Kitchen Demolition Day 3 Backsplash and Drywall

Thanks for reading page 4 of our 6-page series on kitchen demolition. If you are just joining us, you can go back to the beginning here.

Day One of demo was spent removing flooring. Day two was removing cabinets. Day three is all about getting messy with the removal of the backsplash and drywall.

It’s time to tackle the crumbling drywall with your crow bar and hammer. This is where you can get your hands dirty and open up your walls to electrical and plumbing.

Timeline

Remove trim and label it.

• I started my day by removing the window trim in my kitchen with a crowbar. After each trim piece came down, I turned it over and labeled it with a permanent black marker. I also did the same with part of the trim of our patio door.

Protect the pipes.

• Then I prepped the space with a portable table and laid a towel over it. This would cover and protect all the plumbing underneath from large pieces of tile and sheet rock.

• In addition, I used my utility bucket upside down as a shield for my gas hose (which was sticking up from below.)

Strip the backsplash.

• I started in a corner and with my small crowbar and hammer, I pried the backsplash off the wall letting it fall onto the floor. I continued around the corner and was very careful around the window casing.

Strip the sheet rock.

• Once the backsplash was removed, I was able to use my hands to grip the sheet rock and pull it off the wall in big chunks. I was instructed to not go all the way to the ceiling so I used a hammer to make a line across the top and worked down.

In hindsight, a straight edge and a utility knife would have made a better cut. (My contractor eventually showed me how to do this a few days later. You live and learn!)

• I finished my day unscrewing drywall screws, cleaning up, and removing more staples off the floor.

Backsplash and Drywall Demolition Tips

Here is what I learned:

• First of all, be safe! Turn off all electrical attached to the walls you are opening up. You may need daylight or a nice work light as your lights should be turned off at the breaker. So important!
• This is a dusty step in the kitchen demolition process, be sure to have your zipper wall closed and the windows open.
• For the same reason, cover all your incoming and outgoing vents with tape and plastic.
• Sheet rock can break apart in little powdery clumps, so be ready for large and small chunks of debris to haul out to your dumpster. Use a utility bucket to collect the chunks. And a broom and dustpan to collect it off the floor.
• Label each reusable item (on the underside) so you know where to put them back in the end. We marked each baseboard and trim piece. Black permanent markers are your friend!
• Look for vulnerable areas in your kitchen such as a gas hose, or plumbing and protect them before destruction. Plastic buckets work great.
• Use a straight edge and a utility knife to make clean cuts through your drywall.

Tools Used during Demolition

Tools I used to remove the backsplash and drywall:

• crow bar
• hammer
• electric drill
• work gloves
• small ladder
• utility knife
• utility bucket
• card table
• towels
• broom/dustpan

Conclusion

Removing drywall is a very satisfying DIY project; you see so much visible progress.

Are you ready to get your hands dirty?

Helping you plan for tomorrow,

~H.

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