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Questions tagged [demolition]

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25 views

1920s stove pipe walled off behind kitchen

I have a giant metal pipe filled with concrete or something, it doesn't go anywhere, it's just taking up space in my closet. I assume there used to be a big wood burning stove in the kitchen, and ...
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3answers
35 views

How would I remove a concrete shelf with possible reinforcements

I've had a brick-walled cupboard removed from my kitchen, but the concrete shelf that was in it had to be left because of the gas piping around it. The piping will be removed for 2 days soon while a ...
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1answer
23 views

How to demo a partially structural chimney?

Just bought a new home and would like to remove its chimney. It was originally built on the outside of the home and they built a carport up around it. It looks like it may have sprung a leak, so the ...
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2answers
175 views

How can I remove studs and screws from the inside of drywall when installing a pocket door without needing to do paint and patch work on both sides?

I'm planning on taking a few weeks off to do some DIY in the fall, and one of those things is replacing the standard-hinged door in my walk-in closet with a pocket door. This is a non-load bearing ...
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2answers
83 views

Tools and feasibility of tearing down a wooden shed held together by nails

Is it possible to DIY tear down a wooden shed held together by nails? I have a hammer and crowbar. What other tools do I need? It looks like this shed except I already tore down the door and I've ...
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1answer
76 views

Would a sledgehammer be okay to break up limestone?

I would be working in an enclosed environment so I don’t want anything too bulky and preferably handheld that’s why I wanted to go with a sledgehammer as you can probably tell I’m new to all this ...
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2answers
105 views

Is it load bearing? Weird attic config

thanks for taking a sec to read. I just bought a small house in which the ceiling joists in the Attic seem to change from east to west to north to south. I am wanting to remove part of a wall in which ...
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4answers
116 views

Demolishing large concrete patio slabs

My new (1950s) house has large -- e.g., one is 3.5 feet by 8.5 feet by 5 inches -- concrete slabs in our back yard. I'd like to remove them but don't know which tool(s) to use. Could this be done ...
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1answer
31 views

What to consider before removing a drop ceiling?

My basement has a drop ceiling in a semi-finished part of it and we've removed many of the panels in the process of updating the house's wiring. With most of the panels off and clear view of how ...
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1answer
56 views

Temporarily relocating an electrical panel while rebuilding a room

The room where our main power supply comes into the house is actually an old converted porch. Several inches of the wooden frame, including the sill plate and band board, are buried below grade and ...
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0answers
45 views

Remove cast iron wood stove

New homeowner here and we would like to remove a cast iron wood stove and the brick structure with minimal damage to the hardwood floor below (see picture below). Two options: 1) Hire someone. We ...
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1answer
61 views

How to remove shower handle?

I have this handle attached to the shower wall (as a kit): I frankly cannot figure out how to remove the while plastic piece and the metal piece outside of it in order to pull the large round cover. ...
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1answer
32 views

Remove and replace kitchen window with just caulking outside

I have an old kitchen window and like to replace it with modern double pane glass. Here is the look from inside: Here is from outside: Do I just remove the caulking from the outside (red box)? Then ...
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2answers
38 views

Removing fibreboard plinth from concrete floor

A previous owner of our property fixed a fibreboard plinth to the concrete floor under our kitchen worktop to raise the height of the dishwasher there; I'd like to remove that plinth to fit a taller ...
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2answers
147 views

How do I determine if a wall can be removed?

I don't know much of anything about load bearing walls so I can't really decide how necessary this wall is. So the space for my fridge is 35" almost exactly. Less if you count the trim on the floor. ...
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0answers
38 views

How to remove tile with mesh embedded in cement bed?

I am doing a bathroom remodel on a late '60s house. The bathroom tile is set on a roughly 1.5" cement bed with embedded wire mesh. I have removed a small portion with a rotary hammer with a pointed ...
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2answers
54 views

how to remove gypsum board cemented to brick wall?

