DIY Network

Closet Demolition From "DIY to the Rescue" episode DTTR-102

DIY to the Rescue visits new parents Adrienne Martini and Scott Segar, who've come to the end of their ropes in this particular home repair. Segar, who designs sets for local theater productions, found himself in a little too deep after tearing down the bedroom paneling. The couple, who live in a 1940s-style home, now have scarred walls from removal of the construction adhesive holding the paneling in place. The walls are bare, there is no crown molding, and the window trim consists of mismatched pieces. It's time for DIY to the Rescue.

The team will help Martini and Segar get back on track by helping repair and paint the walls, add new crown molding and baseboards, and tackle one of the room's biggest eyesores: the closet. The team starts by removing everything from the room to create a clean "slate", then it's on to the closet demolition!

Bedroom Before

Timbers were left exposed near the closet after Scott Segar removed the old paneling from the walls.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Day One: Closet Demolition

• After donning safety gear, co-host Amy Devers and homeowner Adrienne Martini get started on tearing down the closet.

• First, the two remove doors and clothing bar. Next, a hammer is used to knock holes in the wall's surface between the wall studs (figure A). Several large holes enable Adrienne to use her hands to easily pull the plaster surface loose.

• Next, the two remove any horizontal support beams from the closet interior before repeating the same technique for removing the plaster walls (figure B).

• After checking to make sure that the wall studs in the closet interior aren't load-bearing, a reciprocating saw is used to quickly cut through the studs (figure C). This makes it easier to use a pry bar to pull the studs loose from the top and bottom of the closet.