How to Do Home Demolition
Many times homeowners are hesitant to do any kind of home remodeling on their home because it involves some sort of home demolition. It is often seen as messy and labor intensive. It can be very costly if they decide to hire a professional to do the work. Fortunately for homeowners, doing home demolition can save them a lot of money on their home remodel and it does not have to be messy or very labor intensive. Creating an opening in a wall is a lot easier than many people would think. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Reciprocating saw
- Drywall knife
- Long metal ruler / straightedge
- Hammer
- Sledge hammer
- Wood saw
- Plastic sheeting
- Painters tape
- Shop vacuum
- Crowbar
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Masks
Instructions
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Preparing the Demolition Area
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1
Clear out all the furniture in the area where the demolition is going to take place.
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2
Cut out plastic to place on the floors.
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3
Cut out plastic to cover all the doorways and any openings to other parts of the house where the demolition will not take place.
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4
Tape all the plastic down to the floor and around the doorways.
Mark the Area
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5
Determine the area you are going to demolish and mark it with a pencil or marker.
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6
Determine if there are any electrical wires in the wall area you are going to remove and if so, disconnect them.
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7
Measure the area you are going to cut with the ruler or measuring tape.
Demolition
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8
Score the area in the wall you are going to remove with the drywall knife and the straightedge.
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9
Hammer out a small hole in the corner of the area you are going to remove.
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10
Place the reciprocating saw in the hole that you just created and cut out the opening.
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11
Remove any pieces that are hard to cut with the reciprocating saw using a wood saw and sledge hammer.
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12
Remove the debris once you have cut all the way through and around the opening.
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13
Clean up the floors by keeping most of the debris on the plastic and throwing it out with the plastic. Use shop vac to remove remaining dust.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Have an assistant with you on the other side if you are going to remove big pieces of the wall at a time. Difficult areas may require use of a crowbar to pry sections away from the wall.
Always wear safety glasses during all steps. Wear gloves to protect your hands from sharp nails. Always wear close-toed shoes when doing the demolition. Wear a mask so that you are not breathing in the dust during the demolition.
