Hi!
I'm in the middle of the renovation now, and soon the "biggest" task will come up. It will be taking down a wall.
First, I'm wondering if anyone can give advice on what kind of wall it is. The core of the wall is black and quite porous. On the outside of the core, there's about 2-3cm that looks like mortar. It's not very sturdy as pieces often come off when you pull out a nail that's been in the wall.
Furthermore, I'm thinking of demolishing this myself. I've created an idea of how I plan to do it and thought I'd discuss it here. Step 1 is to start maybe 50cm above the ground and make a hole with a sledgehammer. Then start working upward and use a hammer drill to create a "frame" and then sledgehammer to try to get it to come off in something that can be called pieces (I think it will be dusty as hell, to be honest. Thoughts on this?
I also want to ask about how to handle electricity that is installed in the wall. I was thinking of turning off the circuits for the kitchen and using floodlights on an extension cord from another room.
What about face masks, is a regular face mask enough in this case or should I have better equipment if there's extremely much dust?
Thanks in advance for the feedback.
I'm in the middle of the renovation now, and soon the "biggest" task will come up. It will be taking down a wall.
First, I'm wondering if anyone can give advice on what kind of wall it is. The core of the wall is black and quite porous. On the outside of the core, there's about 2-3cm that looks like mortar. It's not very sturdy as pieces often come off when you pull out a nail that's been in the wall.
Furthermore, I'm thinking of demolishing this myself. I've created an idea of how I plan to do it and thought I'd discuss it here. Step 1 is to start maybe 50cm above the ground and make a hole with a sledgehammer. Then start working upward and use a hammer drill to create a "frame" and then sledgehammer to try to get it to come off in something that can be called pieces (I think it will be dusty as hell, to be honest. Thoughts on this?
I also want to ask about how to handle electricity that is installed in the wall. I was thinking of turning off the circuits for the kitchen and using floodlights on an extension cord from another room.
What about face masks, is a regular face mask enough in this case or should I have better equipment if there's extremely much dust?
Thanks in advance for the feedback.
How thick is the wall? I helped a friend tear down something similar. I had planned to use a reciprocating saw with a Leca blade, but it didn't work at all. We ended up knocking it down with a small hand sledgehammer. It was very easy to knock loose one "stone" at a time.
Be prepared for a substantial pile of gravel and stones on the floor. There were many buckets that needed to be carried down to the trailer....
Regarding face masks, I think a regular simple one should work, but maybe someone else has better knowledge...
Be prepared for a substantial pile of gravel and stones on the floor. There were many buckets that needed to be carried down to the trailer....
Regarding face masks, I think a regular simple one should work, but maybe someone else has better knowledge...
Okay, the wall is maybe 15cm thick at most. Based purely on instinct, it should be possible, as you said, to knock it down with a sledgehammer. The wall is obviously not load-bearing but I wonder what type of reinforcement is in it. How was it in the wall you tore down, Larsa?
Most likely a plastered slag wall. It works well to demolish with a reciprocating saw or a handsaw for lightweight concrete. It takes longer but doesn't dust as much. It will be dusty, so it's best to empty as much as possible in both rooms and seal doors and cabinets. You can turn off the air supply to the affected rooms during the process if you can manage. If you have someone who can stand with a vacuum cleaner beside you while you saw, it's helpful. I haven't come across any reinforcement except for occasional nails and metal plates. Electricity should be disconnected before you start sawing. It might sound like a lot but it will prevent a fine black dust everywhere. Also, do not use a regular vacuum cleaner to pick up large amounts of the dust.
Exactly, it creates so much dust, so wrap and tape everything you can. You can use a sledgehammer, but it can cause some serious crashes on the floor with the risk of damage....
Another wall I tore down was in sections about 60 cm wide that could be folded down once they were loosened from the ceiling.
But as mentioned, it's probably built with slag blocks that have been plastered. A real tough job, but the wall should be gone in a couple of hours with a small hand sledgehammer. Then the even more fun part begins with getting rid of the debris and vacuuming....
Another wall I tore down was in sections about 60 cm wide that could be folded down once they were loosened from the ceiling.
But as mentioned, it's probably built with slag blocks that have been plastered. A real tough job, but the wall should be gone in a couple of hours with a small hand sledgehammer. Then the even more fun part begins with getting rid of the debris and vacuuming....
I have used a reciprocating saw with a blade designed for lightweight concrete - Really efficient and you can cut pieces that are easy to transport down/out.
I also bought one of these green trash bins on wheels to get this out of apartments with as little mess and dust as possible. These are available at places like Bauhaus and are also great for other purposes. Perfect to place underneath when you're demolishing towards the ceiling and just drop the pieces in.
