Blog Post

The Right Way to Knock Down a Wall

Tom Ireland • January 10, 2017

Many people love open-plan layouts in a home. Because of this, people are often inclined to create an open-plan layout where there wasn't one to begin with. The post The Right Way to Knock Down a Wall appeared first on Andy Schildhorn, PREC.

Many people love open-plan layouts in a home. Because of this, people are often inclined to create an open-plan layout where there wasn’t one to begin with. Just knock out a couple of walls, right? Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. Here are some things to bear in mind before you swing that hammer.

Is the wall in question load-bearing? – You don’t want to affect the structural integrity of your home, so first, you should determine if there will be any ill effects from knocking down the wall. The best way to check this is to take a look at the blueprints of your home. To be absolutely sure, speak to a contractor.
Get the right tools for the jo b – You’ll likely want a hammer, a reciprocating saw, a drill, a box cutter and a crowbar. You’ll also want safety equipment such as gloves and google, plus something to protect the surrounding floor and furniture.
Take off any baseboard, moulding or trim – Use your crowbar to carefully pry it off.
Cut along the top of the wall – Use your box cutter for this. The wall could be taped to the ceiling and you don’t want that coming down, too.
Knock holes in the wall – This is the part everyone looks forward to. Use your hammer to start tearing out pieces of the wall. Put any insulation straight into trash bags.
Take out the studs – Use your saw to cut through them and then pry loose. Watch out for protruding nails.
Clean everything up.