In this video, This Old House master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva explain how to tear down walls.
Steps:
1. Turn off the electricity, gas and water to the room.
2. Put on protective gear; be sure to wear long pants and long-sleeve shirt.
3. Follow reverse construction sequence by first removing trim, including shoe molding, baseboard, and window and door casings.
4. Remove doors.
5. Break up plaster or drywall into manageable-size pieces and put in trashcan or wheelbarrow.
6. Use reciprocating saw and pry bar to remove wood lath from studs; put debris in trashcan or wheelbarrow.
7. Cut out studs from non-load-bearing walls.
8. Empty collected debris into a Dumpster.
9. Avoid tearing out more than is necessary.
10. Sweep and vacuum the room in preparation for the remodeling.
