It is wisely said that
destruction is much easier than construction and much
more messy too. Demolition of old baths and ripping
wall surfaces, cabinets, faucets and fixture from that
unwanted bathroom is not a job of much skill but it
certainly needs patience, hard labor and an endurance
to a lost of dust and debris! If you are planning to
tear out your old bathroom to replace it with a new
one, be careful enough to shut off all the water
supply pipes and disconnect electrical wiring
carefully before ripping out walls and flooring. It is
also a good idea to shut off all the drain and pipe
outlets with rags so that the debris does not cause
plugging in them and harmful sewer gases do not have a
chance to leak into the space. Here are some points to
remember:
To remove a toilet tank and seat, turn off
water and shut off the water supply line. Then flush the
toilet to empty the tank. Soak the remaining water with
sponge. Unscrew the nuts and bolts anchoring the tank and seat
to the wall and floor respectively and be careful not to break
it as you lift it off. You may use it, resell it in junkyard
or garage sales or discard it completely if it is broken.
Stuff the drain with a rag.
Vanity sinks can be removed by undoing the
compression fittings and the trap that connects it to the
tailpipe and drainpipe. Sponge off any water that is spilt and
stuff a rag in the drain. Turn off the water supplies, remove
the hot and cold water lines and you may need to unscrew the
nuts under the shut-off valves to remove the faucet. Pry
carefully to break the caulk seal holding the countertop.
For countertops attached by screws to cabinet
framing, pull them off by unscrewing the nuts. You may need to
pry them off, if they are glued to the cabinet.
Cabinets are often screwed via nailing strip
to the wall and to each other at the joints of their frames.
Unscrew them all to remove them.
A bathtub usually has its flanges hidden
behind wall finishing and thus, can be removed fully only
after the demotion of walls. Removing clasps attaching it to
the wall studs and detaching tub drain tailpiece from the
trap, allows you to move the tub. If you do not want to reuse
the tub, an easy-way out is to break it into pieces.
Most people prefer to use hammers to break
and pry off old ceramic tiles, drywall and plaster and you may
saw off vertical cuts between the studs and remove it in
sections to minimize hammering and resultant dust. However, be
sure to turn or shut off any electrical and water lines, test
them with continuity tester to check they are dead. Remove
them or tape them properly before you venture into breaking
walls and floors.
Cover your eyes, ears, skin and nose properly
to avoid dust and debris from causing problems later.
Simply, saw off the door jambs and nails from
the door frames and cut out any plastic or metal pipes to
remove them. To fit in a new piece of pipe, leave enough of
the stub to fit a coupling.
