Is a powered respirator any use for drywall sanding and renovation dust?

Drywall sanding produces some of the finest dust anybody deals with, it hangs in the air for hours, and it is the job where disposable masks fail most visibly — clogged, sagging, and pulled down within twenty minutes because you cannot breathe.

The dust is particulate, so a unit rated EN 12941 TH3 P R SL at 99.95% is doing the right job. The powered part matters more here than in a woodshop: you are usually overhead, usually warm, and usually in it for hours.

Two honest cautions.

Fine dust loads a filter quickly. A day of drywall will cost you filter life in a way a day of ripping stock will not, so budget for that rather than being surprised.

And renovation in an older building is a different question entirely. Lead paint and asbestos have their own legal requirements, their own equipment and, in most places, their own licensing. Do not treat any general-purpose respirator as an answer to either of them. Find out what you are cutting into before you cut into it.