How to Take Down an Interior Wall

If you're doing a little renovating or remodeling an want to know how to take down an interior wall, you first need to learn if it is load bearing. Have a professional come in and inspect it to find out if you can take it down whole or partially. 

If you are able to tear down the entire wall, you're going to have quite a bit of junk debris to deal with. Do yourself a favor and hire a professional junk removal service because it will take quite a bit of time and come with a hefty fee to dump it at the local landfill.

Tearing Down an Interior Wall

Strip both sides of the wall of any decor, shelving, and other items. If there is an electrical outlet on either side of the wall then go to the breaker panel and turn off the power supply. It's a good idea to clear the barriers on either side of the wall, and cover any furnishings with sheets.

The more tools you have on hand, the better. You may not use all of them, but by having a lot of tools nearby, you reduce the temptation to "make do" with the wrong tool. For example, you might be tempted to stand on an overturned bucket instead of standing on a step stool or ladder. -- Home Renovations, About.com

Gather your tools before you do anything because you'll find yourself walking in and out of the room, hunting for a particular one. You'll need plastic or tarps, eye protection, heavy leather gloves, a dust mask, power drill-driver, claw hammer and pry bar, sledgehammer, wire cutters, wire nuts or caps.

1. Put tarps or plastic covers alongside the wall on both sides to cover the floors.
2. If there is a door hanging on the wall unfasten the hinges in remove the door.
3. Carefully pry and trim off the wall and place it in an area where there's no foot traffic.
4. Using a sledgehammer, break through the sheetrock or drywall to start exposing the frame. Pull off all remaining drywall or sheetrock leaving only the frame. As you pull the drywall or sheetrock off the frame, put it out along with the trim.
5. If there's any electrical wiring in the wall, now is the time to remove it and cap it.
6. Knock the vertical studs out of the frame one by one and put them in the same place you put the trim.

Now that the only things left are the foot and the top, unfasten the foot of the frame from the subfloor and take down the top of the frame from the ceiling.

Disposing of Interior Wall Debris

You'll find that there's a lot of debris left to clean up. Since you likely don't know what's in the original construction materials, its best to hire a junk hauling service to do the clean up and haul it away. It will save time and won't be expensive.