Have your old-school bathroom tiles and fixtures seen better days? You might want to keep the nostalgic finishes if you own an older home to maintain its originality. In most instances, that is not the case. Remodeling a bathroom is a big job. If you’re a serious DIY person, you may have the skills and tools to do the job. Whether you decide to do the job yourself or hire a contractor, getting an estimate is a good idea. Read on for some information that will help you make an informed decision.
Start Your Bathroom Demolition
You’ve decided to demolish and remodel your bathroom. You’ve chosen the finishes you want to replace your worn-out and dated tile, fixtures, and flooring. Now what? You need a solid game plan before you start the demo work. Demolition and dumpsters go together like peas and carrots. Confirm delivery of your dumpster before you rip anything out, or better yet, wait until it’s delivered to be safe. You’ll want to gather your tools and shut off the utilities before you proceed with any demo work.
Prep Work Is Key
First, you must clear everything from your bathroom and off the walls. This is a great time to declutter unnecessary stuff by making three piles outside the demo area. You’ll have items to keep, donation items, and dumpster items. Gather all the necessary tools so you don’t waste time driving to the garage or hardware store. You can rent some tools if you don’t own all of them.
Here is a list of tools, grouped accordingly, that you’ll need to demo your bathroom:
- Pliers, chisel, pry bar, screwdriver, utility knife, adjustable wrench, and hammer
- Bucket, rags, duct tape, WD-40, plastic sheets,
- Long pants and sleeves, safety goggles, work gloves, face mask, sturdy shoes, or boots
- Shop-Vac, Reciprocating saw, or a jigsaw
Tape off the door, vents, shower drain, and registers with plastic sheeting. This will keep your home as dust free as possible. Shut off the bathroom power at the breaker box. Shut off the water too. Drain all the pipes by running the water until dry. Keep towels handy, as there will still be some leakage.
Demo Sink, Toilet, And Tile
A lot of demolishing your bathroom is common sense. You need to disconnect the pipes at the floor and walls. You’ll have to gather your bag of tools, loosen and remove parts at their connections, and cut the caulking. Now you’ll see why you need a dumpster. You can’t put this debris curbside. FAQs for junk removal list some things you can take to the dump or deposit in a dumpster. Vanities and toilets can be heavy to lift and remove. Removing a bathtub is not a one-person lift.
Be careful while removing the tile and the screws and fasteners attached to the 2X4s. To remove the tile, cut through the drywall, ensuring you don’t cut into the studs. The rest requires a hammer and chisel. This is a great time to break out the shop vac to keep the dust down. Sweep regularly to remove tripping hazards. Cleaning the area periodically makes shutting down at the end of the day less hectic when you’re tired.
Demo The Shower And Flooring
After removing the tile, you should already have the edges of your tub or shower pan exposed. If not, carefully cut the drywall to expose the edges. Remove any fasteners, being careful not to damage the studs. A tub may need to be cut into pieces to get it out the door. Cut the shower pan or tub with the jigsaw. Put a rag in the drain to keep debris out and water flowing.
You need to remove the flooring and keep the substrate if it’s in good shape. You must fix or replace mold or damage before laying new flooring.
Do all these steps sound like a lot of work? If reading the general steps for bathroom demolition gives you pause, call Easy Hauling Services. They can deliver your dumpster and demolish your bathroom while you sit back and relax.