Hello,
My partner and I have bought an apartment, and the first thing we're going to do is demolish a half wall that separates the kitchen and living room. Initially, we thought about hiring a professional demolition worker, but since it's holiday season, there weren't many available, so we decided to do it ourselves. I should mention that I've never demolished a wall before.
In the pictures, I've shown how the current room looks and an image of an identical apartment where the wall is removed, which is how we want it.
Should I have any specific strategy for demolishing it?
How do I find where the electrical wires are in the wall without a wire detector?
Can I demolish the wall and then hire an electrician?
What are the best tools? Reciprocating saw?
Wall material: Plaster and reeds, non-load-bearing.
My partner and I have bought an apartment, and the first thing we're going to do is demolish a half wall that separates the kitchen and living room. Initially, we thought about hiring a professional demolition worker, but since it's holiday season, there weren't many available, so we decided to do it ourselves. I should mention that I've never demolished a wall before.
In the pictures, I've shown how the current room looks and an image of an identical apartment where the wall is removed, which is how we want it.
Should I have any specific strategy for demolishing it?
How do I find where the electrical wires are in the wall without a wire detector?
Can I demolish the wall and then hire an electrician?
What are the best tools? Reciprocating saw?
Wall material: Plaster and reeds, non-load-bearing.
Are there any switches, wall sockets, or junction boxes (cover plates) anywhere on the entire wall?
If there are electrical cables in the wall, the electrician should probably disconnect them before you start tearing it down.
Have you received written permission from the board of the housing association?
If there are electrical cables in the wall, the electrician should probably disconnect them before you start tearing it down.
Have you received written permission from the board of the housing association?
There are two power outlets on the wall further in where we don't plan to tear down. Can't you remove the electrical fuse and then make a hole in the wall to locate the electrical cables inside the wall and then continue the demolition?BirgitS said:
A reciprocating saw will be very helpful, as will spray bottles with water to reduce the dust in the air. Mask everything you don't want to address afterward.
- Milk carton paper on the floor
- Reciprocating saw with a coarse blade that can handle lightweight concrete or the material the wall is made of
- Zipper doors to limit dust spread between rooms
- Face mask
- Eye protection
- Protective gloves
- Steel-toed shoes
- Plenty of IKEA bags or similar for easy transport of debris
If you are somewhat handy, you can easily see any electrical wiring by opening nearby junction box covers and seeing where the wires lead. If they go towards the wall, there is likely to be electricity there, so you can either solve it by cutting the wall below the electrical wiring or call an electrician to remove the cabling.
Ideally, you should check to ensure there are no electrical conduits to other apartments in that wall, but that seems very unlikely.
I have taken down a significantly larger wall without prior knowledge, and it went great.
Good luck!
- Milk carton paper on the floor
- Reciprocating saw with a coarse blade that can handle lightweight concrete or the material the wall is made of
- Zipper doors to limit dust spread between rooms
- Face mask
- Eye protection
- Protective gloves
- Steel-toed shoes
- Plenty of IKEA bags or similar for easy transport of debris
If you are somewhat handy, you can easily see any electrical wiring by opening nearby junction box covers and seeing where the wires lead. If they go towards the wall, there is likely to be electricity there, so you can either solve it by cutting the wall below the electrical wiring or call an electrician to remove the cabling.
Ideally, you should check to ensure there are no electrical conduits to other apartments in that wall, but that seems very unlikely.
I have taken down a significantly larger wall without prior knowledge, and it went great.
Good luck!
Just a small caveat regarding the direction the wires in a box go. For the most part, it is as you say, but not all installations are as logical as one might wish. It's a somewhat vague way to exclude electricity in a wall, so take it cautiously even if you don't think you're going to find anything.
Recommend that you also remove all fuses related to the kitchen, because it is possible that the power to it is routed through that wall.C Carlsonn said:
Thank you for the help, we will make sure to remove all fuses before the work begins.
Do you have any ideas on how to make the floor look nice? Currently, there is a relatively new laminate floor from Tarkett that we would like to keep. Is there any way to "fill in" the hole with the same floor? I have also read that many laminate floors today consist of click flooring; is it possible to remove and re-lay this from the hole to one side?
Do you have any ideas on how to make the floor look nice? Currently, there is a relatively new laminate floor from Tarkett that we would like to keep. Is there any way to "fill in" the hole with the same floor? I have also read that many laminate floors today consist of click flooring; is it possible to remove and re-lay this from the hole to one side?
Click flooring is the most common when it comes to laminate, and you can see for yourself if you find the flooring on Tarkett's website. Not sure about laminate flooring, but click-type parquet flooring can be removed and reinstalled; in your case, you can check with Tarkett's customer service.
The question bears repeating, do you have permission from the association? It's not okay to take down walls without permission from the board. Through them, you'll also find out if the wall is load-bearing, if there are any electrical elements, or other considerations you need to be aware of.
I don't know enough about flooring to answer that. If no one else responds here in the thread, you can ask in the Floor forum.C Carlsonn said:
In the image with "Önskat resultat" it seems like there is a substantial beam as a replacement for the wall.
Is it just built-in ventilation and electrical wiring, or is there also a load-bearing beam?
Is it just built-in ventilation and electrical wiring, or is there also a load-bearing beam?
