DIY remodel question!

**MyMelody** · 04-16-2009, 08:32 AM

Our office, laundry room, family room, and one bedroom are all covered in paneling. We have crown molding and baseboard trim, too. We'd like to take down the trim and paneling ourselves to save money and then only pay to have the new drywall installed. So, here's my questions:

Have any of you ever taken down trim or paneling? What was the difficulty level? Which specific tools do you recommend for the job? Do you think I'll be able to reuse my old trim, or will I need to buy new? (It's about 54 years old.) TIA for your help and wisdom!

**Greebo** · 04-16-2009, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by MyMelody

Our office, laundry room, family room, and one bedroom are all covered in paneling. We have crown molding and baseboard trim, too. We'd like to take down the trim and paneling ourselves to save money and then only pay to have the new drywall installed. So, here's my questions:

Have any of you ever taken down trim or paneling? What was the difficulty level? Which specific tools do you recommend for the job? Do you think I'll be able to reuse my old trim, or will I need to buy new? (It's about 54 years old.) TIA for your help and wisdom!

In order:
Yes.
Very easy to remove. Demo is always easy.
For removal of the trim and paneling you will want a cats-paw (small crowbar), a hammer (or 2, one heavy one light), assorted flat head screwdrivers, and some scrapers.
If you remove the trim *very* carefully, yes you can reuse it.

Trim removal:

Very carefully wedge a scraper between the wall and trim at the point of a nail. Apply gentle pressure to separate the trim slightly from the wall, then insert a thin screwdriver with your other hand. Repeat the process, inserting thicker tools each time.

DO not try to remove the nail - just loosen the trim. Carefully work your way along the trim, loosening each point at which it is nailed.

The trim should come away from the wall cleanly if you move slowly and methodically back and forth along the trim, loosening the nails from the walls carefully.

Once removed, lay the trim face down, with the nail overtop of an opening, and use the lighter hammer to pound the nail through the trim so that it comes out the front of the trim. Use the cats paw to grab the nail and remove it from the trim.

Set trim aside for cleaning and recycling.

Panel Removal:
Rip that sucker down any way you can, but spare the underlying drywall if you can. Probably won't be able too - usually panelling is glued.

You may NOT need all new drywall. One thing you can do is put a skim coat of joint compound or "mud" over a damaged drywall face, and using 12-18" wide drywall scrapers, create a smooth, like new surface. Once the mud is damp to the touch but solid, use a damp, heavy weight, over sized sponge to smooth the edges and ridges of the drywall.

That's a lot easier than replacing drywall.

**Ceashels** · 04-16-2009, 09:06 AM

If you do have to replace some of the drywall, it isn't that difficult. It does take some muscle and some time, though.

**2ndGenGranola** · 04-16-2009, 09:23 AM

Be prepared to replace ALL of the drywall if the paneling is original to the house. Some builders have been found to short cut the process using scraps and such underneath the paneling.

**Greebo** · 04-16-2009, 11:40 AM

And if you do have to replace the drywall, then do just that. REPLACE it. Do NOT cover over what's already there. If you gotta gut the room, gut it right, and find out what else needs fixing at the time.

**MyMelody** · 04-16-2009, 01:37 PM

The paneling is original to the home, but I'm questioning whether there's even drywall underneath it at all. Or, perhaps there is in the exterior walls, but not interior ones. The walls seem "bouncy" when I press against them with my fingers.

**Greebo** · 04-17-2009, 05:44 AM

Hmm - there might not be. Is it bouncy everywhere on the interior walls? I mean - is every interior wall like this?

If so, your demo will be much easier - and you'll be hanging drywall.

One thing to think about while you have the walls out? This is the time to upgrade insulation and weather proofing the house!

**Mom2Many** · 04-17-2009, 07:49 AM

I removed the trim in my house, but I pulled the nails out through the back instead of tapping them out the front. It's quicker and any damage is on the back side of the trim where it won't be seen.

**RaineyDaye** · 04-17-2009, 07:55 AM

Removing paneling is easy. Hanging drywall on walls is not too hard. (the ceiling is another matter). When you do your drywall, make sure to get a large taping knife to apply the spackle or joint compound over the tape. This will make it go on more smoothly and involve much less sanding. (I learned the hard way).

