Exposed Concrete... how dusty will it get?

[ILuvTO]

For the folks that live or have lived in a building with exposed concrete, just how dusty does it get?

 

[TheKingEast]

Quite dusty.

 

[ILuvTO]

Quite dusty.

Thanks TKE.

 

[neuhaus]

I lived in a loft in the U.S. with exposed concrete ceilings, walls and columns and it does get very dusty even though the concrete work was done very well -- very flat and smooth with very little pot marks, holes and rough spots. Exposed concrete will dust no matter how well the concrete was poured and how well the surface is (unless it is polished).
I have vacuumed and rinsed the concrete surfaces to get the residual dust off, which helped a bit in the beginning, but it will still continue to dust off over time.

My next place will have exposed concrete which I plan clean and lightly seal with a watered down polyurethane clearcoat.
Having air filter is also a good idea and changing the air filter in the fan coil/heat pump unit regularly at the very minimum.

 

[ILuvTO]

Thanks again to both of you. Unless I am over thinking this, would there not be some kind of health hazard? I can't imagine concrete dust would be good to breathe in over any extended period of time. Concrete contains silica (unless something has changed) which is nasty stuff.

 

[Dal Kury]

I've been in construction for 30+ years. Concrete does not tend to 'dust' off all by it's self. Otherwise you could take a flashlight, with the lights turned off, and see the particulate 'jump' off the wall. However, every time you touch it, rub it, vacuum it, clean it, or otherwise disturb it, it will create dust. The dust can be a hazard if it contains 'Silicates', which can cause Silicosis, if exposed to it for prolonged periods, and of sufficient quantities.

The only way to stop it from inadvertently dusting, is to properly seal the exposed concrete, there are many types of sealers that are easily applied. Some are as thin as water, others are thick like varnish. Typically the architect will spec that the concrete be sealed after a particular 'curing time'. Never seal 'fresh' concrete. Painting also works. If the large box stores did not seal their floors, people would be walking in a fog of dust for sure.

Dal.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Exposed concrete will dust no matter how well the concrete was poured and how well the surface is (unless it is polished).

Polishing the concrete does nothing to keep the dust down, as it consists only of grinding down the top layer of concrete to expose the yet weathered layer beneath. Same as when we have our gold jewelry polished, where all you're doing is removing sufficient gold to where the raised areas between the blemishes and scratches are now removed. However now your concrete, though seemingly smooth is now exposed to a new cycle of cracks and dusting.

You need to chemically seal the concrete. That's the only way to keep the dust down.

 

[TheKingEast]

I had conrete walls and ceilings. If I rubbed my hands against the wall, dust everywhere. Some parts I could actually remove small pieces of the wall.

 

[uto123]

Thanks again to both of you. Unless I am over thinking this, would there not be some kind of health hazard? I can't imagine concrete dust would be good to breathe in over any extended period of time. Concrete contains silica (unless something has changed) which is nasty stuff.

I've never lived in a unit with exposed concrete but I would definitely be worried about potential health hazards with the concrete dust. I know that when properly sealed, it's supposed to cut down on the dust drastically but it's not something I wanted to risk nor deal with the hassle of re-sealing again if it was not done well the first time.

 

[jasonwolfe4u]

I think it's quite dusty!

 

[theGuest]

Doesn't this become an issue of inhaling dust particles?

 

[algotr8der]

Is it possible to get the exposed concrete ceilings polished after the fact?

Say if u purchase pre-existing building. Can you hire contractors to polish the ceiling and seal it?

 

[NorthWill]

Very dusty, more so when the material is agitated, a sealant can be used to prohibit dust.

I am guessing that dust would be an issue for some, especially if they're asthmatic, silicate exposure is what worries me most about unsealed concrete.