Powered Wall and Ceiling Sander with Vacuum Dust Control

The powered wall and ceiling sander with a vacuum attachment is used to flush drywall joints, seams, and screw holes after mud has dried, and smooth and prepare paint and other surfaces.  The vacuum attachment collects dust product by the tool at its source. The pole or handle helps position the sander at an optimal position for the worker.

Description:

The powered wall and ceiling sander with vacuum is an engineering control that may reduce the risk of multiple hazards including exposure to dust and dust containing silica, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) from forceful hand and wrist activities and overhead work.  This orbital sander removes dust at the source and is attached to an extended handle reducing overhead work.

Sanding walls and ceilings can generate a large amount of dust, including dust that may contain crystalline silica and create a hazard for everyone in the vicinity.  In addition, this type of sanding often involves overhead work and forceful hand and wrist activities that increase the risk for MSDs.  A powered wall and ceiling sander with a pole and vacuum attachment addresses these hazards. 

The vacuum dust control (or local exhaust ventilation) typically consists of a vacuum with a disposable filter (a high efficiency particulate air -- HEPA -- filter is recommended when practical) connected with a hose to the sanding head.  The head of the sander articulates to accommodate varying work surfaces.  

The poles/handles, which can vary from fixed length, telescoping, and modular, allow the worker to minimize the time spent working in an awkward overhead posture and reduce the stress on their shoulders.  The vacuum's suction also helps to keep the sanding head positioned on overhead surfaces which reduces the stress on the operators shoulder.

The abrasive sanding disc attaches to the head with a hook and loop design.  The sander can be operated at varying speeds with a trigger or dial control.  The vacuum attachment is compatible with a shop vacuum and collects drywall dust created by the sander.  Some models, such as the Festool Planex , use the suction of the vacuum to keep the sanding head on overhead surfaces reducing stress on the operator’s shoulders.  The Festool Planex sander also has a harness attachment to allow easy handling of tool during overhead sanding.

The following are examples of commercially available sanders with compatible vacuum attachments.  Note:  The sanders and vacuums listed below may be compatible with other models and brands. Additional information on compatibility may be obtained from the manufacturers.

Festool Planex LHS 225 Drywall Sander and Festool CT 36 HEPA Dust Extractor

 

Festool Sander Specifications:

Festool Vacuum Specifications:

  • Dimensions: 24.8 x 14.4 x 23.4 inches
  • Hose diameter: 1.5 inches
  • Capacity: 9.5 gallons
  • Weight: 29.8 pounds
  • Air flow: 137 cubic feet per minute (CFM)
  • HEPA filter
  • Click the link for more details on the Festool CT 36 HEPA Dust Extractor

Porter Cable Drywall Sander with Dust Collection 7800 and Porter Cable 7812 Dust Extraction Vacuum

 

Porter Cable Sander Specifications:

  • Power: 120 VAC, 60 HZ
  • Amps: 4.7 Amp, AC Only Amps
  • Speed: Variable 1,400-2,000 rpm
  • Net Weight: 8.5 pounds
  • Shipping Weight: 18 pounds
  • Pad Size: 8 7/8  inches
  • Pad: Compression type
  • Length: 62 "
  • Pad: Foam-Backed
  • Hose: 13 feet, 1- 1 1/4 inches
  • Click the link for more details on the Porter Cable Drywall Sander

Dustless Turbo Drywall Sander and Dustless Wet/Dry Vacuum

Dustless Sander Specifications:

  • Weight: less than 5 pounds
  • Length: extends to 6 feet
  • Speed: 10,000 rpm
  • Power: powered by the vacuum airflow
  • Click the link for more details on the Dustless Turbo Drywall Sander

Dustless Vacuum Specifications:

  • Dust capacity: 16 gallons
  • Air Flow: 126.39 cubic feet per minute (CFM)
  • Power: 11.5 Amp motor
  • Uses WunderBag™ for "almost HEPA" performance
  • Standard accessories (2 wands, crevice tool, floor tool, Wunderbag™, 12 foot hose)
  • Click the link for more details on the Dustless Wet/Dry Vacuum

HYDE® Dust-free Vacuum Pole Sander and Bosch Airsweep™ 13 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum with Power Broker™

HYDE® Sander Specifications:

  • Pole: 1 ¼ inch diameter and 3 feet to 6 feet in length
  • Hose: 6 feet
  • Can attach to any wet/dry vacuum
  • Click on the link for more details on the HYDE® Dust-free Vacuum Pole Sander

Bosch Vacuum Specifications:

