Plaster Wall Removal
Hi there. I am looking to do a little renovation. Basically all I want to do it to take down a plaster wall so that I can turn two smaller rooms into one larger room. Can anyone tell me if you have had experience doing this, and if so, is this a job I can…
Hi there.
I am looking to do a little renovation. Basically all I want to do it to take down a plaster wall so that I can turn two smaller rooms into one larger room. Can anyone tell me if you have had experience doing this, and if so, is this a job I can do myself? I am concerned not so much with taking the wall down, but with what to do with the floor and wall after the wall is removed. Any help would be appreciated.
I think parkplaced gave you some great advice, it’s something you could do yourself. Remember there will be a lot of dust so protect the surrounding areas by creating a dust shield with plastic sheeting.And have a bunch of heavy duty bags on hand, as there will be a lot of debris. Sanitation is required by law to accept I believe 7 bags of construction debris. (anyone please correct me if that is wrong)
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
deefinite@gmail.com
Hello, my husband would be happy to take a look and give you a free estimate that way you have an idea of what it would cost.
You can reach us at: 914-562-2706/ willianprates68@hotmail.com
Just taking down a wall isn’t a hard job at all. Most non-supporting interior walls are simple skeletons of studs covered with a skin of drywall (or lath and plaster in older buildings)–kind of a two-by-four sandwich with drywall as the bread. So all you do is smash off the drywall and disassemble or saw out the studs; then you patch up the ceiling and the places it met other walls. However, things can get more complicated if the wall is supporting or has wiring or plumbing in it.
Is it a supporting wall? If so, you can’t take it down without much engineering, and you’ll have to have an extensive plan for re-creating the structural function of the wall. Don’t do this without an architect and a licensed contractor. (If you don’t know whether it’s a supporting wall, get a pro to look. It may be clear on the plans for your house/apartment, if you have them; if it’s the wall running lengthwise down the center of a brownstone, it’s DEFINITELY the supporting wall.)
Are there outlets or switches in the wall? You’ll need to have an electrician come and move/remove them. Ditto with any pipes. They’ll need to be rerun by a plumber.
Most walls will have been framed out on the subfloor while the building was being constructed, and the finished floor added after the wall was up, which means you’ll have to patch a wall-shaped crater in your floor. On the other hand, if it’s not an original wall but was built later, after the floor was laid, you may find that the floor extends beneath it and all you will need to do is some cleaning and refinishing.