Remodeling Kitchens: Demolition & Framing

There's always some demolition involved in a kitchen remodel. The process usually means removing the old kitchen elements in the reverse order they were installed: 1) Appliances, 2) Plumbing, 3) Fixtures, 4) Countertops, 5) Cabinets.

For many kitchen projects, the demolition also involves re-framing in order to add or remove a door, window or wall. That requires clearing off the wall surface to expose the old framing and perform any necessary structural changes.

Opening Walls

Re-framing will usually impact the home's structural integrity, so before opening up the walls and attempting any structural changes, be sure to:

Many communities require permits anytime you open up a wall regardless of structural changes. But the permits and inspections are your assurance that the project will be done safely, and most building officials can help you do the best job possible.

TIP: It's a good idea to rent a construction dumpster to hold all the debris generated by a kitchen demolition.

Kitchen Demolition

Appliances:

Remove these first to clear space for removing the other elements. Rent an appliance dolly to help wheel out the heavy ones, especially if you're working alone. If your refrigerator has an ice-maker attachment, be sure to turn the water off before disconnecting the water supply tube in back. And if you have gas appliances, consult a licensed plumber about disconnecting them.

Plumbing Fixtures:

These are basically the sink and dishwasher. First, disconnect any drain and water supply pipes (again, make sure the water's turned off and have a bucket ready for the water left in P-traps). Dishwashers are usually secured to the countertop or the neighboring cabinets, so remove those screws before trying to slide it out. If the sink is caulked to the countertop, you can free it with a pry bar, but if it's clipped to the top from below, you'll have to remove the clips first.

Countertops:

Countertops are usually attached to the cabinets by screws drilled from below through the cabinet framing or special blocking in the upper corners of the cabinets. So before pulling off the top, go into each base cabinet and remove all the screws going up into the countertop. If it doesn't budge after that, it's probably glued down so use a pry bar to pull it up.

Cabinets:

When you're removing cabinets, get the base units out first. That way you're not reaching up over them when you're removing the upper cabinets. If you're dealing with stock box cabinets, they're usually just screwed into the wall framing and into each other. So removing those screws is about all you have to do to remove the cabinets. But if the cabinets were framed on site and literally built in, you'll probably have to rip or cut them apart with a reciprocating saw.

Removing Doors and Windows

The following demolition steps are virtually the same for either a door or window:

Remove the interior casing around the unit
Remove all the nails holding the jambs to the framing (use a nail-puller or cut the nails with a reciprocating saw)
Outside, pull any nails securing the exterior casing (on wood-clad units)or nailing flanges (on aluminum or vinyl-clad units).
Pull the unit out of it's rough opening.

TIP: With heavy doors or large windows, remove the door or sashes from the jambs before trying to pull them out, especially if you're working alone.

Once the unit is gone, you can fill in the old rough opening. On a door, first nail a new bottom plate between the trimmer studs over the threshold. Cut and nail in a cripple stud every 16" between the header and the bottom plate. Cover the opening with sheathing and match the exterior siding. Cover the remaining interior wall with wallboard.

Removing Drywall & Plaster

The usual technique for removing plaster or wallboard is to smash it apart with a hammer and pry off the pieces individually. Other remodelers first use a reciprocating saw to vertically cut through the wall surface from floor to ceiling between the studs so the material comes off in larger pieces.

CAUTION: Be extremely careful when breaking into walls because water, waste, and electrical and/or gas lines are always found somewhere in the stud cavities of kitchen walls.

To save on finish work later on, determine how much of the wall you really need to expose. Find the nearest wall studs outside that area and remove only that much of the wall.

Taking walls apart is dirty and rough, so you should wear a dust mask, safety glasses and ear plugs. Cover the floor with plywood and plastic if you want to protect the surface, and have a trash can on hand for collecting debris.

Re-Framing Load-Bearing Walls

All of your home's exterior walls and most of the interior walls were originally framed as load-bearing walls to help support the framing above them. If any of these wall studs are removed, they must be replaced by some other load-bearing member—like a header over a new window or door for example.

Remember to check with your local building officials beforehand if you're planning to change any framing. They'll review your plans, highlight any problems, and suggest solutions in addition to the needed permits and inspection schedule.

NOTE: Work that violates local building codes often invalidates your homeowner's insurance, along with possible health and safety dangers. Getting a permit and having work inspected is your assurance that the job is done properly.

Kitchen Re-Framing

Bracing the Ceiling:

Before re-framing any load-bearing wall, you should brace the ceiling above the wall with a temporary wall. Wedge a stud every 16" or so between a board secured to the ceiling and a second board secured to the floor directly below. Cut the boards a bit longer than the area you're re-framing and cut the studs a hair longer than the distance between the boards. That'll take up the slack for any framing until the new wall is in.

Adding New Doors or Windows in Existing Walls:

Remove the existing wall studs to clear space (leaving the exterior sheathing intact) for the king studs,headers, sills (on windows) and trimmer studs needed to frame the new rough opening. Dimensions for the new unit are supplied by the manufacturer. Once they're in place, drill a hole through the sheathing and the siding at each corner of the new rough opening. Remove enough siding outside to start a saw blade, snap chalklines between the holes and cut the sheathing along those lines. Set the unit in place, shim under it and along the sides as needed to get level and plumb and secure it to the framing.

Adding Walls:

To add a new wall, you'll generally need to frame: 1) a corner post (two studs with a third one nailed between them) in the existing wall to secure the end and 2) blocking between the ceiling joists to secure the top (if it runs across the joists, it can be nailed to the joists). If there's room, assemble the plates and studs on the floor and raise them into position. Or, nail on the top and bottom plates, then nail in the studs one-by-one.

Removing Walls:

After the ceiling is properly braced, remove the plates and studs of the existing wall by prying them out one-by-one with a pry bar or by cutting the nails with a reciprocating saw. The wall's load-bearing capacity must replace with a dropped headeror a flush header. A dropped header is basically a beam (multiple joists determined by code) set under the existing joists that run above the wall you're removing. A flush header is a beam set in flush with the joist ends that are attached to the beam with joist hangers for full support. In either case, the header is supported by posts (multiple studs determined by code) that are usually added to existing walls.

NOTE: For any of the above re-framing jobs, consult with your local building officials before proceeding. A plan showing proposed header sizes, spans and materials should be submitted prior to any work.