It's the difference between a soggy mess and perfect fries. A good shake gets hot oil into all the nooks and crannies, so everything cooks even. I even add an extra shake with stuff like tater tots.

Honestly, the lead paint dust is the real hidden killer on those jobs. You're grinding into a century of rust and paint layers. Tbh, I got a crazy high lead reading on a similar tear out last year. Ngl, it shut the whole site down for a full abatement. That old mortar holds it all in like a toxic powder.

Honestly, your do not disturb middle ground reminded me of my friend who kept caving with airplane mode. He tried your way and finally stopped checking his phone every two minutes.