments about positive pressure are good too.
posted by rudd135 at 9:15 AM on December 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
A water proof sealer will be no end of problems. Moisture moves through brick. You are not going to change that. When the moisture hits a surface that is non-permeable, it just lifts the sealer off along with whatever brick and mortar the sealer is adhered to.
Jamjams comments about positive pressure are good too.
posted by rudd135 at 9:15 AM on December 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
There's a reason there is a permitting process for these things, and your concerns are a part of it. I'm not sure what to do about the dust specifically , especially if it is a permitted reconstruction. In terms of damage to your property, a permitted construction crew will have insurance to take care of those things.
posted by AlexiaSky at 3:20 AM on December 20, 2019 [13 favorites]