  • Hose Port Inside Diameter: 2-1/4 inches
  • Air flow rate (maximum): 130 cubic feet per minute (CFM)
  • Vacuum suction pressure: 9.76 inches (248 millibars)
  • Dust capacity: 13.3 gallons (gross)
  • Weight: 45.7 pounds
  • Filter cleaning: Pulse-Clean™ electromagnetic filter cleaning
  • Airsweep™ HEPA Vacuum Filters (Model VAC019) may be used
  • Power requirements: 120 volts, 11 amps
  • Click the link more details on the Bosch Airsweep 13 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum with Power Broker
  • Optional Airsweep™ Vacuum Hose Adapters can be used to connect 35mm hoses to the vacuums with ports for 1-1/4, 1-1/2 and to 2-1/2 hoses. Click the link for more details: 2-1/2 inch Vacuum Hose Adapter

Risks Addressed:

Dry manual (hand) sanding drywall joints, painted and other wall and ceiling surfaces can generate levels of total and respirable dust that exceed recommended limits. Joint compounds and paints that contain silica can also result in exposures to levels of respirable crystalline silica that may exceed NIOSH recommended exposure limits. Manual sanding can lead to musculoskeletal (MSDs) injuries.

Manual sanding requires stressful hand and wrist exertions. Stressful hand and wrist activities can cause muscle strains; tendonitis, which is inflammation of elbow and wrist tendons; or carpal tunnel syndrome, which is compression of a wrist nerve, resulting in finger numbness and loss of hand strength. Sanding ceilings requires overhead work. Overhead work can cause shoulder muscle strains; tendonitis, which is inflammation of the tendons; or rotator cuff tears, which is a rupture of a shoulder tendon.

Inhaling dust can cause irritation and over the long term cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Silica dust may cause silicosis or lung scarring with prolonged exposure. Silicosis is an incurable, sometimes fatal, disease. Exposure to silica also causes lung cancer and other lung diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and tuberculosis, and has been linked to renal disease and rheumatoid arthritis. A  NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE), for example,  found that drywall sanders were exposed to as much as 10 times the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 15 mg/m3 for total dust set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The OSHA PEL for respirable dust (5 mg/m3), the very small particles that can go deep into the lungs, was also exceeded. Another NIOSH study of sanding systems at the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades (IBPAT) Apprenticeship Training Facility in Seattle, Washington found that the vacuum sanding controls reviewed "successfully reduced dust exposures by 80% to 97%. Four of the five sanding controls cut exposures by nearly 95%."

How Risks are Reduced:

A powered drywall sander with a pole or adjustable handle and a vacuum attachment captures dust at the source. The pole or handle extension moves the source of the dust further away from the the worker's breathing zone. The pole or handle attaches to a harness for reduced overhead work. 

Independent published studies have found a risk reduction through the use of powered drywall sander with a vacuum. Mead et.al. found reduction of total airborne dust from 80% to 97% in 43 test runs compared to uncontrolled hand sanding.  Young-Corbett also found vacuum dust control to be effective at a similar level.  Pole sanders and wet sponge sanders were both somewhat effective (40-50% reductio), but less effective than vacuum dust collection.

The manufacturers of the powered drywall sander with a vacuum attachment state that the tool eliminates the need to sand by hand and reduces fatigue when working overhead.

Safety and health experts believe that minimizing forceful hand and wrist exertions may reduce the risk of injuries to the hand and wrist.  The powered drywall sander with a vacuum attachment may reduce stressful hand and wrist activities associated with manual drywall sanding by eliminating the need to use manual sanding tools to remove excess drywall mud.

Safety and health experts also believe that minimizing overhead work may reduce the risk of shoulder injuries. Svendsen and colleagues reported that working with arms elevated above the shoulders increased the risk of shoulder pain and inflammation of tendons in the shoulder (Svendsen et al. 2004). The powered drywall sander with a vacuum may reduce the amount of overhead work during ceiling drywall sanding when the tool is used with the support harness. 

Effects on Productivity:

The powered sander with a vacuum attachment may increase productivity. The vacuum attachment may minimize worker fatique during drywall sanding tasks and will reduce the time cleaning up. Additionally, the powered drywall sander with a vacuum attachment may minimize worker fatigue during drywall sanding tasks.

Additional Considerations:

Prolonged use of the powered drywall sander with a vacuum attachment may expose workers to hand-arm vibration that may increase the risk of injury to the hand and wrist.

Additionally, power cords and vacuum hoses may create tripping hazards, particularly if workers are using stilts (which, although not recommended because of the risk of falls and fractures, remain in use among some drywall finishers in many parts of the U.S.). 

Hazards Addressed:

Availability

Festool, Planex LHS 225 Drywall Sander
To obtain information, visit http://www.festoolusa.com or contact 1-888-337-8600

Hyde Dust-free Vacuum Pole Sander (with pole)
To obtain information, visit http://www.hydetools.com or contact 1-800-872-4933

Dustless Turbo Drywall Sander and Wet/Dry Vacuum
To obtain information, visit Turbo Drywall Sander and HEPA Wet/Dry Vacuum or contact 1-435-637-5885

Porter Cable Drywall Sander with Dust Collection 7800
To obtain information, visit http://www.portercable.com or contact 1-888-848-5175

Return on Investment

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