What You Can Do During a Bathroom Demolition Project
Taking on a Bathroom Demolition Project
Like any DIY project, the best way to start a bathroom demolition is with a plan. Even though it’s the smallest room in the house, a bathroom has a lot of questionable areas when it comes to demo jobs. Fortunately, Junk Doctors teams are pros when it comes to home renovation tasks. Bathroom demolition services, drywall demolition, and other jobs like kitchen demos are all areas we work in. We’ll try to answer some questions you may have about your project and offer tips to avoid first-time DIYer mistakes.
When taking on a DIY home improvement project, the plan for your renovation should be as realistic as possible. Start by proposing a budget that leaves room for any possible changes. Like if you want to style something a bit more luxuriously later on. You can also use the plan to list and factor in the equipment and materials you’ll need. Really, list out any goals or ideas you might have! This will help you stay focused and on task.
Prepping for Your Bathroom Demolition
Prepare for your bathroom demolition project by ensuring that you have all of the necessary equipment and tools. And that you’ve factored in all the possible costs for these. Here’s where you might decide whether it’d be better to outsource the project or do it all yourself. The costs you’ll incur on renting things like a dumpster and power tools can seem overwhelming. Believe us, they add up. As professional junk haulers, we work with all sorts of third parties to carry out our services. Choosing to use bathroom demolition services can alleviate much of the stress because we’ll do all the work for you and we bring our own tools and have our own permits. Either way, here’s a list of the equipment and services you may need.
- Pry Bar
- Wrench
- Hammer
- Drill
- Screw Drivers
- Hack Saw
- Tile Cutter
- Level
- Stud Finder
- Trowel
- Spackle
- Caulking Gun
- Silicone Sealant
- Paintbrush Roller/Roller Tray
- Gloves
- Goggles
- Mask
- Masking Tape
- Dumpster Rental
- Plumbing Contractor
- Electrical Contractor
Depending on the type of renovation you’re tackling in your bathroom, you’ll want to remove everything but the walls before starting. If you have a large enough space and you’re only remodeling the shower or the vanity alone, it might not be necessary to pull out your toilet. Of course, if you’re using bathroom demolition services to do the task for you, you won’t have to decide on anything. They’ll make sure everything that needs to be done will get done. Just tell them your plan for the outcome!
It’s probably best to start by removing all items from your bath. Anything in cabinets and even unhinging or unscrewing towel racks and toilet paper holders from the walls. If you’re remodeling the floors and toilet, you’ll be removing the toilet during the prep as well. If you have a tiled shower, we’re recommending saving that for last. Not because it’s the most difficult (which it kind of is) but because it’s the messiest. Starting with the tile will make every other task more difficult to get through.
The Best Way to Demo Tile Shower
There’s a lot of skepticism around how to properly demo a tile shower. Unfortunately, there’s no one way. You’ll determine how to take out the tile based on how the tile was initially installed. There is a method that might work best if you’re DIYing it, though. You can attempt to pry off the tiles between the grout. However, this is usually extremely difficult and ineffective. It will really only work if the tile was not properly sealed to the backing and there are spaces between the backing and the tile.
Bathroom demolition services might just cut it out straight away with a tile cutter. This is not the best way to demo tile showers for DIYers, because it creates an extreme amount of dust and debris. If you’re not a pro this can be a huge distraction and difficult situation to work through.
If you’re not sure about the piping and wiring in your bathroom, tread carefully. In this circumstance, you might consider both hammering and cutting. You can lightly hammer the tile, be careful not to proceed through the backing, and avoid any pipes. Smashing it just hard enough to crack the tiles and reveal the backing. It’s ok if you smash part of the backing as well because it’s all coming out in the end!
Removing Bathroom Cabinets
Fortunately, bathroom cabinet demolition is a lot easier to DIY than the shower. It’s just a matter of removing the right parts in the right order.
- If you haven’t already, you’ll want to shut off the water before starting. Then begin by removing the mirror first. Especially if it is sitting on the vanity countertop.
- Next, you’ll want to get into the piping under your sink. Place a bucket under the pipes to catch any water resting there before you start removing things. You can start with the water tubes.
- Then you can remove the drain trap. Here’s where your pliers will come in handy. You’ll likely have to empty some water from the trap into the bucket once removed.
- With the pipes out of the way, you’ll want to remove the sink and counter portion of the cabinets next. Do this before attempting to pull out cabinets! Simply cut along any caulk with a utility knife and carefully lift the sink fixture away from the cabinets.
- Now you’re ready to pull the cabinets out. Remove trimming attached to the walls first. You can determine whether the cabinet is held in place by screws, if so you can easily use a pry bar to pull them out.
You’ll get the best out of your bathroom demolition project by watching out for details. Such as removing as much of the caulk scrapings as possible from the vanity area. And remember to take out the shower’s ceiling tiles as well. Another bit of advice if you’re DIYing is to have the plumbing contractor install your new piping before the electrician gets in there. It would be considerably easy to maneuver wires than to adjust any piping!
