Removing Kitchen/Dining Room Divider

one sheet 1/2-inch drywall
four 1x3 furring strips
bag of 45-minute joint compound
container tile mastic
bag of grout

Tools:

12-inch drywall knife
6-inch drywall knife
four buckets
cordless drill with battery and magnetic screw tip
drywall pan
dust masks
electrical meter with continuity tester
flat crowbar
grout float
hammer
level
mastic trowel
measuring tape
painting supplies
reciprocating saw
safety glasses
utility knife

2. If there are any outlets or switches in the wall, then you have to map the location of the wiring. Turn off the power and knock some holes in the wall so you can get a look inside (figure A). Disconnect the switches, pulling them out of the boxes and discarding them or saving for later. (Check local codes to see what you can and can’t do yourself.) All connections and terminations (if you are just capping off an existing electrical line) must be in an accessible junction box.

3. Remove the window and door trim. Pull it off with a flat crowbar and a hammer. Toss the trim in the garbage.

4. Pull off all the drywall to expose the structure. Make sure to cut along the ceiling to ensure that the drywall paper doesn’t rip any more than is necessary. Just run a utility knife along the corner joint between the wall and the ceiling before you tear into it.

6. Cut the vertical studs in half and pull them out (figure B). Pull the floor plate and ceiling plate out using the crowbar.

7. Patch in drywall by cutting strips to fill the hole (figure C). If there is nothing to screw to, add 1x3 blocking where necessary to ensure the edges of the patch drywall are supported. Screw the patches in using a cordless screw gun.

8. Mix 45-minute joint compound to the consistency of peanut butter. Spread a thin layer over the seam, and then lay in a strip of paper drywall tape. Spread another thin layer of joint compound over the paper tape using a 6-inch drywall knife. Wait for it to dry, and then apply another coat of joint compound using a 12-inch drywall knife.

9. Work on the floor between applying coats of drywall compound. If necessary, fill in the floor with strips of plywood. Build up the hole where the wall was to match the height of the existing underlayment. Cut tiles to fit, and then glue them down using tile mastic. Don’t walk on the floor patch for at least eight hours.

10. Install new trim pieces around the opening (figure D). Fill in any gaps at the mitered corners using caulk (figure E).

11. Sand the drywall patch, and add a third coat of joint compound. Sand the third coat smooth, and get ready to paint.

12. Grout the tile patch, using matching grout.

13. Prime and paint the drywall patch to match (figure F).