What to Know Before Demolishing a Wall in Your House

Open spaces are all the rage right now. People like great rooms instead of separate living and dining rooms. People are opening up the kitchen to the family room. Such changes often involve taking down a wall in the home. Before you take demolish a wall in your house, there are a few things you should know.

Make sure the wall is not load bearing. It is not always easy to know if a wall is load bearing. Typically, load-bearing walls in the home are walls that are perpendicular to the floor and ceiling joists. Still not every wall that is perpendicular to floor and ceiling joists is load bearing. If there is another wall directly above and/or below that wall, it could be load bearing. (Although the load bearing walls above or below can just be nearby.)

Consult professionals before removing a wall. When in doubt, consult a professional home contractor to inspect the wall and see if it is load bearing.

Check to see if electrical wires are in the wall. If there are electric outlets in the wall, or you suspect other wires may be in the wall, it would be wise to contact an electrician to inspect and reroute and electricity before you start.

Beware of lead and asbestos exposure when you demolish a wall. If your home was built before 1980, there is a chance that these materials may be in your home. Dust from asbestos and lead can get into the air of you disturb the walls in any way. This is another area where you will want to consult a professional if there is even a chance that lead and asbestos are in your home.

Wear protective eyewear and a dust mask when you demolish a wall. This may sound like common sense, but many people do not think of this until there is something in their eye, or they have trouble breathing. So, make sure you have these before you start.

Enclose the area you are working in before you demolish the wall. You may not see much dust when you are demolishing the wall, but you would be surprised how much dust will spread all over the house. To prevent this from happening, seal off the area to be demolished with plastic sheeting.

Do not hit anyone working with you while demolishing the wall. Demolishing a wall can be great fun and cathartic as well. However, when taking out one’s aggression on a wall, you have to remember that there may be other people in the room. I have seen some nasty demolition bruises. Fortunately, I have not seen any fatalities, but I could happen.