Renovating a semi-detached house. On the shared wall, the builder mortared gypsum board to the cinder-block (first and second floor, each 8' tall x 30' long). Tools I have considered: Belt sanders ...
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1answer
26 views

How to remove countertop from cabinets while sacrificing it to maximize the chance to reuse cabinets

I have a row of "base" cabinets in the living room that I'd like to remove, but I would like to use several of them elsewhere. I don't care about the top (which is some kind of stone and already ...
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0answers
506 views

How can I replace a load-bearing header and jack studs without disturbing siding?

My broad question is what tools/technique to use to remove (in order to replace) load-bearing studs and headers on an existing wall with lap siding nailed into said studs. Any videos or tips are ...
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1answer
71 views

Detaching large ceramic tile without breaking it

Do I have any chance of lifting the tiles you see in the pictures without breaking them? You can tell from the picture what I tried and how it went!
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2answers
40 views

Painted Wall Demolition [closed]

Today, as I was walking through campus, I saw a cart full of wall debris. It must be some demolition going on in a building. I noticed one side of the pieces were of a different color. The pieces were ...
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0answers
56 views

90's house remodel - remove half walls

We are looking at a house and the overall layout has a lot of the half walls we are looking to get rid of. The posts going up are the only thing I think are going to be load bearing. But I am not ...
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2answers
139 views

What is the best way to remove rubble (from a demolition) from dirt and grass?

We demo'ed a cinder block neighbor fence and now there are small pieces of debris/rubble from the job in our yards. What tools and techniques should I used to remove the debris? Some are the size of ...
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2answers
91 views

How to safely and neatly demo a block wall?

My neighbor and I have a cinder block wall between us. The wall is leaning towards her side of the property. She has planter beds next to the wall. What tools and technique would I use to neatly demo ...
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2answers
98 views

This wall can be demolished, right?

Seems obvious to me that there is no load bearing on this wall since the wall stops at this point, but would love a second opinion.
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0answers
54 views

Restoring brick fireplace and wood trim in historic home

My wife and I just started renovating a historic home (built sometime between about 1880 and 1905). The home has quite a bit of old (possibly original) brick and wood details. As a first step in the ...
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2answers
461 views

Recessed beam where joists meet in center of room

First. I am getting a contractor. I like to have a good idea what I am dealing with so I can understand what 1,2,3 contractors with estimates propose to me. Ranch house with Cape Cod roof sitting on ...
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1answer
174 views

Concrete porch demolition

I'd like to demolish concrete porch. I’d like to demolish: - the concrete stairs (it’s about 3’x3’x3’) - the slab (about 3’x5’x5", all cracked with rusty rebars) - the 2 brick columns - the metal ...
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1answer
61 views

Move a shed vs. Demolish and install a new shed [closed]

We are remodeling and our current wooden shed needs to be moved to a new spot. One option is to hire folks to relocated the shed and the alternative is to demolish the current shed, dispose it and ...
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1answer
608 views

Best tool for removing small area of thinset?

I need to do a temporary fix for a sinking toilet. I'm trying to find the right tool to remove a small area of tile, adhesive, and thinset. The layers of flooring are: old floor 1/4" plywood cement ...
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1answer
107 views

Drainage solution for pool area

I have a pool area which was filled with dirt. Side wall are intact but there were three large holes done at the bottom. During heavy rain season i see there is a water logging in the pool area as ...
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2answers
62 views

Removing Sile Stone Countertop

I am in the process of having some counters replaced. Any suggestions on how to remove the Sile Stone without damaging the cabinet? Trying to determine if the extra cost of demolition is worth it.
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1answer
618 views

How do I go about removing a garage with asbestos wall panels?

I have a 1904 house and it has a shed that was put in some time in the 1950s. It's a wonky structure made of wooden beams and thin sheets of asbestos panels make up the walls. We want to tear it down ...
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4answers
1k views

Is it safe to use old wood lath from demolition as firewood?

I removed two room's worth of walls and ceiling horsehair plaster and wood lath from a home built in 1890. Would the plaster or paint used in those days cause the wood to release any toxins when ...
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1answer
86 views

Demolishing a shed floor made of plywood. Can I use circular saw?