**Grainlady** · 04-17-2009, 08:06 AM

Was your trim painted or stained/varnished? If it was orginally painted, paint containing lead was probably used and you can use a lead-test kit from the hardware store to make that determination. In that case, you'll need to take more precations with it's removal and reuse.

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealt...Renovation.pdf

This web site shows some great pictures that might be helpful:

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/f.../prep_trim.htm

We number each piece of trim as we remove them when we reuse it, and make a graph of the room to follow. Start where there is a short piece, if possible.

You'll find a large crow bar, ISN'T the tool for the job. It's fine for demolition, not renovation. There are small, flat, pry bars, like the Wonder Bar, that work much better for trim you want to reuse.

We also use a "3-in-one" and a thin bladed putty-knife for starting the removal. These slide between the wall and molding easier than a thick pry bar.

If the molding/wall has been painted, you'll need to score the paint before you can pull the trim off. Start at the end of a piece, not in the middle.

When you replace the trim, pre-drill the holes for the finishing nails so you don't split the wood. Hammer the finishing nail until it's almost completely down to the wood surface. Finish setting the nail with a nail set (punch) tool (appropriate for the size of finishing nail you are using). You set finishing nails below the surface of the wood molding. The amount you punch the nail into the wood surface is equal to the width of the nail head.

Check your local library for a how-to video or an instruction book on doing trim work if you've never done it before. Having the right tools (and patience) is also a must for doing a good job.

**Greebo** · 04-17-2009, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Mom2Many

I removed the trim in my house, but I pulled the nails out through the back instead of tapping them out the front. It's quicker and any damage is on the back side of the trim where it won't be seen.

You can do that, but then you have to hammer new holes to get a good grip and the old holes need to be filled with putty.

Assuming, that is, that the old nails were actually nailed into studs, something not always done with trim...

**Greebo** · 04-17-2009, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by RaineyDaye

Removing paneling is easy. Hanging drywall on walls is not too hard. (the ceiling is another matter). When you do your drywall, make sure to get a large taping knife to apply the spackle or joint compound over the tape. This will make it go on more smoothly and involve much less sanding. (I learned the hard way).

For ceilings, the best thing in the world you can do is go to Home Depot and rent a panel lifter. That's a gizmo that lets you set a piece of drywall up on it, then lay it flat and lift it up to the ceiling and maneuver it into place.

Makes a 5 person job into a 1 or 2 person job.

With the joint compound you should also plan on doing three coats over seams. The first is just to fill in the seam and get the tape held in place. That should be as narrow as possible. The second coat is to smooth out the first and spread out the edges. THe third is extremely light and just finishes smoothing it out.

**mombottoo** · 04-17-2009, 01:06 PM

There is nothing to tearing out paneling & trim...hammer, flat bar, flat head screwdriver and a crow bar will do the trick. I personally would buy new trim, with old wood it is sometimes tough to get it to come down in one piece...if the trim is painted you may want to make sure the paint or a layer of the paint is not lead based...different rules for removing stuff with lead.

Do you know what is under the paneling? You may want to consider tearing your walls down to the studs...that way you can make sure there aren't any hidden electrical boxes or wiring problems...easier to take care of wiring issues with no walls. Plus, if you choose you can add insulation to areas that need it during this time.

**Thevail** · 04-21-2009, 05:16 AM

Removing paneling is dead easy, seriously. Putting up new drywall is also easy..IF your walls, cielings etc are square and true. As someone with an older house..they aren't always and some corners were a freaking nightmare of coping saw work and compound angles.

Mudding and taping are easy peasy...sanding it all perfectly smooth takes an attention to detail that I personally do not possess however. And if you'll be painting anything with a gloss or satin finish paint you WILL notice where there's a boo boo.

I highly reccomend the pre-made corner pieces for exterior corner joints..(tried it the old-school way..I think I may STILL have a facial tic and partial turrettes syndrome from it)

On the DIY scale...demo is a one...drywalling is a 3 (messy)..mudding and taping is a 3 to a 5 (depends greatly on the complexity of the architecture)

**MyMelody** · 04-25-2009, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Greebo

One thing to think about while you have the walls out? This is the time to upgrade insulation and weather proofing the house!

The plan is to get the house rewired while the walls are down and put in insulation as well as new doors with tight seals to help with our heating/cooling. Oh, and ceiling fans in every bedroom and the family room to help in our hot Arkansas summers. I'm glad my thinking is headed somewhat along the right track!