Removing the plasterboard may be necessary when you need to renovate a room, repair damage or fix a house after a flood. Learning to approach this job correctly will help you get it done faster. Learn to prepare the wall for removal and a few simple steps to do the job efficiently.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Get started
Step 1. Disconnect electricity, water, gas and any other utilities where you work
If you have to remove the plasterboard it is important to close all the utilities in the part of the house where you are working. Water and electricity must be closed at the source before starting to work on the plasterboard.
Step 2. Use a post detector to find obstacles
Whenever you dig into a wall it is important to have a post detector to understand what you are dealing with. The most modern ones have a pipe and electrical settings, that is, they allow you to identify and find any system that may be inside the wall to allow you to remove it.
- Use tape to mark the points where there are posts and implants and work around them continuing towards the sensitive points.
- If you don't have a detector, walk around the room tapping on the wall. Hollow sound should indicate unobstructed parts, while duller sounding ones will have risers and probably implant lines. Be careful in these spots and slow down as you approach.
Step 3. First remove the molding
Ceiling cornices and baseboards must first be removed before accessing the plasterboard. Use a bar or pliers. Both types of molding are typically fastened with nails that need to be pulled off the wall slowly, one at a time. Do the same thing with other moldings or frames around doors and windows before working on drywall.
Use a utility knife to mark the seam between the moldings and drywall. The joint is typically filled with paint, putty, or a combination of adhesive. If you wish to reuse the molding mark the plasterboard edge of the joint to break the wall where the molding and plasterboard separate
Step 4. Remove the cover from electrical devices
Make sure there is no current in the circuits and carefully remove the trim around electrical devices in the area, including wall switches, receptacles, and thermostats. Drywall is usually molded around the device boxes under the covers so as not to damage them when removing the drywall.
Method 2 of 2: Remove the Drywall
Step 1. Look for drywall screws
Depending on the age of the house, the plasterboard will be nailed or screwed to the uprights. To remove the nailed drywall you will need to pull out the drywall sections one piece at a time. If, on the other hand, it is screwed on, you will first have to take some time to remove the screws before starting to remove it. Screws that are threaded into joints can be difficult to locate and remove.
- Drywall screws can usually be removed with a Phillips screwdriver but depending on the condition of the wall it can be harder than it's worth. Check the screws and the condition of the wall, If it is easy go and remove them and you will save effort.
- If the drywall is wet or the screws are stripped, rusty or otherwise difficult to remove, start pulling out the wall as you would with nailed plasterboard.
Step 2. Start at the bottom of an intact wall
The standard installation is done with panels. They are usually mounted horizontally and with staggered joints, two sections cover a section of about 2 meters of wall. These are then hooked to the vertical wooden posts centered at intervals of 30-40 cm.
For dry plasterboard use a bar and start levering by removing the bottom of the panel from the uprights in order to remove the entire sheet of plasterboard. Pushing the short part of the bar under the bottom of the panel allows you to use the long end as a lever, making initial leverage easier
Step 3. Continue taking off the side part of the section
Find a section of the wall about 40 cm from the ground and 15 cm from the end of the wall, taking note to avoid electrical outlets. Use a hammer to drill a series of holes vertically.
Basically what you need to do is make a space for yourself to grab the drywall and pull it off. This is not the stuff of scientists: it makes holes in one side to be able to grab it
Step 4. Pull out a section
Grab at the highest and lowest point in the holes you made and pull a piece of drywall off the nails driven into the post. Keep moving along the wall removing pieces. When the plasterboard breaks at one post, it makes other holes and continues to remove it by hand.
Step 5. Start the water-damaged plasterboard start from the center
In the case of water damaged plasterboard, a good strategy is to drill a hole in the center of the space between the posts. In these circumstances, using a sledgehammer or other implement can be effective.
If the water damage also extends to the top panel, the same method will separate the wall from the ceiling
Step 6. Remove the remaining nails in the posts
Use a bar to pry and remove the nails or be sure to unscrew any remaining screws in the wood. A bar or hammer should be enough for this job.
Advice
- In certain situations the nails are not clearly visible. Pass the tool up and down the post to find the remaining nails.
- If the electrical outlet covers are to be reused, remove them with a screwdriver before you begin.
Warnings
- Drywall is a dense, heavy material and some types contain fiberglass which can cause irritation if proper protection is not used.
- Always wear protective eyewear, gloves, hard hat, safety shoes when doing demolition work. A filter mask is useful to avoid inhaling dust.
- These instructions are made for removing plasterboard walls. With ceilings there may be other difficulties not covered in this article.
- Older drywall installations may contain asbestos or be painted with lead-containing paints, both of which are hazardous materials and require specific equipment and training to be handled safely.
- Make sure that the electricity in the room where you work has been disconnected. If in doubt, turn off the main switch.