I just tore down my backyard shed. All that is left is the base/floor, which is plywood. Basically, I want it in small pieces so I can bag it for disposal. I have a low power Li-ion reciprocating saw ...
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2answers
401 views

Demolition of 1.5"+ tile/concrete floor on second story

I began demolition of a bathroom today and ran into an unusual (for me) flooring issue. The floor is tiled and it's set on a 1.5" thick bed of mortar. The mortar was spread directly onto the 2x8 ...
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2answers
723 views

Remove hard amber glue from tile and bathtub?

I'm not sure what kind of glue this is. It's an amber color and it's very rigid, like hard plastic. I've tried Goo Gone, which didn't do anything. I was able to chip away at it with a putty knife, ...
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3answers
5k views

What is the 2-inch layer of masonry under my bathroom tile?

My house is 1 story, but I have a basement so all the floors on the main level are "upstairs" and have a wooden subfloor. I ripped out the vanity in a bathroom I'm working on and starting taking out ...
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3answers
8k views

what mil thick plastic to hang for dust management

I'm planning a chimney demo and planning to hang plastic from floor to ceiling to section where I'm working from the rest of the house. What millimeter thick plastic would be best? I want something ...
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1answer
102 views

Board on top of computer desk drawers blocking 2 cam locks because incorrectly installed upside down. Smashing and removing board cause instability?

I am disassembling a computer desk for a move. I think that removing the cam locks would remove the top of the desk. The problem is that there's a board on top of the drawers that is blocking 2 cam ...
2
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1answer
530 views

How to remove the top foot of inground pool wall?

I have decided to fill in my inground pool next spring, and am doing some upfront planning. My understanding of the "anatomy" of an inground pool wall is this: So as you can see, the concrete patio ...
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3answers
3k views

How to rip out inground pool's steel walls?

Planning a major house project for next spring. My wife and I decided to fill in our inground pool. Previous owners built it, but not sure when (could be anywhere from late 1970s to early 2000s, ...
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1answer
282 views

Is this wall load bearing? See photos

I'm looking to tear down the wall between my kitchen and dining room, and I'm wondering if it's load bearing. If so, it's a 9' section that I want to remove. Would two 2x10s with 1/2" plywood ...
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5answers
5k views

Removing lower section of an old chimney?

I know that removing an old unused chimney from a house is done from the top down. I'm just wondering if it's even thinkable to remove a mid-section from the chimney, while reinforcing under the ...
0
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1answer
359 views

Can concrete demo material be used as fill behind same project?

I am demolishing the old outdoor steps at the rear of my house, built circa 1955. I have discovered that they are not constructed on the ground surface, but sit upon a concrete block structure about 4 ...
0
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2answers
609 views

Should I move this support post in my basement?

I am trying to create a new bedroom in the basement. The first problem I hit is that there is this short concrete "wall" with a post coming out of it. Actually, the post is 3 2x4's joined together. ...
14
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3answers
9k views

How can I speed up the removal of stubborn tile?

I am trying to remove tile from the bathroom floor. It was installed in the 70s, and the pieces are tiny, 1 in x 1 in. I've been hammering away but they're not coming up very easily. Is there a ...
0
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2answers
650 views

Remove interior concrete chimney

I have an old chimney from a long-gone oil furnace. It does not go through the roof, just cut flat at the floor of the attic. I was hoping I could remove it brick by brick, starting from the top ...
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2answers
712 views

Expanding closet opening to its fullest

I have a closet in my kitchen that currently acts as our pantry. It looks like any standard closet with two sliding doors and shelves on the interior. It has a header above it for two sliding doors ...
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4answers
5k views

Should drywall used on a ceiling be of a different weight/grade than drywall used on walls?

Should drywall used in a ceiling be of a different weight/grade than drywall used in walls? We are demoing a closet this weekend, and will need to repair the remaining drywall in a few places.

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