Just like everyone else says - Make sure to protect the floors you want to preserve PROPERLY! That is, cardboard alone isn't enough if you want to protect oak parquet, it's about having cardboard (and I don't mean that lousy brown paper but proper MILK BOARD), tape around, in seams, and finish with Masonite boards to truly protect the floor underneath.
Keep in mind that there will be quite a noticeable groove in the ceiling after the wall is down - So also in the floor, so it might be a good plan to think a bit ahead about how you want to handle these. There can be large height differences in the floor between rooms when you're done - The same goes for the ceiling. Additionally, it's difficult to fill in the channel in the ceiling with a result that isn't visible in the end.
You should also have access to a good (construction) vacuum cleaner that's made for construction dust - Your regular home vacuum won't be able to do the job.
A respirator and safety goggles are recommended, as well as ear muffs.
If you want to rent such a green Bin and a Reciprocating Saw with the designated blade and "other" things you might need for a small fee, feel free to reach out, I live in the southern suburbs. I got all the stuff just to take down such a wall you are describing.
I also bought one of these green trash bins on wheels to get this out of apartments with as little mess and dust as possible. These are available at places like Bauhaus and are also great for other purposes. Perfect to place underneath when you're demolishing towards the ceiling and just drop the pieces in.
Just like everyone else says - Make sure to protect the floors you want to preserve PROPERLY! That is, cardboard alone isn't enough if you want to protect oak parquet, it's about having cardboard (and I don't mean that lousy brown paper but proper MILK BOARD), tape around, in seams, and finish with Masonite boards to truly protect the floor underneath.
Keep in mind that there will be quite a noticeable groove in the ceiling after the wall is down - So also in the floor, so it might be a good plan to think a bit ahead about how you want to handle these. There can be large height differences in the floor between rooms when you're done - The same goes for the ceiling. Additionally, it's difficult to fill in the channel in the ceiling with a result that isn't visible in the end.
You should also have access to a good (construction) vacuum cleaner that's made for construction dust - Your regular home vacuum won't be able to do the job.
A respirator and safety goggles are recommended, as well as ear muffs.
If you want to rent such a green Bin and a Reciprocating Saw with the designated blade and "other" things you might need for a small fee, feel free to reach out, I live in the southern suburbs. I got all the stuff just to take down such a wall you are describing.
As others have already mentioned, it is a so-called slag wall. Made of coke residues, it will dust like crazy when you are going to demolish it. A tip is to have extra thick trash bags nearby immediately, saw down in parts and put them there. Be sure to moisten the wall and have a spray bottle nearby to make some of the dust settle, surprisingly effective.
Thanks for all the tips. The spray bottle sounds extremely good, I will buy it today. I don't need to protect the floor much as the concrete is exposed in places, and the linoleum mat will be removed the following day. I did some test hits with the hammer yesterday, and the wall is quite soft. I will try to use a hammer drill with a chisel and a cheap saw from Claes Ohlsson (I'm a bit skeptical if this will do anything). My goal is to "chisel" out grooves (will draw squares on both sides) in the wall and then see if I can get the wall to fall apart in the groove with some force 
. Otherwise, I'll probably have to break it loose with a hand sledgehammer. The wall is only 10 cm thick, and there's a door in the middle, so I know there isn't a level difference between the floors. I will also try to be careful with the ceiling and try to saw/chisel it as evenly as possible so that filling + sanding would be enough to even it out there. Let's see how it goes
. Otherwise, I'll probably have to break it loose with a hand sledgehammer. The wall is only 10 cm thick, and there's a door in the middle, so I know there isn't a level difference between the floors. I will also try to be careful with the ceiling and try to saw/chisel it as evenly as possible so that filling + sanding would be enough to even it out there. Let's see how it goes Yes, I know, but now I already have a chisel and jackhammer and this is the only thing that needs to come down. I can't be bothered to go out to Jula or similar as I don't have a car I'd rather spend the time it takes to go and buy better tools on tearing down the wall. It all evens out in the end anyway.
I'd rather spend the time it takes to go and buy better tools on tearing down the wall. It all evens out in the end anyway.Now the wall is down, but what a job. It surely took 4-5 hours to get everything down. But it was extra complicated since it was actually 2 wardrobes with angles and wooden door frames around and the whole shebang. Spent the entire Sunday getting all the debris out too. It worked fine with a drill and chisel, but I guess a reciprocating saw would have done the job much faster
I would like to rent tools for a cheap rate. I would also like you to take a look at my wall and give me advice on the wall I plan to demolish