If you are planning a project that requires removing and disposing of drywall there are a few things you should know. First, you need to know how to safely take down drywall and second, you need to know what kind of dumpster you need to handle the waste. Let’s take a look at both issues and see how you can safely and efficiently remove and dispose of drywall.
Safety First
When you start a remodeling project that requires the removal of drywall, you must follow safety measures. You need to know exactly where any existing plumbing, studs, and other mechanisms might be located. You should also cut electricity to the room where you are removing drywall. You can run extension cords from another room to light it.
Another precaution you will need to follow if you live in a home built before 1980 is that it may have asbestos in it. You can have a professional test your walls to see if any asbestos is present.
Your house is filled with old things that can be a paradise for mold and mildew. Old furniture like sofas and chairs in a dark, damp room can become a significant source of mold and mildew. Likewise, old throw pillows make excellent places for mold to grow. One of the most significant and most dangerous sources of mold and mildew is a leaky roof. If you see water stains on your ceiling, the water that caused it can also cause mold and mildew to grow in your attic and walls, which is as dangerous as Covid-19 itself, if not more. If you do see leaks on your ceiling, having a roll-off dumpster is a must so that shingles from a repair or roof replacement can be placed inside of it.
Preparing to Remove and Dispose of Your Drywall.
It makes sense when removing drywall; you will produce a large amount of debris. You may want to seal off the room with plastic liners to prevent dust and debris from spreading through your house.
The next thing to determine is where you will dispose of all the debris you generate in knocking out the drywall. In most cases, a twenty-yard roll-off dumpster will be sufficient to hold the drywall you are throwing out. In larger homes, a thirty-yard roll-off dumpster may be required to contain everything.
Here are the tools you will need:
- Face-Mask or Respirator
- Safety Glasses
- Work Gloves
- Prybar
- Claw Hammer
Getting Started by Removing Trim and Molding from Drywall
While wearing your face mask or respirator, use the pry bar to remove any trim from the wall, including the baseboard, crown molding, chair rails, and any molding or trim around doors or windows where the drywall is located.
Use your pry bar to extract any trim. Start at the edge of the wall or where any trim was removed. Put your pry bar over a nail, then pull the drywall towards you. Maneuver your pry bar below the nail and pull the drywall towards you. Repeat for every nail section on the same edge. These steps should lead to the drywall being loosened. Next, pry the nails out. Remove as many nails from the drywall as you can.
Removing Larger Areas of the Drywall
Take your claw hammer and tap on the opposite side of the drywall. Tapping will loosen the drywall without breaking it into smaller pieces. Carefully remove the larger sections of drywall and place them out of the way. Once you have removed the larger pieces of drywall, you can start to remove the smaller pieces of drywall around the nails.
If you are unable to reach the opposite side of the drywall, use your claw hammer to bore a small hole into the drywall. Next, make a hole near the edge of the drywall, being sure to stay away from the nails. Put your hand and hammer into the back of the drywall, and tap on the opposite side of the drywall to remove it.
Finishing Up
Remove any remaining nails in the wall studs. Use either the slotted end of your pry bar or the claw end of your hammer.
Place the nails in a sealed container to either be thrown out or saved and place all of the drywall in your roll-off dumpster. Vacuum the area where you have been working to remove dust and then take down and dispose of your plastic sheeting.
Dumpstermaxx Can Help With Drywall Disposal
We can help you dispose of debris by removing drywall. Call us and we will schedule a time of your choosing when we will deliver a roll-off dumpster directly to your driveway. Don’t put that drywall removal project off any longer; call today!