Need to cut down the dust in pole barn

[a1bummer]

Anybody have any ideas on how to cut down the dust in a pole barn? I and my wife have been spending every weekend cleaning out her Dad's pole barn since the snow cleared enough to get into it. It was used to store hay up until 20 years or so ago. I got all the old hay out and now the dirt has a layer of real fine dirt on top that is more like dust. This is where we are having our post wedding reception and we are trying to think of a good way to cut down the dust on the floor so it doesn't get kicked up so easily when all the people start showing up. I was thinking that a good wetting down would help the finer particles clump together a bit and not get kicked up so easily. I also thought maybe some sawdust might help. Especially where the dance floor is gonna be. Others have mentioned a load of gravel. But I'm thinking that fresh laid gravel is hard to walk on until it is good and settled. The party is in three weeks. Anybody have any other ideas?

 

Thanks,

Bill

[Herb In Texas]

Yoiur on the right track with a wet down. I would soak it pretty good let it set a day and if need be soak it pretty good again. Then go to a rental place and rent a plate compactor and beat the livin stuff out of it. wet it again then strach out some canvas tarps to make it sweat. (Well now that i wrote all that what type of soil is it. You said a fine dust so I assumed clay or loam. the above wont really work with sand). After a couple ov days sweatting pull up the tarps and pack it again. Mark the tops of your tarps so you can put them back down clean side up for the festivities. Your milage may very

[Herb In Texas]

Just thought of lime also. Rake it in the top layer after the second wetting and pound it. If you use enough it will set up like a friable concrete. plenty good for foot trafic and not bad for a tractor shed floor either.

[Condor]

Pressure wash that sucker....

[barend]

Herb might be right but from where I'm sitting, lime is like cat litter, you get that stuff wet and it gets very nasty.. I'd try a windy day and a couple of really good blowers as well as a pressure washer on the walls. Or since you are doing a barn wedding cover the floor in straw??

[Herb In Texas]

I did not consider the floor getting wet AFTER the lime aplication. but what you say is true lime does get tacky when wet. when incorporated into the soil at a high enough rate it has a very good stabilization effect. especially in clay soils that tend to shrink crack and slough when dry. Then they get tacky when wet also. Lime stabilization is used extensivly under asphalt road surfaces for just those same reasons. Again YMMV

[jer878]

the stuff that's put on dirt roads to hold the dust down. It used to be oil but now there is an environmentally friendly stuff. Just don't know what it is.

[etcswjoe]

I hear concrete works real well

 

 

I did find this:

Prepare the surface. Let the earthen floor dry for several weeks before attempting to seal. This can depend on your climate and the season; allow extra drying time in humid climates and ensure your floor is completely dry before proceeding. Sweep or vacuum away any accumulated dust.

 

 

2 Pour a small amount of linseed oil into the kettle. Work in small batches, especially as you are learning the process. Heat the kettle outside on the gas camp stove until the oil is almost boiling. Do not let oil reach boiling temperature. Wear safety goggles, gloves and a mask when you work with the oil.

 

 

3 Apply the heated oil to the earthen floor with brushes, or pool some of the oil onto the floor and use a paintbrush to distribute it in an even coat. Heat and apply additional oil as necessary until you have applied one thin, even layer of linseed oil over the entire floor.

 

 

4 Begin applying the second coat immediately after the first one. The earthen surface of the floor should have absorbed the first coat completely. For the second coat, ensure the oil has been absorbed, leaving no puddles or pools of excess oil on the surface of the floor, before proceeding. This may take up to a day or two, depending on your climate.

 

 

5 Dilute the oil by mixing a solution of 75 percent oil with 25 percent solvent. Heat the mixture and apply a third coat. Avoid pooling or puddling the material. Wipe up any excess solution with a rag, or the floor will become sticky as the material dries on the surface. When the third coat has been absorbed, leaving no excess on the surface, apply a fourth coat with the same solution.

 

 

6 Make a second diluted mixture of 50 percent oil and 50 percent solvent. Heat and apply at least two coats of this mixture, allowing the floor to absorb one layer fully before applying the next. Allow two to three days for the final coat to dry.

 

 

 

 

Read more: How to Finish a Dirt Floor | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7889086_finish-dirt-floor.html#ixzz1LDaWHAlC

Edited May 2, 2011 by etcswjoe

[Herb In Texas]

the stuff that's put on dirt roads to hold the dust down. It used to be oil but now there is an environmentally friendly stuff. Just don't know what it is.

Calcium Chloride. Highly corrosive. But leaching should be at a minimum due to this being inside a barn.

[Flyinfool]

Just Google "road dust reduction" there is bunches of info and products out there.

[Gary N.]

Calcium Chloride. Highly corrosive. But leaching should be at a minimum due to this being inside a barn.

 

And real hard on leather shoe soles too.

You used to be able to buy calcium chloride flakes in about 50 lb. bags. Just spread it around and water it down.

They use salt brine around here for dust control as well.

[Herb In Texas]

http://www.gemplers.com/product/CACL2/50-lb-poly-bag-Calcium-Chloride-Flakes

There ya go.

[bongobobny]

Line the walls with plastic blanket as well!! Yes your biggest offender is the floor but a lot can come in thru the walls as well. Not sure of the outside environment and conditions...

Edited May 2, 2011 by bongobobny

[dray]

you could use a salt brine or chloride to keep the dust down they will both hold moisture out of the air and keep the dust to a minimum