How to Tear Down a Plaster Wall

In the past, all walls were built with plaster, rather than drywall. In 1916, Sheetrock was invented, but it didn’t catch on until 1952. It became popular then because of World War 2, when many materials were needed for the war effort. People had previously viewed it as a product that would produce shoddy buildings that would collapse easily. But people continued to use it after the war because they saw that one man could put up an entire wall in one day, rather than a skilled team taking an entire week, with several time consuming steps along the way.

But there are many homes, especially older ones, that still have plaster walls. And as anyone who has tried to knock down one of these walls knows, it’s a very difficult, time consuming task. First, you have solid chunks of plaster, which are the consistency of a lightweight cement. Then you have the wood lathe. Sometimes, a wire mesh will have been applied, which only makes it more difficult to remove. It’s noisy, but even worse, it’s dangerous to remove plaster. Not only do you need to dodge heavy pieces of plaster which fall on your head or fly at your face, but the wood lathe can splinter and break. And then there’s the danger hidden in all old buildings. You must check for lead paint and asbestos. If your home or building has been cleared of lead paint and asbestos, you can remove plaster yourself by following these tips.

First, you will want to prepare yourself. Make sure to wear safety goggles and a respirator, which is an advanced form of a dust mask. It will make sure that you do not get dust or particles in your eyes or lungs. Next, you will want to wear long sleeves, long pants, and gloves. This will protect your skin from any sharp parts that you encounter. You will also need ear protection. Removing a plaster ceiling or wall is noisy work. As a final tip, wearing a hood or some form of hat that covers your ears is a good idea because it makes cleanup easier. Coveralls are not a bad idea, and if you have a large amount of plaster to remove, it’s a wise investment.

First, you will need to make a good sized hole in the wall. This can be done with a hammer. Plaster breaks rather easily, so one good swing will make a hole in the plaster. Behind it, you will encounter the wood lathe. It is possible to break it when you swing your hammer, and in fact, it will make it easier later. Once you have a section about the size of a dinner plate, you will need to break through the wood lathe, or pry it away from the wall. Wood lathe is what the plaster clings to, and it is nailed to the studs. If you cannot break through it easily, insert a screwdriver in between the wood lathe slats and pry one piece away from the wall. This will probably cause a good deal of plaster to fall away with it, and you should be careful when it pops away from the wall. After you have one section, the entire wall will be easier to remove. Simply insert your fingers and pry the wood lathe strips above and below the strip to remove more plaster. Again, be careful doing this because the plaster will fly away from the walls.

The hardest part is not to remove the plaster. The hardest part is to make sure to protect any areas you do not want to remove. By removing it a strip at a time, you can somewhat limit the damage, because it will only take a portion of the plaster with it. If you can cut the plaster with a saw first, it will limit the damage even more. As your final step, you will want to remove all the nails that held the wood lathe in place. Also, plaster is very heavy, and you will need a good way to remove it from the site. If you lay tarp down on the floor first, you can use a metal shovel to shovel the plaster into small buckets with handles. These work much better than trying to carry out a large trash can full of plaster.

Most people do not know the best way to remove a plaster wall because drywall has become so popular. Again, it’s very important to stress that you should check for lead paint and asbestos first. But if these are not present, there is no reason you cannot remove a plaster wall yourself. Sure, it’s dirty work, but it’s also a rewarding to know just how capable you are in home improvement.