When it comes to the bathroom demolition stage, it’s a good idea to have a plan of action before you get started!
How to do a Bathroom Demolition Properly
1. Turn Off Your Water & Electricity
Always have your services capped off and made safe prior to any demolition by your plumber and electrician.
If you don’t feel confident in removing any items such as basins, baths, taps, toilets, light fittings and power points – then you can ask the professionals to remove them while they are making the area safe for demolition.
Familiarize yourself where all your service meters are located for your electrical meter, water meter and gas. Even after your contractors have been out to make the area safe before demolition there can still be a pipe buried in the wall that may get damaged during the bathroom demolition.
The last thing you want is to have water flooding your house and you cannot locate a water meter that might be buried in a garden!
2. Check What’s Behind The Wall
Another consideration is what is behind your tiles, if you have a hollow wall (timber frame with wall sheeting), there could be a possibility that asbestos sheeting may have been used.
Depending on the age of your house, if this is a concern then an occupational hygienist can be engaged to test the materials and let you know before you start work.
Here is an example of a company here is Sydney that can perform such an inspection – https://www.airsafe.net.au/. You can always find similar professionals in your home town and country.
3. Inspect What Lies Below The Surface
With all renovation / demolition projects it can be hard to determine what lies below the surface, and sometimes the full extent of any damage or repairs needed may not be known until things are ripped apart.
For example in some old bathrooms waterproofing is non-existent and water damage over many years may result in a rotten timber floor below your tiles that may need replacing. Termites also come and go, and pulling linings off walls can often expose paper thin timber framed structural walls.
4. Have a Cash Contingency Plan
In most cases I would recommend having a 10-15% variation contingency up your sleeve for costs that might be unknown.
A few extra grand on a 20K bathroom might be all you need to be safe, but its recommended to have a little buffer for those hidden surprises.
5. Bathroom Demolition Tools
If you plan on tackling the demolition yourself, here is a list of tools and equipment you may need.
- Power Saw – http://amzn.to/1OsfHdq
- Angle grinder – http://amzn.to/1Cq2pXn
- Impact Driver – http://amzn.to/1jITsE0
- Plaster Saw – http://amzn.to/1TeVM3V
- Utility Knife – http://amzn.to/1SaFrwe
- Hammer – http://amzn.to/1QXfwbf
- Brick Bolster – http://amzn.to/1wy08mM
- Tape Measure – http://amzn.to/1NIY2sY
- Demolition Hammer – http://amzn.to/1HZ4dat
- Wrecking bars – http://amzn.to/1zCoKRf
- Safety Glasses – http://amzn.to/1HdNIbR
- Construction Gloves – http://amzn.to/1xv3xa6
- Ear Muffs – http://amzn.to/1A8QFY9
- Wheel Barrow – http://amzn.to/14739on
- Shovels – http://amzn.to/1xYdLT7
- Ladders – http://amzn.to/13EEvey
- Drop Sheets – http://amzn.to/1QXfhNB
Now with the above recommended tools listed out, you need to ask yourself if I already own many of these tools? If not, what would it cost me to purchase or hire them for a few days or a week?
If the costs start adding up it may actually be cheaper to hire a demolition contractor or carpenter to come in and do your demolition and strip out of the bathroom for you.
Demolition can be a rewarding task when you get to pull out that ugly bath that you’ve had to put up with for years! But it can also be dangerous, so make sure you have fun but play it safe!
If you have any questions let me know – I’m always happy to help!
Enjoy your renovation.
All the best,
James Mason
