DIY Network

Entertainer's Kitchen From "Wasted Spaces" episode DWSP-106

The Wasted Spaces crew is on deck to make the kitchen and dining room more open and welcoming for guests while creating nice storage and display areas.

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This dining room/kitchen is now opened for entertaining. There are no more Wasted Spaces!

Breaking Down the Project

• This is a split-level house with a connected kitchen/dining area that is separated by a wall with a pass-through. The kitchen is measured 11' x 13' and the dining area is 11'x10-1/2'. The original dividing wall tightly divided the two spaces, so once the wall was removed, the new combined kitchen/dining area became 11' by 23-1/2'.
  
  
• This project maximizes entertaining area in the kitchen and dining room by eliminating a pointless, space-hogging divider wall. After demolishing the wall, there were necessary repairs to make. Then, floor-mounted cabinets were installed to make use of the floor space.

• A nice countertop was installed. Also, a customized wine and glass rack was created.

Materials:

drywall sheets
drywall tape
drywall mud
sandpaper
popcorn ceiling spray
paint
pry bar
hammer
sledge hammer
reciprocating saw
trowel
circular saw
jig saw
table saw
screws
level
staple gun
staples
screw gun
cabinets
plywood sheets
"L" brackets
oak trim in
carpenter's glue
countertops

Take out the drywall first. You can start this by puncturing it in various sections with a sledge hammer. Continue by forcefully using your hands to pull the drywall away and off of the studs.

Wall Removal

1. Check for the existence of wiring and, if it exists, decide how to proceed with rerouting it; whether you are comfortable to do it yourself or need to hire a professional.

2. Remove the wall framing (the studs). You have two options for removing the studs in the wall: using a sledge hammer or using a reciprocating saw. Your choice depends on what you find behind your drywall. The fastest way to take out the framing is to knock them out with a sledge hammer...focusing your blows on the lower part where they meet the floor. If you have any difficulties or wiring that has been threaded through the studs, it might be easier to take out the studs using a reciprocating saw. If there are any existing cuts or holes in the stud, you can start from there and cut your way through. This is also the way you can free any wires that might be "threaded" through the wood. Just remember to disable the electricity!

Tips:

• Before removing any walls, always check for whether or not the wall is a load-bearing wall. Do not attempt to remove a load-bearing wall. If you have a question about whether or not a wall is load-bearing, always consult a professional.

• Be forceful, yet careful, when taking down an interior wall. You don't want to damage any electrical wiring that may be behind that drywall. If you are unsure whether or not wires are present, you can check by tearing through the drywall in various sections and peering inside with a flashlight.

• For this project, a professional came to reroute the electrical and phone lines. If you plan to be doing any work around electrical wires, flip the breaker off first to eliminate the possibility of electrocution.

• Depending on the condition of the wood, it is sometimes possible to save the 2x4 studs from the wall you've just demolished for use at a later time.

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