Interior home demolition is where all of our focus will be. Here is how to demo a house interior.
If you seek to carry out such a procedure, you’ll need as much knowledge as possible. Here, we’re all about giving you much-needed guidance on what’s involved and how to proceed.
Structural demolition is performed on different levels. There’s total demolition which targets the entire building and there’s also partial demolition. Deconstruction is another demolition type as well.
However, we’re more concerned about interior demolition, also known as partial demolition.
What Does Interior Demolition Include?
Interior demolition is an action taken when remodeling or renovating any area of a home.
The name may sound extreme, but the process could be simple and highly restricted. Now, partial demolition (also called interior demolition) could involve drywall removal, floor removal, or tile removal.
It could also target wall removal, room demolition, and cabinet removal.
Others include ceiling removal, appliance removal, or pipe removal among other similar tasks. Whatever area you wish to demolish within your home, this article sheds more light on what’s involved and how the process unfolds.
Interior Demolition Vs Deconstruction
These are two types of structural removal that can be applied to a home’s interior. While both can be termed demolition, they’re different based on how they’ve performed.
In the case of interior demolition, it’s aimed at a complete teardown of interior structures.
With interior demolition, the materials or debris are disposed of at once without the need to salvage anything.
Deconstruction follows a different pattern. It’s much slower and deliberately seeks to preserve or remove certain internal structural components for reuse.
Deconstruction offers several benefits as it’s a greener approach to demolition that involves recycling. With these differences explained, it’s now time to proceed to other aspects of interior demolition.
Residential Interior Demolition Process
Curtain walls may need to go down during interior demolition.
Now, such a task is best performed systematically. Before anything else, you’ll need to get the right tools necessary. These include a utility knife, a drywall saw, and a hammer.
Other tools include a pry bar, reciprocating saw, straightedge, and stepladder. The wall demolition process proper involves several steps that include the following;
-
Checking Out the Area
As part of the preparation for interior wall demolition, plastic sheeting should be spread on the floor. It’s important to also ensure that the target wall isn’t load-bearing.
What more? Such a wall shouldn’t have utility lines within. If it does, the help of a pro will be necessary.
-
Score and Break Through Drywall
Here, measurements and markings need to be made before demolition. The area to be demolished needs to be marked out. Using your preferred tool (small sledgehammer or hammer), break out the drywall.
For the scored lines, these must be cut accurately. A reciprocating saw will serve this purpose.
-
Getting Rid of Insulation
Not all interior walls will be insulated. For those who are, the insulation should be gotten rid of. This action sets the stage for the next which is the removal of studs and wall framing.
-
Removing Studs and Wall Framing
Wall studs and framing need to be cut through. The best tool for this job is your reciprocating saw. After cutting these including the sill, use a pry bar to take out pieces attached to the floor.
-
Cleanup
With the process completed, it’s time to clean up the area. Debris should be taken out from the area and disposed of appropriately. Hiring a dumpster is a great way to clean up the area.
DIY Vs Calling the Pros: Which is Best For Interiors?
When it comes to methods or strategies adopted for interior demolition, both DIY and professional demolitions have their pros. Certain interior demolition projects are considered easier to perform than others.
These can be DIY’ed without a problem.
However, the more complex interior demolition projects will require the input of a trained professional. Are you confused? You shouldn’t be.
Wait until you find out what’s involved for each type (DIY and professional interior demolition jobs).
-
The First Option: DIY
We call it an option because it’s rightfully so. You get to choose what best serves your needs. If getting your hands dirty looks appealing, then this could be the option that gives you the most satisfaction.
However, you’ll need an appreciable level of background knowledge and some skills.
You don’t want to end up causing unnecessary damage to appliances, floors, structures, or walls. Here, interior demolition could cover the removal of non-load-bearing walls. Those without electrical and plumbing fittings will be easier.
Other DIY interior demolition roles may include removing an old bathroom vanity as well as removing kitchen cabinets. These aren’t so complex and can be performed by using simple tools like screwdrivers, pry bars, reciprocating saw, and claw hammers.
However, there are certain actions you shouldn’t take when performing DIY demolition. It’s important to avoid performing DIY demolition when asbestos is present. This is due to its toxicity levels.
What more? Avoid jobs that involve the removal of appliances connected to electricity or plumbing. This should only be done if you have the experience necessary to perform such.
Also, avoid demolishing load-bearing walls as it could affect the building’s structural integrity.
Are you unsure about the presence of electrical and plumbing fittings in a wall? If you are, it’s best to avoid such and call the pros. This limits your exposure to any risks involved.
-
The Second Option: Calling the Pros
This is by far the easiest and safest interior demolition route to adopt.
Here, you have the added layer of confidence that your demolition job is being handled by an expert. Not everyone that claims to be a demolition contractor should be considered.
Only reputable and licensed demolition contractors should be hired.
One of the ways to find out is by looking at customer review stats about the company. It’s important to go for verified customer reviews as those are more reliable.
With these, you get an idea of who to call for your demolition job.
Some key tips on hiring an interior demolition contractor include getting as many quotes as possible before settling for a contractor. Also, be wary about contractors asking for upfront payments to cover interior demolition costs before the job commences.
Understanding the differences between insurance, contractor’s bond, and a license is also crucial.
Obtaining a Permit
Whichever interior demolition option you choose (whether DIY or hiring a professional), one of the key requirements you’ll need is a permit. However, not all locations have such requirements.
Nevertheless, most cities do. Interior demolition permits are mostly obtained from the local Buildings Department.
You’ll need to make inquiries about what applies in your situation. So, what does the permit entail? The permit seeks to enhance safety and limit structural damage by ensuring neighbors are informed about upcoming demolition.
It’s also a form of assurance that you’ll shut off all utilities within the duration of the job. This includes the stoppage of water from running until the job’s completed.
Obtaining a permit yourself won’t be necessary when you hire a contractor.
Such contractors will obtain these permits on your behalf. This makes it a lot easier for you. However, it’s important to still cross-check with your demolition contractor to be doubly sure that this area is covered.
One way to ensure that the message is passed to your neighbors is by posting the permit at your front door. This way, they’ll get to know what’s going on.
Interior Demolition Cleanup
After the successful completion of interior home demolition, what follows is a cleanup of the area. This is because lots of debris is involved. Cleaning up such a mess can be quite significant.
This wouldn’t be much of a concern when a demolition contractor is involved.
Most reputable demolition companies include cleanup among services offered. This means the cost for such cleanup is already included in the total.
However, it’s important to find out from a demolition contractor the services included.
If the contractor doesn’t offer demolition cleanup, you may have to bear or take up such responsibility.
However, DIY interior demolition places the responsibility for cleanup solely on your shoulders. In other words, you’re responsible for having the interior cleaned after completing the job.
To clean up such a mess, consider hiring a dumpster.
Roll-off containers or dumpsters come in varying sizes. Whatever your needs are, you’ll find a perfect size for your demolition cleanup job. Timing is everything.
As such, consider renting the roll-off container even before the interior demolition project commences.
The reason for renting beforehand is simple; you don’t need to deal with debris pileup. The work area can be cleared of debris even before the job ends. That way, the area is better managed and a better job is done.
What’s the right dumpster size for me? It all depends on the scale of your interior demolition job. However, one thing you must know is to never underestimate the container size required.
Some advice from the dumpster service should help you pick the right container.
Interior demolition has been the focus. Here, we’ve seen the different processes involved. We also discussed the options available to homeowners. It’s important to carry out this procedure the right way.
Using this information, you should have no problems demolishing your home’s interior.