Demolition Of Old Baths and Wall Surfaces

• 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.