Tips on Gutting a Room Yourself
If you’re planning a home renovation project be sure you plan accordingly. Depending on the size of your renovation it could take just a few weeks, or maybe even a few months before it’s complete. Gutting a room takes up some time of that renovation, to save some money and headaches of workers going in and out of your home, why not gut a room or two yourself? Here are some general tips to gutting a room that you can use during your renovation:
Have a Plan
Your first step should be to make a general plan of what you’re doing. Sit down and make a home renovation checklist, including what you want, your budget, and timeline. When making your budget consider the following:
How to finance your renovation:
- Identify a list of all the materials and items required and give yourself a budget for each.
- Shop for different brands and products to evaluate what you like versus what you can afford.
- Keep track of your costs with receipts for future tax purposes in knowing your new tax basis in your home.
- Keep track of product warranties and owner’s manuals in case something doesn’t work and you need to call in the warranty.
- Keep before-and-after photos and all your project documents so you can use this to market your home in the future if and when you decide to sell it.
Prepare the Room
Once you have a plan and have figured out which room or rooms you plan to DIY, the next step is to prepare the room for demo. This is one of the most important steps, without preparing the room your renovation may not go as smoothly as you hope. Take your time and do it right from the start, if you’re removing drywall make sure you cover your furniture and any other items in your home in plastic, to minimize the dust. Removing drywall can also cause vibrations, be sure to empty off any shelves or pictures to prevent them from falling or getting dirty.
If you are removing drywall, don’t forget about the utilities. It’s very important you shut off the power, water, gas, and other utilities to the area of the house you’re working on. Shutting off water and electricity is very important to prevent any accidents when working on breaking down drywall.
Tear Down the Walls
Things are going to get messy in your home when you begin to knock down some walls. Tearing down walls is one of the messiest parts of gutting a room, which is why we suggest covering and removing any furniture. Keep in mind the bigger the room, the bigger the mess, when removing drywall, it is necessary to:
Items you will need for removing drywall: A drop cloth or plastic sheeting, eye protection, a dust mask, hammer and a pry bar.
- Turn off power to any outlets or fixtures on the wall at the main breaker panel.
- Cover the area under and around the drywall with plastic sheeting or a drop cloth.
- Remove any switch plates, trim boards, molding, decoration, or anything else on the drywall.
- Locate spot between two studs by tapping gently with a hammer. Use the hammer to make a hole in the hollow portion of the wall between studs.
- Using your hands or a pry bar, pull the remaining drywall from the studs.
- Remove any nails or screws left in the studs.
Apply Finishing Touches
Applying finishing touches include installing any remaining structural components like insulation, drywall, cabinets, finishing tile, countertops, plumbing and electrical features. Once you’ve painted all the affected areas you can put in new flooring.
Rent a Dumpster
Renovations come with a fair amount of unwanted debris, between the mess from removing the drywall, flooring, and other parts of a messy renovation. To tackle the mess there is no better solution for removing those items than with a dumpster! Dumpsters are a great way to clear out any debris, at an affordable rate and are pretty hassle free!
If you’re doing some renovating and need to get rid of your unwanted debris, call us at Dumpster Rental Inc for a free quote on one of our affordable dumpster rentals and get started on building the home of your dreams!
