The process of breaking up the plaster is a gradual one and patience is key to ensure the work is done effectively and safely. The goal is to use enough force to break the plaster along the scored lines, but not so much that you damage the underlying lath too severely or risk punching through the wall into wiring or plumbing. With your other hand, tap the end of the chisel lightly with the hammer. Hold the chisel at a slight angle to the wall, placing its edge on one of the scored lines. By starting at the top, you ensure that the wall stays stable for longer, and the plaster falls safely onto the already cleared area. This is mainly for safety reasons as removing plaster from the bottom first could destabilise the sections above, causing larger, heavier pieces to fall. It’s recommended to start at the top of the wall and work your way down. If you’re scoring a high area, use a ladder and make sure it’s stable before you climb up. Utility knives are extremely sharp and can cause serious injury if they slip. It’s usually safe to score about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, but this may vary depending on the thickness of your plaster.Īlways keep your hands clear of the path of the blade. A shallow cut may only score the surface and not provide the desired control lines for breaking the plaster. The goal is to cut deep enough into the plaster so that it will break easily, but not so deep that you risk cutting into pipes or electrical wires behind the wall. This size is ideal because it results in chunks of plaster that are easy to manage during removal. Each square in the grid should be about a foot wide. You’re looking to make a series of vertical and horizontal cuts in the plaster to create a grid pattern. Hold the knife at an angle and apply even pressure as you drag it across the plaster to score it. You can typically find suitable utility knives at your local hardware store. A dull blade won’t be as effective and can actually make the task more difficult. The blade should be sharp and long enough to score through the depth of the plaster. By scoring the plaster into squares, it will break along these lines, reducing the risk of large, unmanageable pieces falling at once and making the process safer and cleaner. The purpose of scoring the plaster is to create control lines or breaks in the plaster, which will help when you begin to chisel it off. Consider wearing a long-sleeved shirt and long pants to protect your skin from sharp debris. Wear personal protective equipment, including safety goggles, a dust mask, and work gloves. Make sure to tape off doors and air vents to prevent dust from spreading to other parts of your house. You should also cover your floors with a drop cloth or plastic sheeting to catch the debris. If there are items that can’t be removed, cover them with plastic sheeting. Move as much furniture out of the room as possible. Here’s a step-by-step process on how to do it: Prepare the Room Removing plaster from a wall is a messy job and requires caution as it may involve potential hazards such as dust and sharp objects. At no cost to you, we earn a commission from qualifying purchases. If I was doing it in my home, I think I’d want to run the shop vac to help pick up that dust, or create a negative pressure situation to help reduce the dust.Īnd of course - don’t forget your PPE (safety glasses, mask/respirator, gloves, work boots, hard hat, hearing protection) - esp once you start working chest heigh & above you’re going to get pieces of plaster flying at your face or falling on your head, and I don’t even know how many nails or pieces of lath I had to pull out of my boot soles.This post may contain affiliate links. We ran a big air cleaner when we were working, but I don’t know if it actually did much (granted the entire interior was being gutted so it was probably trying to bail out the Titanic with a tea cup). After you get a couple studs cleared off, either pull them all out or run the sawzall up & down the stud to cut them off. * Those little lath nails get left in the studs and are a real PITA - they snag on your shirt / belt / skin. * Every once in awhile take a break and sweep up all of the dust & small stuff accumulating on the floor - it’s a pain (and somewhat treacherous for your ankles) to keep stepping on. * Do a “section” (whatever feels like a reasonable area to you) of demo, then take a break from that to pickup and throw all the chunks in the garbage can, and drag the garbage can out to the dumpster when it’s about half full (or whatever you can handle based upon your personal size & strength - that shit is HEAVY!). * Then a flat bar or cat’s paw (nail puller) to pull out the lath pieces from the studs * I used a sawzall to cut the plaster & lath between studs * Use a big plastic garbage can right where you are working. Dealt with this in a demo job recently - I found a couple of strategies reasonably effective for me:
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