How to Gut a Room

Whether by choice or necessity, gutting a room means lots of sweat and hard work. If you're doing a full scale remodel of a space usually requires removing everything "to the studs." A natural disaster, such as a flood, may force you to gut a portion of the house. In a nutshell, gutting means pulling or ripping everything out of a room and getting down to the bare structural elements. Once gutted, you're ready to rebuild the room however you see fit.

Sledgehammer
Pry bar
Gloves
Goggles

Instructions

- 1
  Hang plastic sheeting on the door frames of the room you intend to gut. This will limit the flow of dust and particles into other parts of the house. Also, cover furniture and artwork in adjacent rooms. If weather permits, open windows for ventilation.
- 2
  Shut off power to the room. You risk an electric shock if you try and gut a room that has electrical power running to the outlets.
- 3
  Remove all furniture, decor and appliances from the room. Get help moving anything large, awkward or heavy.
- 4
  Pull up carpeting, starting in the corners. Watch for tacks and nails. Use a pry bar to get the carpet started. Roll up the carpet and chuck it out a window.
- 5
  Pry out all drywall, leaving only the support timbers. Be especially careful around switches and outlets. Sweep up the mess into a wheelbarrow and take it outside.
- 6
  Remove or sweep away any leftover carpet and drywall bits.

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