Tear down stud wall - difficulty level?

[Reno2026]

Hi, I'm planning to make an opening (about 2x2m) between the kitchen and living room and wonder how difficult this is? Does anyone have experience with tearing down a non-load-bearing stud wall themselves? What tools are a must and anything in particular worth considering?

 

[Vante]

Circular saw, reciprocating saw, hammer, and crowbar.
Turn off the electricity to the switches.

 

[Ossian K Olsson]

Must-have: Handsaw and a crowbar!

Nice to have: Multi-tool with a blade that can handle metal to be able to saw off nails.

Other tip: It's easier to "dismantle" the wall than to recklessly tear it down. Meaning you take part by part carefully. Takes five minutes longer but you often save that time in the end.

 

[Reno2026]

Must: Handsaw and a crowbar!

Nice to have additional: Multitool with a blade that can handle metal to be able to saw off nails.

Other tip: It is easier to "dismantle" the wall than to recklessly tear it down. Meaning that you take it apart piece by piece carefully. Takes five minutes longer, but you often save that time in the end.

When you say "dismantle," what do you mean? I read somewhere that you can, for example, unscrew parts. Is that what you mean?

 

[Reno2026]

Circular saw, reciprocating saw, hammer, and crowbar.
Turn off the power to the switches.

If one were to choose one of the saws, which is preferable? Yes, the power needs to be turned off since there is a light switch next to the door.

 

[Totte_S]

Also double-check that you don't have junction boxes in the wall. If you're unlucky, one or more electrical boxes may be wallpapered over. If this box distributes power to adjacent rooms, it can be a fairly extensive electrical job to fix, and nothing you should/can do yourself.
They are usually located at the top of the wall near door openings, check with side lighting or tap on the wall where you suspect something might be. This is also a reason why it's smart to tear carefully, especially around switches and outlets. It can become unnecessarily expensive to restore if you tear with a reciprocating saw.

 

[Vante]

If you had to choose one of the saws, which is preferable? Yes, the power needs to be turned off as there is a light switch next to the door.

Circular saw, it's easy to set the cutting depth.

 

[Reno2026]

Double-check that you don't have junction boxes in the wall. If you're unlucky, one or more electrical boxes may be wallpapered over. If this box distributes electricity to adjacent rooms, it can be quite an extensive electrical job to solve, and nothing you should/may do yourself. They are usually located at the top of the wall near door openings, check with a flashlight or tap on the wall where you suspect something is. This is also a reason it's smart to dismantle carefully, especially around switches and outlets. It can become unnecessarily expensive to restore if you tear down with a reciprocating saw.

Since there is a light switch by the door, I believe there is a junction box in the corner. But not sure.

 

[Reno2026]

Circular saw, it's easy to adjust the cutting depth.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Ossian K Olsson]

When you say "dismantle," what do you mean? I read somewhere that you can, for example, unscrew parts. Is that what you mean?

Almost! What I mean is not to take a sledgehammer and start demolishing. Rather, take a crowbar and gently pry away the drywall, and then saw off the studs. Mainly to avoid getting debris all over the house and marks on the ceiling and walls.

 

[Vante]

Thank you for the input!

Do you know if there's sawdust in the wall?

 

[Reno2026]

Do you know if there is insulation in the wall?

Unfortunately, I don't know that. But if there is, is there anything specific that needs to be considered then?